As General Motors and its telematics subsidiary OnStar roll out 4G LTE connectivity across 2015 model year vehicles, the automaker is also introducing a new OnStar bundle. According to sources from GM’s dealer network, the new OnStar Basic Plan is free for five years, and includes the RemoteLink app, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, and a service called Dealer Maintenance Notification.
As it stands, Dealer Maintenance Notification informs a dealerships whenever there is a problem with a customer’s vehicle, allowing the dealership to reach out to the customer and coordinate a repair. The Basic Plan is free for five years (starting on the purchase date of the vehicle), and joins the existing Safe & Sound as well as Directions & Connections plans, which are priced at $19.95 per month and $29.90 per month, respectively.
As a manager at a GM dealership explained, the new Basic Plan might not seem like much at first, but it offers two key benefits:
- The convenience and ‘wow factor’ of the RemoteLink app (for free!)
- The opportunity to keep customers coming back to a GM dealership, (rather than having them go outside of the GM family) for maintenance and service.
It’s the second item that’s highly important and lucrative for dealers, as car service is big business for most. Add to that the unique RemoteLink app, and the new plan seems like a one-two punch by GM to boost customer retention.
| FEATURE | NEW BASIC PLAN (FREE FOR 5 YEARS) | SAFE & SOUND ($19.90/MONTH) | DIRECTIONS & CONNECTIONS ($29.90/MONTH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| REMOTELINK MOBILE APP | √ | √ | √ |
| VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS | v | √ | √ |
| MAINTENANCE NOTIFICATION | √ | √ | √ |
| HANDS-FREE CALLING | √ | √ | √ |
| AUTOMATIC CRASH RESPONSE | √ | √ | |
| EMERGENCY SERVICES | √ | √ | |
| STOLEN VEHICLE ASSISTANCE | √ | √ | |
| ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE | √ | √ | |
| REMOTE SERVICES | √ | √ | |
| TURN-BY-TURN NAVIGATION | √ |
Comments
Why do titles like this need to be capitalized? Pretty odd to me.
I think maybe you’re retarded. Sorry about that.
I fairly recently leased a new equinox. The basic plan doesn’t come with remote start and lock anymore, so when I told them I wasn’t going to pay a monthly fee they took it off my app immediately!! But now everybody that has a car that isn’t new still all have remote lock, remote start, they stand inside the building at work and start their cars from their phones and I (with the new car) have to go out and start mine in the cold! Let me tell you how much this ticks me off …either take it off of everyONE or give it to everyone!!!!! They should not still all be using it I’m talking at least 10 to 15 people, I know of right off hand. Heck they used to give a 3 month trial, now you get one month. And you know up until this month, I was paying for data in my car, so I was paying for something just not the plan that would include that. Yet all those people get it for free!!!!!!!!
You’re right, should be free for everyone. I bought a 2012 in January of 2013 and got the free key fob app and can start mine with my phone. It was due to expire in January of 2020, a few weeks ago i got an email offering another year service free, of course i took it.
Who Cares
Just want to say, if you’re not interested, then you probably shouldn’t read any further! I guess obviously, some of us do care !! If you don’t care, why would you bother wasting your time to comment, what you commented, just sayin…. when I’m not interested in something, I just don’t bother reading it.
I want to be able to start my car with the app on my phone like I have for the last 10 yrs or so. Without having to pay for it, just like tons of other people get to do…. that’s my point and that’s why it matters. They are just taking it away from people that just recently bought cars. And the rest of the people, just get to keep it.
Never a fan of OnStar personally, but I really like the idea of the heads up to the dealer that theirs something wrong with your car. Would be cool if they could send you a message to your dash informing you of a recall. I cain’t bring my self to pay for anything extra that my phone sitting in my pocket can do tho. Good thing the basics free. I felt the same when I purchased my TV, everybody I know is buying smart TVs and hooking there playstations to them and or 50$ blue ray players that all do the same thing??? Let me use my phone hands free and I’m satisfied. Mind you my last experience with OnStar was with an old Envoy and I’m sure it’s much better now.
