This Is Easily The Most Annoying Feature In Every General Motors Vehicle
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With the outward-facing corporate decree of “zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion” being bankrolled largely by V8-powered trucks and SUVs that require human inputs, it’s easy to see how General Motors can be critiqued as tone-deaf with that messaging. However, today we’re here to address a different tone problem.
Anybody who drives a recently built General Motors product – be it a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac – that has a push-button ignition knows what we’re talking about. The abrupt, loud, over-reactionary horn that happens every time the keys are left in the car once the driver’s door is closed after opening. Or, when the vehicle is running, and the keys leave the vehicle, once again once the driver’s door is closed after opening.
The most frustrating example of this is through GM’s Maven vehicles. They are locked/unlocked via the phone app, and the user actually never uses a key fob at all. Despite this, the horn notification goes off every single time the driver exits the vehicle. This is a massive oversight, at best. However, we might just as well have Washington DC to thank for all of this, as it is federally mandated that a vehicle with a push-button ignition needs to alert the operator if the keys exit the vehicle. But, then again, it’s not written that it has to be the horn. And to that end, the feature is thankfully defeatable, after enough time reading the owners manual and figuring out how to turn it off, via the center console touch screen.
While we completely understand the fundamental need for some sort of notification in the event of absent-mindedness, there’s no reason for it to be this aggravating. Other automakers have figured it out, like Audi:
The chirp is has its own purpose, completely outside of the function that a horn provides. A chirp notification would arguably provide a more pleasant user experience than utilizing the horn. Especially in situations that require some quiet. Like trying not to disturb a sleepy neighborhood in the middle of the night. Moreover, it’s not like GM doesn’t know how to do this correctly. For example, each and every GM plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle emits a soft chirp when a successful charging process begins. Signaling to the user that the batteries are receiving the necessary power to recharge. We can’t see it being too difficult to extrapolate this sound effect to the entire vehicle portfolio, and use it instead of the horn to notify people about their key fob.
What are your thoughts on the GM horn notification? Let us know in the comments below.
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I dont like any of the alerts or alarms on new cars. But I have learned to live with it! It’s not going to change!
Big government over regulation at its best.
Although Toyotas and most Japanese cars are worse for annoying seatbelt and door buzzers.
toyota is GARBAGE
All GM needs to do is spend an extra few days to develop a less annoying horn chirp. That’s it, problem solved. It’s not “Big Gubmint’s” fault that GM’s managers are so damn cheap.
how can you say such rubbish…. Audi have a soft chirp, that is all we need to hear…. if no one says anything nothing will change.,… these horns are fukin annoying.!!!!
The chirp should be in the key fob, not the car’s horn.
I get in and out of my truck several times a day with the engine running to maintain laptop and other instruments. This horn honk each time for engine running alert is annoying A.F. Enough so I’ll switch brands on the next truck purchase.
When walking away towards the back of the car in a noisy parking lot (or when it’s windy), the horn is not all that loud and needed to make sure you hear it. Just happened to me last week, as I was walking away I heard the horn, but it sounded too far away. But it did sound like mine, and I went back – sure enough, I left the keys — thank you horn!
But I agree it scares the crap out of you when it’s quiet, like in the garage at home. FCA vehicles do this too, but if the car is running, it doesn’t beep, only a notification on the display.
Boy, I wish that was my biggest problem in life. Oh the humanity!
Depends on your position in said “humanity”.
In a world that contains so many automotive product choices, having a glaring negative as the one mentioned in the article is just one reason for customers to NOT choose your offering.
Not sure GM needs any more reasons for people NOT to buy its vehicles…
I don’t recall one single person ever complaining about this “problem.” Lot’s of other issues, but never this. Not once in years.
GM using the horn when the car is locked using the key fob has been a topic of discussion for years……
My Cadillac started that recently. I had no idea why the car was crabbing at me. I chalk all the sounds up to nagging and backseat driving. 🙂
The car takes me where I want to go and brings me back. I have yet to be stranded so I’m ok with the Cadillac weirdness.
What a crock.
People buy based on looks and cache.
The rest is irrelevant to 95% of the buying public.
Lol the rest is irrelevant to 95% of the buying public. Okay, that’s not true.. but even if it were – you wouldn’t even need to lose .001% in sales to justify such an easily resolved issue to see a return. It’s just obnoxious and you can count me amongst the 5%, that’s for sure.
