Mandatory Onstar?

[Polo08816]

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/07/buick-and-gmc-models-get-mandatory-3-year-onstar-and-connected-services-plan/#:~:text=While%20these%20plans%20are%20currently,or%20GMC%20vehicle%20going%20forward.

The available OnStar Connected Services plans allow GM owners to get the most out of their vehicle by providing a constant high-speed internet connection for navigation, music streaming and more. While these plans are currently optional on GM vehicles, a three-year OnStar & Connected Services Plan will be mandatory with the purchase of a new Buick or GMC vehicle going forward.

Is this confirmed?

 

[altona]

Yes. Try building a 2022 Yukon. Uncheck the $905 Onstar box and it forces it back on.

 

[Stbentoak]

This is simply overreach by GM. Any data plan/OnStar should be optional. I will say I have it and use it and without it the system just doesn’t do the things you need. But it shouldn’t be forced.
Could have possibly influenced my decision to even buy this vehicle…
Bad move by GM…..
Beyond all this it is grossly overpriced! I pay 290 a year and on my wife’s vehicle it is 120 a year, data included.

 

[Sparksalot]

How else is the gubmint going to get their remote kill switch?

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

Well, even before it was “mandatory” you were basically forced into it because the function of the vehicle basically is neutered without it once you got to 2022. The flaw I see is that they actually include it as a mandatory option. Seems like a better marketing move would have been to raise the price the right amount and just include “3 years of OnStar and Connected services.”

If you want my opinion on the real reason, I believe it is because they want to sell vehicles now with incomplete software and have a way to push those software updates to the buyers later. This enables that…but we will never know for sure.

 

[bunky319]

Yeah noticed this when the 2023 order banks were first opened. Basically it raised the retail price of my 2023 Yukon XL SLT order by $1500. Really sucks. What's really strange (IMO) is that this requirement doesn't appear to apply to the Tahoe/Suburban. So effectively my Yukon XL price went up $1500 but my comparable Suburban build stayed the same.

 

[Geotrash]

Most new premium cars now have a SIM card in them for updates and other data services, so some of the Onstar fee no doubt goes to wireless carriers for the associated number and access services. But GM's high cost for Onstar remains an outlier. Tesla's basic connectivity for the updates to the car itself is free, and their 'premium' service that includes navigation, video streaming and other services is only $10/month which seems very reasonable compared with Onstar. GM has been pushing Onstar for 2 decades and it seems that they're now pushing it to their peril. This will piss off a lot of customers.

 

[Quark]

If high gas prices and horrendous quality problems haven't convinced buyers then this won't either. Lower your expectations and bite the bullet you know you want it.

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

Yeah noticed this when the 2023 order banks were first opened. Basically it raised the retail price of my 2023 Yukon XL SLT order by $1500. Really sucks. What's really strange (IMO) is that this requirement doesn't appear to apply to the Tahoe/Suburban. So effectively my Yukon XL price went up $1500 but my comparable Suburban build stayed the same.

The article referenced above does say Buick and GMC models.

I think the failure on this was just not "pricing it in" and adding to the list of "features" included.
GM did a disservice to itself by itemizing the pricing. Oh, and only having 4GLTE, not 5G!!!

 

[bunky319]

The article referenced above does say Buick and GMC models.

I think the failure on this was just not "pricing it in" and adding to the list of "features" included.
GM did a disservice to itself by itemizing the pricing. Oh, and only having 4GLTE, not 5G!!!

Agreed. My point is many people shopping for the Yukon/XL are most like cross-shopping against the Tahoe/Suburban. This instantly creates another substantial price difference. I can only assume GM is trying to create additional distinctions between GMC and Chevrolet.