I will never buy a new GM are Chevy vehicle because they remind me of a communist company when you force something on people like on star which should be a option and only a option that is special order from the factory the reason why there vehicles cost so much is because of on star plus they whant you to pay a subscription for the service and your monthly vehicle payment ever month like I said before they are a communist company only communist force things on people against their will I will stick to buying Toyota and Nissan for now on
You do not have to subscribe. You can opt out and all OnStar services are stopped.
Even if you don’t subscribe, they can activate it which means that they can know your location (by cell tower triangulation) and they can listen to you conversations without you knowing about it. It is also quite easy to take remotely over control of any function of a vehicle that goes through any of the computers such as accelerator, electric steering and brakes. There have been TV programs showing how it’s done by people not even related to GM hacking into the communication system that OnStar makes even easier. It has been done and there are many instances of people reporting this on the internet as well. Unfortunately, there are no laws against this. The ;aw presumes that if you bought a vehicle that has that kind of systems installed in it, you have be default consented to the technology and everything that it is capable of doing because, presumably you are a consumer who is totally aware of all aspects of the technologies for which you have paid. But I’m just an anti-technology idiot who doesn’t know anything so feel free to ignore me. …or do some research
As a retired lawyer for a State Attorney General. I can tell you that there is no such presumption. Stick to what you know and avoid making incorrect comments on what you do not.
I’ve learned that you actually can’t opt out. Not easily. I explicitly, clearly told English-speaking agents in English on two separate occasions when they called that I “DO NOT WANT THEM TO CONTINUE THE SERVICE. I AM OPTING OUT. NO THANK YOU. DO NOT INITIALIZE ON-STAR” after the freebee had ended. They continued charging my card anyway. At 26 bucks a month this might be considered disrespectful. But it is also THEFT. Apparently this happens to many. My first GMC will be my LAST.
People should never have to be forced in to paying a few thousand of dollars more for a vehicle that has a built in at the factory service that should be a option that is installed at the dealership only instead you can’t even pull out on star with out messing up the vehicle that’s a bunch of BS I will stick to buying import until GM/Chevy pulls ther heads out of their butts and do away with onstaras a factory all ready install instead of a option
Jimmie, OnStar IS an option. Our Dealership sells vehicles that do not have OnStar. The dealer just has to order it that way.
OK. I’ll bite. Which vehicles come WITHOUT the OnStar hardware already installed? In Canada I can only find a couple of commercial vans and pickups
On star equipment come on almost all vehicles, unless ordered without the equipment. Which IMHO would be silly, as the basic on star service is free for 5 years on new vehicles.I’ve got MS, and always forget stuff. Taking the kids to the movies and wondering if I locked my new truck, going on the andriod app and bring app to lock the truck in the movies, or in the mall is a real time saver
You don’t get those with the basic plan anymore you have to have a the next plan up. you have to pay a monthly service to have remote lock or remote start they remove mine from my app!!!! because I didn’t wanna pay, I just got a new car a few months ago. Now I know about 10 to 15 people that have had their cars for a while in theyll still have that on their apps. But if you get a new one they take it away!!!! 7 joy while you have it. That was the only thing I Really wanted.
you need to learn how to use proper grammar. That comment made me want to drink bleach.
Your phone will not automatically call for help if you hit a tree.
Then again I will not pay $20/month for me for that service. However we will make sure our 16 year old daughters car will have it.
Phones can do that too.
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2014/06/25/ford-sync-911-assist-enhancements-to-debut-on-2015-ford-mustang.html
The turn by turn voice stuff is illegal to use in school zones in Texas, so what good would it be to pay for navigation you can’t legally use any time you need it? All electronic communications devices are illegal while in active school zones. Too bad onstar hasn’t figured this out yet. Or have they, and they just don’t care?
Carla,
Respectfully… Check your source. Hands free is not illegal in school zones. Using your phone in your hand is… Texas Law.
The turn by turn stuff isn’t illegal here in Texas, maybe you should recheck your facts. Hands free isn’t illegal therefore all hands-free car features and mobile phone features as long as they are hands free are perfectly legal…. But nice try Carla lol
I agree with Ken. I’m not a big tech user and I am unwilling to pay monthly for navigation I am already paying for as a free app via my phone. They still dip into my pocket for $13/mo. since I have to pay for the data to use the onboard hotspot in order to use my phone for navigation and Pandora radio. Otherwise the data charges would be through the roof. It would be great if the android could connect to the onboard view screen as I understand the iphone can in some models. All things considered, I have a big fancy screen showing me what is playing on the local radio station. A lot of great tech with minimal feasible (low to no cost) application.