So you never read an owners manual. Not played with the convenience settings available within the radio…
Horn confirmation for when you leave a key in the car and horn confirmation for lock-unlock can all be controlled from the radio. Turn it off, turn it on… all at a fingers reach.
If there wouldn’t be a horn warning, the complaints would be, “i left my keys in the car and they are now locked in there”.
Magic.
Not sure why the answer to everything is read the manual. GMC Acadia is my work vehicle. Sometimes I get back really late at night. The honking horn when I get out of he vehicle to open the gate scares the &@ out of me. So I googled what to do. You can google everything. That’s why the saying “goggle is” is so popular. Reading this article and finding nothing of use isn’t acceptable. We’re in the 21st century. Reading through the manual and not being able to do a quick search is crazy. Have to thank BOb though for showing a YouTube video on how to do it!!!!
I agree with the article. For too long, GM has relied on the main horn for these warnings, while other manufacturers use a separate “tone” or “beep” sound that is far more pleasant and still catches your attention. The loud rude “honk” is as distasteful on my $52,000 Acadia Denali as it is on my Volt.
At the very least, I bet the engineers could significantly decrease the length of the pulse to the horn. Since there is an electric to mechanical conversion inside the horn, perhaps if they energized the horn circuit for only 1/4 second, it would sound far more polite (shorter and likely perceived as quieter). Or two 1/10 sec honks. There probably is a SOFTWARE adjustment here that would make things more palatable if they can’t budget for a separate device.
Seems like an easy fix – yes, it is annoying.
Yes, it’ll take some time & effort, but the horn should be reserved for serious stuff – otherwise, friendly chirps and tones pls.
Why should it be annoying just read the owners manual and deleat it. Then the most annoying thing in your vehicle will be your MOTHER IN LAW.
Why are so many people leaving their Key (fobs) in the car?
The car thinks the fob is in the car? Maybe there is an issue with the car. I’ll add that to the list for the next service visit.
If you live on acreage with gates or get out of a running car/truck to check your mailbox, this annoyance happens daily. I didn’t realize you can turn it off. I will check that out.
I deal with it as well and it doesn’t bother me at all. And it should not bother you. So the car chirps at you! Who cares if it makes a few beeps when you get out of the car or truck
who are you to say what bothers others….
If something as simple as that bothers you then that means you have bigger problems in your life.
I cant believe grown adults care about a car give off a few beeps when they get out of the car.
We have become a weak minded culture and this is just part of the evidence
I venture to argue that the most annoying feature on GM vehicles (as well as and other makes) these days, is “Start/Stop Technology”. What a joke. I have a 2017 Cruze, for my daily driver. The system seems to engage at the dumbest moments. Like at a quick stop for a stop sign, or a similar momentary pause. If I’m sitting at a light for 2 minutes or so, I get it. But a 3 second pause? Someone didn’t think this through. I’m not saving any fuel for 3 seconds, followed by a restart. I wish the system was able to be switched off, like in Cadillac models.
Some of the Caddys lack the ability to defeat s/s. The XT5 is one that cannot be defeated.
Auto Stop is absolutely awful. It is in no way seamless. Most people don’t realize it also kills the power steering, which gives you a momentary dead zone in the steering wheel, and then jerks back to life when the engine restarts. This is very clumsy when you have to stop mid-turn.
Things like start/stop and active fuel management should have options to put them in last used state. Meaning that if I turned off the start/stop feature on my car while driving then it should stay that way regardless if I shut the engine off to go get a coffee or not. The features are required by gov’t to meet emissions and fuel mileage demands. Since I own the car I should have the right to drive it how i want to not how they tell me I should. Next thing you know they will be disabling the ability to floor it from a stop light to drag race a mustang or beemer. By the way beemer allows you to turn the start/stop off. If they can allow this why can’t other car manufacturers do the same.
Then stop being cheap and buy a Cadillac! I have a Malibu with start stop and it doesn’t bother me at all! Maybe you should be the one doing the changing and not GM!
Brian, I’m not cheap. I’m practical. I bought a Cruze as my daily driver, because I use this car for work. I drive approximately 30,000 miles per year, in my career. I like everything about the car, except this feature. Why the hell would I buy a Cadillac, when my work car is going to get driven into the ground? Maybe you shouldn’t assume that everyone needs, wants, or can afford a Cadillac. And I know for a fact, that many people are annoyed by this “technology” that has become pervasive in the auto industry. I don’t believe for a moment that this feature saves any appreciable amount of fuel. Again, I’m not cheap. I happen to also own a 2018 Silverado 1500/Z71, a 1996 C1500 Silverado, a 1996 Corvette Collector Edition convertible, and a 1987 Monte Carlo SS. I have no desire to own a Cadillac. I’m a lifelong Chevy guy. Maybe you should stop being so eager to assimilate to the liberal one-size-fits-all/conformist/socialist mentality? Already have a deposit on a boring self-driving pod?
