Back in 2011, OnStar introduced the For My Vehicle (FMV) system that offered the services of the telematics service to vehicles outside of the General Motors family. The cost of the service was $299 annually, and the majority of its buyers came from Toyota and Ford. But all’s been quiet on that front, and for appropriate reason, as OnStar officials have confirmed that FMV will discontinue production.
The statement is as follows:
As far as OnStar FMV goes, we have decided to discontinue producing any additional OnStar FMV units. Those who have purchased OnStar FMV will continue to receive OnStar service for as long as they choose to subscribe. We have gained a number of key insights by launching OnStar FMV that will be very valuable as we investigate future ventures in the retail space.
On the horizon, OnStar will offer 4G LTE internet in select vehicles later this year, turning cars into wifi hotspots.
Comments
Marketing manager at the distributor sat down next to me at CES when it was unveiled. Thought I was a fan because I understood how it worked.
When I explained to him that I would never pay for an OnStar service that couldn’t unlock my car… he had that “uh oh” look on his face. Unfortunately for him, the market proved me right.
Was the lack of an unlocking feature the undoing of FMV?
I really think On Star is in trouble even in the cars they can unlock.
I get all sorts of offers from them to re up from my original offer.
I really have no use for On Star. I don’t lock my keys in, I have used them for directions and they could not direct me to where I wanted to go. Note once was to the GM Goodwrench race shop.
There is so little they offer that I can not do with my cell phone. When we got out last GMC it also took them weeks to get the car to connect for some reason. We kept calling and they kept saying we are working on it. It was not out car and it was on their end.
In this day of rising healthcare cost and stagnate economy OnStar and XM radio are two things very easy to cut.
So when you are in a serious accident you will have your phone in your hand and be able to call 911 easily? You should think twice before stating your opinion. And if you car is stolen – your phone will go get it? That is one magical phone! 😉
My wife, and I, have always liked OnStar. On numerous occasions, OnStar has come through for us.
It sounds like the discontinued system, was for noon GM vehicles. It’s only fair, that GM is not continuing a system that helps other auto makers. If the buyer uses, and likes, OnStar… They should buy a GM vehicle.
And if the majority of buyers are anything like our family, once they have OnStar, it’s hard to imagine a vehicle without it.
Last, but not least, it’s proven that OnStar, as a hands free communication device, is safer than fumbling with a mobile phone, and as an automatic accident safety device for loved ones… It can’t be beat.
Nota very Christian comment. I own a GM but wouldn’t if it wasn’t for OnStar. GM can easily fix this problem by giving customers what they want and can afford. Cars/trucks are expensive and nice to look at on the outside; however, on the inside are the cheapest of materials and they don’t offer half the luxuries/niceties that other manufacturers do.
Ah you can use your phone hands free in nearly all new GM cars. Mine connects with the car and even will work with voice activation with the new GM systems that are in use.
Also I only need one phone contract as I do not have to pay min to On Star for my phone. My present AT&T account works in car and out of car.
The one real benefit is the crash alert if you live way out and the odds of finding you are slim. But if you live around people generally 5 people have called 911 before you stopped and may even have videoed the crash too anymore.
Onstar is also a premium anti-theft device, so if your vehicle is ever stolen, Onstar can shut it down even as it’s driving down the street I can personally vouch for how handy this is, as somebody stole my brand new Chevy Cruze, and Onstar located the vehicle within 3 minutes of being notified and my car was repaired and back in my hands within 2 days. Onstar is invaluable in my opinion, and other brands would do well to invest in something similar.
Onstar FMV CAN’T shut down your vehicle. It is not connected to the vehicle systems in any way other than drawing it’s 12 volt power.
I love OnStar I do not love going overseas for help. I do not love that I just purchased an onstar fmv to find out they have stopped production and..i bought an install card whose activate address onstar forgot to mention was no longer working. I had to find my way around to learn where to activate the card. I also love onstar to the point i had it for about 10 years. I swore i would never have a car without onstar I got rid of my last GM car (a Malibu) because there was no quality to it and bought a new Chrysler. .In my mind, these are the undoings of Onstar . Also a few weeks ago (before I got rid of the Malibu) someone broke their ribs while sliding on ice. I used Onstar to call an ambulance. The ambulance went to the wrong location . we watched it drive by siren blaring. ..I have purchased this in the hopes that even though GM/Onstar has stopped mfg fmv that it will work and also hoping that the ambulance episode was a 1 time thing because nothing like it had happened before. I am seriously hoping i dont regret my decision.
“..i bought an install card whose activate address onstar forgot to mention was no longer working. I had to find my way around to learn where to activate the card”
What are you talking about? OnStar doesn’t have cards. Also just because they stopped making NEW mirrors doesn’t mean that they are stopping service on those already out there. You can still get a FMV installed at a GM dealership. All you have to do is ask, and if they don’t know tell them to call OnStar
So when you are in a serious accident you will have your phone in your hand and be able to call 911 easily? You should think twice before stating your opinion. And if you car is stolen – your phone will go get it? That is one magical phone! 😉
R Smyrna. I had GM cars and On Star for years. The Onstar was really helpful. I wanted to stay with GM..but I had a 2012 Malibu I was not at all impressed with. Examples were when it was hot, cold, raining or snowing, my lights went off inside and out. The wood finish on the passenger side was never installed. I could go on but suffice it to say I gave up Onstar for quality in a Chrysler. Missed the Onstar so much i went back and got the FMV. I am really disappointed that once supplies are out, it will no longer be sold. I think they should have had a better , longer advertising campaign. Please do not assume that everyone that purchases the FMV didn’t have a GM at one point or another .