I bought my truck in February 2015 (2014 model).
Can I get the basic plan now? It ran out after 60 days.
Can I have the hands free phone in my 2016 Malibu without an On Star plan??
Yes, Norma and mark. You need to contact onstar and tell them you want the basic plan, then with the onstar free app, you can lock/unlock or remote start your vechicle. The basic plan is good for 5 years from when you purchased your vechicle. I too. Just bought a 2014 silverado 3 weeks a go, and those features are what I want to keep. I upgraded my radio w built in navigation (Google Maps) so I don’t need the turn by turn OnStar provides (35.00 a month)
How to put Google maps on radio in the car?
So I just bought a vehicle.with onstar I can have the basic plan for 5 years? Free? Even if it’s a 2010?
Remote stuff no longer works on the app with the free basic plan you have to have a paid plan ..they pulled mine off my app because I didn’t want to have the pay plan, this was just a few months ago… I bought a new equinox. I No More remote access!!!!?
I recently bought a car that came with a free three month trial of Onstar, and I’ll make sure the next car I buy does not have it! This is why: Starting almost from the first day, I’ve been getting phone calls and emails wanting me to subscribe to their over-priced and nearly useless services. It has been getting progressively worse, as the time for the end of the free trial gets closer. Now I’m getting about one call a day. Telling them to knock it off and put me on the don’t call list, accomplishes nothing, the pestering continues. Thursday I got in the car and turned on the radio. It was interrupted to bring me yet another commercial from Onstar. I can’t find any way to turn that off. Tonight I got yet another call from them, and I took the opportunity to yell at the poor sap on the other end. I know he is just some poor slob who can’t get a real job and is just trying to get by, but hopefully he can put some kind of note on my account that I am a crazy person who screams profanities on the phone, and they’ll finally leave me alone. Thanks to this persistent harassment, I’ve owned my last GM car.
My car came with OnStar built in but I never subscribed to it, the voice is totally irritating to me. I got an offer of 3 years of free basic today but the only thing a car company gives you for free is promises. Had enough of Chevys promises that never come true. I been a Chevy customer for 56 years: never again will I buy one.
I have a 2016 silverado, it came with a short free version of some type of upgraded onstar package for I believe 6 months. After that the Internet data plan I lost blah blah blah…. I didn’t use any of it anyway but I did and still do use the remote start from the app on my phone (I live in Michigan and have to park too far away to use the key fob to start my truck when at work)…. My problem is this….After starting my truck a pop up screen comes up asking if I still own this vehicle and I’m given 2 options yes and no and if you have large fingers like I do…. well things happen right!!! Well it starts a deactivation of your onstar app and free subscription….. ARE U KIDDING ME GM ???? every time I start my truck from the app I have to deal with this….. SMH !!!
I like having the roads come up as I am nearing them, plus the direction, NSEW, and the name of the roads—what is the BASIC plan that wiil continue to give me this????
I have a 2016 Chevrolet and a 2018 Hyundai. The Hyundai has a free total subscription that lasts 5 years. The Chevrolet 3 months. I had a 6 year old Hyundai that held half the sticker price when I got rid of it. The Chevrolet is barely worth half the sticker after 1 year . On star is just a small part of the RIP off. One is practically forced to purchase the on star equipment and then if you don’t pony up more money they will not help you if you’re in an accident. They won’t help you if your vehicle is stolen. This is just wrong
I have purchased my last G M vehicle.
So I’m picking up my new car (2016 Chevy sonic LT) on Thursday, and I keep seeing things talking about the OnStar and everything else. What is this 5 year free plan? Is it worth it? I have iPhone, will it connect to my radio? I have so many questions, and some help would be greatly appreciated ??
I’m still learning from you, as I’m improving myself. I definitely love reading everything that is posted on your site.Keep the stories coming. I enjoyed it!
There will be mixed opinions every time a new product is released, but personally I like the idea this time.