How can you be bothered by a technology that saves fuel and shuts off when the car is not moving? I think people just love to complain, and are never happy especially when it comes to new technology.
As for Cadillac I made that comment because paying a premium is the cost for having options. The feature has a switch on Cadillac cars because they have paid for that premium option!
I’ve been driving a car with start stop technology for 5 years and its flawless. It works great and you cant even tell when it shuts off or turns on unless you are against it from the beginning and turn the radio off and focus on what the car is doing. It is so normal now I dont even realize weather it’s on or off!
We have to stop being dinosaurs and start looking towards the future. If we dont those v8 engines we love are going to disappear.
So what would you rather want
Having to live with start stop technology and still have v8 engines
Or
Refuse the start stop technology and live in a world with zero v8 engines or performance cars.
?
Again, what fuel am I saving in 3 seconds at a stop sign? Please, educate me. I’d be interested in learning about the additional wear and tear on the starter/ignition system, due to the numerous unnecessary starts because of this system.
https://youtu.be/_nr0h7GXY6E
Your smarter then that! Every second a engine is not running its saving fuel!
If you need to be “educated” the you don’t deserve to be driving. Most gasoline is burned at stops because you are getting ZERO MPG! The “stat-stop” feature is a light hybrid system, and it does work. I have driven large V8 engine cars and tiny I4 imports, and the need for performance is a foolish desire,, not practical or economical, unless you are the owners of a oil company, or get gasoline for free. all of us that are on the advance edge, driving hybrids (as my Chevy Volt) are way ahead and really “educated”!!
The cadillac XT5 doesn’t have the possibility to shut it off!
So with that cadillac model you pay the premium for NOT having that option.
Not so luxury is it?
And a v8 that is the true dinosaur in the room.
In 10 years time all will be electric, and all ice engines will be gone.
Not my preference, but unfortunately the way things are headed.
And no crappy start/stop system is flawless.
Maybe when you drive like a 80 year old and have a hearing problem you can sort of live with it, otherwise you will notice it.
That’s why the start stop technology is so important now, it extends that 10 years for v8 engines. Otherwise the v8 extinction would happen much quicker!
It is flawless! How long have you driving a car with the technology? I have plenty of miles driving one. And if you think i drive like a grandpa you would be dead wrong!
There are other ways to achieve the mileage those say that the start/stop features save. I put headers and a catback exhaust with a cold air intake upgrade and I now achieve 2 miles more per gallon then the window sticker says is the max the vehicle will achieve. Example: GMC 1500 Sierra Denali 6.2L 4×4 top mileage is 24mpg. I currently get 26mpg on the highway and that is with the active fuel management turned off so it runs in V8 mode all the time.
My point is you like things to be your way and I like mine to be my way. Since I own the vehicle then I should be able to customize and tailor the vehicle to drive the way I want as you should be able to do yours. if it is a computerized feature then they can add the ability to turn it off or on by the owner.
BTW who told you that start stop has extended the life of the v8 for 10 years and by whom. Do you have documents proof that is not fake news?
anyone who believes humans and their cars is what is causing global warming needs to cool down. The earth is a living organism and has a life cycle just like everything else. All we need are massive volcano eruptions to spews a whole bunch of ash in the air and we can go into an ice age over night. The earth is in a warming cycle and until those volcanos erupt or the sun cools down a bit we will continue to head in that direction regardless of what we try to do. We are just the tiny ant in the whole universe of things. Get a grip people…enjoy life….
Personally from a reliability standpoint, I hate the Start/stop feature. Especially when I stop for a quick second before putting the car in Park and it shuts off.
However, I actually don’t mind it at all from a usability standpoint, when sitting at a stoplight in a car other than the XT5, I actually hate sitting there knowing how much fuel is getting wasted. Even when I’m not in the Caddy, I still “expect” the car the shut off because I have gotten so used to it. Its not THAT bad.