After using it extensively on my CTS Wagon, I upgraded my 01 GMC Jimmy to FMV for blue-tooth connectivity for the kids. Around town, OnStar is not necessary. BUT ………. OnStar is brilliant on long hauls (especially in areas that you don’t know). Hell of a lot easier to talk to a human being than to fumble with a smartphone (weaving lane-to-lane) or talk to brain-dead Siri. You don’t have to ask the question exactly. The CSR on the phone can work with you to refine the “ask” until you get the right information. Directions, hotel and restaraunt reservations, and traffic/weather at the push of a button. On long trips my wife and I find OnStar indispensable.
I really wish I’d seen this site before we purchased, and activated our OnStar FMV for my son’s Jeep this past May 2015. OnStar never informed us that they had discontinued the program. My son was able to use the mirror for almost a month before services stopped, even though we were still paying for it. We, finally, had the mirror replaced (because OnStar finally told our installer that the mirror was defective) today and tried to switch everything over to the new mirror only to be told by OnStar FMV that our vehicle was no longer compatible with their mirror. So, now we are out hundreds of dollars!
I’m perplexed. in June 2014 we purchased an FMV for our daughters honda since she was going away to college. The install and activation went great. She has had no problem for a year. This year, although we heard the FMV was no longer being produced, our reputable installer had a couple FMV’s left in stock so we decided to have on placed in our other daughter’s hyundai as she prepared to leave for college in june 2015. As I speak, the car is at the installer for the 3rd FMV replacement mirror. The second mirror was completely reinstalled with all wires checked etc….however, just like the first we could never get it activated with ONstar and their reps couldn’t even add the new vehicle to my existing account. then when the defective mirror was changed oout they made a new account because the mirror had a different serial # versus just swapping out the serial # on the account. this cluster was bounced around through several reps and technical reps for over 3-4 weeks before they issued me a refund…………but I still need the safety and protection for my child….so the latest round with Onstar Techs is the 2nd FMV must also be defective and so here we are waiting for the 3rd FMV to be installed……….but now I’m really beginning to believe we are being screwed by on-star and that it’s not the FMV unit,they just no longer support this service. I’m not a happy customer right now!!!!!!!!
This is not a fair statement. I have owned/driven GM cars for more than 30 years. My current car, an Impala, is filled with problems that are systemic. Some of the problems have been recalled and paid for by GM but others are categorized as “Technical Services Bulletins”, meaning that even though the problem is a manufacturer’s defect, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO PAY FOR IT. I have to pay for it. If the GM cars were as good as the OnStar system then I’d agree with your comments wholeheartedly; however, I can’t continue buying cars whose resell value sinks faster than lead in water. I had decided to buy a new car (no more GMs) this year and had planned to get the OnStar FMV installed but now I find that will not be possible. So rather than do without OnStar in a new vehicle, I will wait to see if GM (or some other manufacturer) can work out the kinks in the system or GM can build a better car. Otherwise, no more GM cars. I’m done with being used like a rag and then tossed aside as soon as I sign the contract.
Seriously, the issues these people have all had seem very odd to me. First of all, in May of 2016, I literally purchased an OnStar FMV new mirror from ebay for my 2007 Equinox that didn’t come with OnStar, and, I have had no issues what so ever with it. First of all, a note: Almost every OnStar activation takes 2 tries quite literally. Sometimes you get a representative on the first try that has no idea what they’re doing, and, most people aren’t fully ready with everything they need. On GM vehicles with OnStar, when you call into activate, you have to get a code (similar to an IMEI for a cell phone) from your OnStar cellular communications module displayed from your radio, and, your vehicle’s VIN number. FMV has a similar code either spoken to you by the mirror itself, or, on the box it came in. IF the rep does not ask for this code and the VIN of the vehicle, they have no idea what they’re doing. Also, this unit can actually be self-installed quite easily, and, most installers want to screw up the unit on purpose because they get a kick back for returning it to GM. There are only 3 wires (Battery constant Fused, Ignition/Accessory Fused, and a Ground) and it’s not rocket science to install. Just run the 3 line cable through your headliner, down the driver’s (or passenger’s depending one which is easiest to connect to the vehicle fuse box) side window pillar, and under the dash into the vehicle’s fuse box. Solder on an extension cable if needed to reach the connections. In my vehicle, for the Battery constant, I actually took the fuse box apart and ran a wire from the actual OnStar fuse connection, however, just any of the continuously battery connected wires will work. The Accessory wire can be connected to the accessory power connection to your radio or AC. In vehicles equipped with retained accessory power, there is usually a relay at the fuse box that has a power out. Connect to that if possible. The ground wire is suggested that it be connected with an already wired ground. Just remember to solder all of your connections for better connectivity, and, all will work perfectly with this unit, and, you should have no malfunctions or supposed “compatibility” issues.
This is how I had to connect and activate mine in May of 2016….. a full year or 2 after it being discontinued, and, it works perfectly fine…. I just wish that there was a way to integrate it into the GM vehicle data buss like regular OnStar.
Anyway, I hope this helps a few.
This is great information. I plan to purchase one on ebay and gVe it installed in the next month. It’s geat to know that GM still supports.
Ruth I purchased one for my Chrysler. It didnt work and I had it uninstalled within a few days. The mirror still doesn’t work right.
Is there another product out there similar to onstar fmv?. I would like the peace of mind for my kids in college.
Hello I have OnStar FMV ON MY 07 Honda Accord And now that you discontinue FMV i cannot manage my subscription online I don’t think that’s right you guys should have prepared for that you have many subscribers with FMV in their vehicles I think you should do something about it.Thank You
Need to fix Online subscription for onstar FMV subscribers I have a 07 Honda Accord
When I traded in my Chevy vehicle, I didn’t think thru that I wouldn’t have OnStar anymore. I really miss it. The hands free phone, and especially the emergency button. I think all brand vehicles should have OnStar.
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can i still activate fmv