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GM Authority

Buick And GMC Models Get Mandatory 3-Year OnStar And Connected Services Plan

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.

GM Authority recently learned that the automaker will equip all new 2022 model-year and 2023 model-year Buick and GMC vehicles with a three-year OnStar and Connected Services Plan (RPO code R9M). The plans will cost between $905 and $1,675, depending on the chosen trim level. GM said the cost of the three-year plan will be integrated into the vehicle’s MSRP, however the online configurator tools for the Buick and GMC brands suggest these charges are added on top of the MSRPs for the time being.

OnStar and Connected Services Plan Availability And Cost
Model Trim Levels Price
Buick Enclave All $1,500
Buick Encore GX All $1,500
Buick Envision All $1,500
GMC Acadia All $1,500
GMC Canyon Elevation Standard $1,6751
GMC Canyon Elevation, AT4 Cloth, AT4 Leather, Denali $1,500
GMC Hummer EV Pickup Edition 1 $0
GMC Sierra 1500 SLE, Elevation, SLT $1,500
GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, AT4X, Denali, Denali Ultimate $905
GMC Sierra HD Pro $1,7752
GMC Sierra HD SLE, SLT, AT4, Denali $1,500
GMC Terrain All $1,500
GMC Yukon SLE, SLT $1,500
GMC Yukon AT4, Denali $905
GMC Yukon XL SLE, SLT $1,500
GMC Yukon XL AT4, Denali $905
  1. Includes $1,500 3-year subscription and $175 OnStar & GMC Connected Services Capability.
  2. Includes $1,500 3-year subscription, $175 OnStar & GMC Connected Services Capability and $100 SiriusXM Radio with trial subscription.

“To enhance our customers’ vehicle ownership experience, beginning June 2, 2022, new retail Buick and GMC vehicles will include three years of OnStar and Connected Services Premium Plan,” a GM spokesperson told GM Authority. “This offering provides our owners with a full suite of OnStar and Connected Services for three years, providing them with more time to enjoy services such as remote key fob, Wi-Fi data and OnStar safety services. By including this plan as standard equipment on the vehicle, it provides more customer value and a more seamless onboarding experience.”

As more internet-enabled features arrive in GM vehicles, connected services plans will become more important to the overall ownership experience. Without an internet connection, GM vehicle owners may not be able to take advantage of certain vehicle features, such as Maps+, Alexa Built-In AI assistant, audio streaming and navigation. These plans will be even more crucial to the EV ownership experience, as they will enable features like GM’s Ultium Charge 360 platform and its new Plug and Charge payment system.

This change will be extended to fleet-focused trim levels of Buick and GMC vehicles as well, but fleet customers will receive the OnStar Vehicle Insights feature instead of Remote Access. It’s not clear at this time what the price difference for plans with OnStar Vehicle Insights versus Remote Access will be.

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. When hell freezes over. I have a cell phone.

    Reply
    1. I’m with you

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      1. I have been doing fine without it, I sure don’t understand why I would want it. Buy a Garmin for navigation and use my cell phone.

        Reply
        1. Understand? It’s nothing but a quick buck for them. Period. Besides, it’s a way to prop up OnStar which they have a difficult time selling.

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    2. Have a Buick Enclave. Love it. Apparently this will be my last one.

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      1. Likewise. We have a 2020 Enclave which is a great car, but if the mandatory Onstar is pushed on future models, we’ll be looking at other brands. The times we’d used Onstar our 2014 Enclave were completely unsatisfactory; so, we dropped that subscription ASAP. Our dealership pushed a ZAZ subscription on us on the 2020 Enclave & charged us for that (included in our purchase price) It’s proved to be totally worthless, as was the previous Onstar. To add insult to injury GM has reduced the vehicle warranty to 3 year/36000 miles.

        Reply
        1. We are similarly frustrated by this. What other vehicle’s do you think would be the best alternative to an Enclave?

          Reply
          1. Acura MDX
            Subaru Ascent
            Mazda CX-9
            VW Toureg or Atlas

            There are plenty of mid-to-large SUV’s out there. If you want to go fancy, you can get a Lexus NX or RX.

            Reply
            1. The VW, MDX and Mazda are similar size. The new Grand Cherokee is nearly as expensive as an Enclave with the same equipment. Not sure any of those are as quiet as Enclave but I’m still researching.