Your comment about paying a premium is not true. A beemer that cost less than my Mercedes Benz has the ability to turn off the start/stop feature yet my benz does not and the dealer will not put it in a state that is called “last known setting”, meaning if I turned that feature off it stays off until I turn it on. This is the manufacture controlling these features not the price of the car. I spent $150 to get a device that will do that exact same thing as the beemer for my benz. Plugged it into the diagnostic port and it flipped a bit to put it in last known used and this can be reversed at anytime I want. BTW these types of things do not void your warranties as some people will have you believe.
Brian raises hail with us on the Cad forum. Like auto s/s you try to disregard. 🙂
You can turn it off in the Settings menu on the center stack. It’s under Remote Lock Unlock Start, then Remote Left in Vehicle Alert. Turn it off and it’ll stop that annoying honk when you leave they keys in the car or when you exit the vehicle with the keys and the engine is still running.
It will still honk if the car is running and you exit it with the key fob and close the door.
This is a bigger issue, one that also involves the lock chirp. On GM cars, the horn is the crudest and most unimaginative chirp yet.
No it won’t. Doesn’t do that on any of my cars.
Suppose you don’t like the cardboard piece of crepe speakers that come with your GM car? So you buy some better stuff and add it to your car? Well it turns out your directional signal (at least in the Buick Encore) isn’t a device in your dash but a ‘sound’ played through your car stereo system. Signal a left and lose your hearing.
The Intellilink system only offers LOW and HIGH settings. The low is really loud.
Thought the article would talk about the start stop instead of the horn lol
Terribly aggravating when jumping out to get mail….forget to bring something with me, among many other reasons to get out and in quickly. Couldn’t find a way to shut it off in my leased 14 Regal GS. Looked and tried going through the obvious programming menus. No need to worry anymore. My Jeep GC has no such annoying alert for push button start.
Yeah btw your Jeep GC killed Checkov because of it’s gear shifter. No worries anymore, right? Settings-Vehicle-Comfort& Convenience-Key Fob Reminder-Off #blatantlyobvious
I never leave the engine running and open the door, so if I did, I accept the warning. I have seen car owners leave the engine running and accidentally lock the doors. One was a Ford Futura that I helped open by snaking a straightened clothes hanger wire to get under the door seal and pull the door handle.
Why don’t you just go into “Settings” and turn it off? The option is in there!
Slow news day, nes pas? If you’re so annoyed that u write an article and get 25+ responses over the key fob left in vehicle reminder (which even you say is defeatable, just not defaulted as such) then you need to cut back on the coffee! This is just another helpful feature of a GM vehicle, like automatic door locks in/out of gear, DRLs, auto headlights and all the features that help make these nicer cars than just some regular s%itbox. They could make an electronic beep, but that would cost more. Then you’d just write another contentless article about high prices. Now shut up and show me the mid engine Corvette!
WOW , I thought I was the only one that found that horn going off annoying .
It’s gotten to the point that when I am at a gas station or just running into a store for something I hit the lock button on my remote just once , hit it twice and HONK !
One thing that is also annoying is when you stop the car and get out and start walking away , HONK , and it automatically locks the car . The first time it did that it scared the [email protected] out of me . It’s a nice feature most of the time but minus that horn . Maybe I need to read my owners manual better .
I am not a fan of the start-stop feature though , in the XT5 there is a noticeable hesitation , it’s slight but you get used to it over time .
Picky, picky, picky…
I’m driving an 18 Camaro convertible on my vacation in SoCal. Now that I’ve driven this car for a week, I hate the key fob/horn thing. I absolutely love the car and when I get home, I’m going to get one, maybe next year. The key fob is a PIA and I found myself leaving the damn thing in the car more times than I can count. There has to be a better way…
Any reason a vehicle honks, chirps or makes any sounds when you do anything like locking the doors, remote starting, etc. are a pain in the rear. Don’t believe me? Then you listen to the idiot that pulls into the hotel parking lot at 1 AM and can only lock his/her car by listening to it honk.
Why dont you worry more about what you are doing and less about what others are doing?
See this is the main reason why I try to make as much noise as I possibly can! The reason for this I work nights and nobody cares about the noise that gets made during the day when I am sleeping so I dont care about making noise at night when you are sleeping!
Loud horn at 1 am check
Loud exhaust st 2 am check
Working in my shop at midnight check
Welding my truck at 6am check
I have worked 2/2/3 shift work for the last 20 years. There is always some inconsiderate ******* making noise, people have zero respect when it comes to disturbing others. People have zero respect for others as it is.