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    3. That is so wrong they will need to hide it people will b1tch

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    4. They are trying to force a service that alot of people don’t want and it will go under otherwise but so wrong

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      1. Who was the GENUIS that made that decision? MANADATORY SUBSCRIPTION? I just leased a refreshed 2022 Silverado in May 2022. That will be my LAST GM product!! I’ve been a loyal customer since 1970. I will not be FORCED to buy something I don’t want. Mabe FORD will welcome me as a new customer!

        Reply
        1. GMC and Buick vehicles will be getting the mando Onstar, not Chevy vehicles.

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    5. I guess since GM will mandatorily make their customers pay for On Star I will mandatorily not buy a GMC or Buick. Not a fan of On Star. I dont use it.

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    6. I sell Buicks and GMCs. I hate this new policy even though I love OnStar. It does A LOT that no cell phone does. They should just educate people on the benefits rather than making it mandatory.

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      1. I own 5 GM vehicles with Onstar, and have never activated service. Never had a sales person have the ability to articulate why I would benefit from it being activated.

        Automatic crash response might be the only benefit, but somehow I’ve been able to survive the last 50 years of driving without it and the annual $500 bite in my wallet.

        GM will lose plenty of sales by adding $1500 to the MSRP of already high priced vehicles that most of America cannot afford.

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        1. GM vehicles are already overpriced compared to similar products from Ford, Honda, etc. I was planning to buy a 2023 GMC Acadia, but shifted my focus to a 2023 Chevy Blazer. I’ve heard now that Chevy may be planning to add the plan for 2023 as well. If that’s the case, then I’m done with GM.

          Reply
          1. as an owner of a 2022 Acadia Denali AWD V-6, I would highly recommend you stick with the Acadia… I love mine… I would NOT recommend the four-cylinder. The 3.6 V6 has all the power you need even in AWD. comfortable, very quiet vehicle

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      2. I have a 2022 GMC AT4X, the above and the current GMC website both use the “premium” package but it does not include the Saftery and Security plane. I can’t find a difference between the 49.99, Premium plan and this Trial other than having to pay the full 29.99 for the Safety and Security plan which is over $180 more in the 3 years. Just a way to rip off the customers even more.

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    7. yeah< I dont see this going over to well! I have a 21 silverado LTZ I dont use the damned onstar for anything I simply bluetooth my cell to the truck when I get in it and I have everything I need, when I need it.
      On star is Dead and has been for several years. they just have not realized it yet and going to try and force it down our throats. I guess my wife wont get another buick next year either. their will be alot of dealers eating this I am afraid. poor way to do business.

      Reply
  2. Possible one of the recent price increases was intended to cover this change. Customers may never see an actual charge for it but will get the 3 years of benefit.

    Reply
    1. OnStar was great a very long time ago.

      Starting in the 2018 model year, they took away the ability to store phone numbers in the phone.

      The live operators went from helpful to mumbling, semi-sentient drones who could barely rub five words together to compose declarative sentences.

      It went from being answered within three to four rings to “Your call is very important to us, and OnStar is taking care of other customers. Please wait.”

      And wait, and wait, and wait.

      No thanks.

      Reply
    2. It is on the window sticker of a 2023 Buick I sold this week. $1,500 for three years of OnStar unlimited everything. Thankfully, my customer seemed pleased and happy at first. No one at OnStar or GM will confirm that she has three years of benefits. OnStar advisor wanted payment, to extend her “trial” though I have proof that customer already paid $1,500 for the services!!! I’ll bet he was glad he was not in the car with us. I about hit the roof. I now have a case number, but no one responding. Seventeen different opinions on the situation from other SP in the biz. Thanks, GM! I love your vehicles, but not your telematics.

      Reply
    3. I just purchased a 2022 Buick and told them I did not want Onstar. They charge $1,500 for the mandatory three years. I am now part of a class action lawsuit to get it back. I was told that I had no choice if I wanted to purchase the vehicle. I was stuck and had to complete my purchase.

      Reply
      1. Just curious – what’s the legal basis of the lawsuit?

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        1. Good luck it is on the window sticker. You must really be devoted to Buicks to fork out $1500 for something your not going to use.

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      2. I have a 2022 GMC AT4X, how can I get in on the class action.

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  3. This is ridiculous. I have all I need with my cell phone. $1500 is way too much for this hardware/service that is completely unnecessary. It should be optional. Trucks cost way too much these days.

    Reply
    1. That’s why we have a recession coming.
      The greed & excess is coming to an end. Thank god.

      Reply
      1. I agree with you but unfortunately, the greed & excess is long from over.

        Reply
        1. Greed & Excess evaporates very quickly when the economy collapses and the greedy are stuck with depreciated assets.
          Remember 2008.
          This time no government bailouts.

          Reply
          1. Lol, also you think greed is only an American 21st century thing?, the Roaring 1920s, Ancient Egypt or the Roman Empire wasn’t known for frugality…

            Reply
            1. And in each of those example a recession or depression comes along & cleans house.

              Reply
      2. You think greed and excess is coming to an end? Dream on. It will continue to your dying day.

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      3. GM has already said that within the next 3 years they’ll get more money for the information collected by the OnStar/telematics system data than they do actual profit for the car. This isn’t about assisting buyers in any way shape or form. This is about getting as much money as possible!

        Reply
  4. 1500 dollars is outrageous. My current connected services plan is 15/month. Data Plan for the Vehicle to allow Maps+ and Traffic Data Plus remote Fob capability

    The premium plan is 50/month and no thanks.

    Reply
  5. What a rip off. Never used this feature in my 02 Impala, 17 Camaro, or 20 Equinox all of which were bought new. They can’t even get enough chips or parts to build vehicles people want, but they have plenty of this to charge buyers whether they want them or not.

    Reply
  6. Eliminates discounts
    Price increase after price increase
    Mandatory over charged feature no one wants

    Marketing tells news outlets they warned dealers not to do price increases.

    Have they forgotten many of their products are dated, uncompetitive and unreliable?

    Bye Felicia.

    Reply
  7. I am not a government fan but I believe they should look into forced subscriptions as being mandatory. There already looking into add on’s with dealers that are padding to car prices.

    Reply
    1. Just say no to dealers. That’s the first thing I said to my dealer, I will not pay for paint and fabric protection I did not ask for.

      Reply
    2. The only way to stop this craziness is for the consumer to quit buying GM products, (I forgot, gm products). The Government won’t help if they could. They are the reason we are in such a mess now. Consumers hold all the power. Buy other brands or don’t buy at all. If gm has to eat the 90,000 vehicles they have parked now, they will change their ways or go out of business.

      Reply
  8. I guess I’ll be crossing off a new gmc truck for late this year. I have 2 newer chevy’s and never used on star’s services. Another mistake by gm

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  9. I think some of the paint fumes made their way through the duck work into the board room when this insane idea came to light. What’s next, your AC will only work above 90 degrees, if you want it to turn on below that temp, you will have to pay for it (per hour of course).

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  10. That’s a dumb idea that will likely drive some customers away.

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  11. This is ridiculous to force ON Star down the throat of Buick and GMC customers especially during this galoping period of inflation, gas prices and food when Buick do not even offer an electric-gas vehicle.

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  12. And on top of that, Buick will lower their base warranty from 4 years to 3 years on their 2023 models

    Reply
    1. Yup they already got rid of the 5-year 100k miles drive train warranty.

      Reply
  13. Okay c’mon GM. Nobody uses OnStar anyway, now you’re forcing it on people that are already paying through the nose for their new vehicle? Sad to say this, but my incoming ’22 Yukon is going to be my last.

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  14. Absolutely ZERO use for a data plan in my truck. I have a cell phone if I need anything. Ridiculous that they make it mandatory. Money grab. I’m betting less than 10% of GM vehicles out there currently subscribe.

    Reply
    1. And let me tell you do those OnStar agents really put the pressure on to buy one! I took delivery of my GMC Sierra in mid April and made no bones about the fact I only wanted the basic Safety and Security plan and not the extra data plan. I’ve found that Android Auto working with my phone is just fine for navigation.

      Reply
  15. This is a statement that the Authority writer is stating. Go back and read clearly, never do they say this is a true set of charges that GM is adding on to customers.

    Reply
    1. I went to the build on GMC site. It’s automatically added into the price.

      Reply
  16. Absolute deal breaker – why pay for the same service twice when I already have a phone?
    I’ll look elsewhere for my next vehicle

    Reply
    1. It is decidedly not the same as your phone. I absolutely disagree with making the service mandatory, but the ignorance about what OnStar does is probably a major factor in their decision to make it mandatory. Countless customers like you insist they don’t need it because they have a phone, without ever paying attention to what it does that their phones don’t do.

      Reply
  17. Why stop there. Why not charge extra for power steering , power brakes and power windows and a radio?

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  18. I’m old enough to remember when OnStar was “cutting-edge” and state of art. I think a year’s worth of service was “included” in the purchase price. As with any technology, OnStar was surpassed with Cell Phone/Smart Phone and GPS technology. I still carry OnStar for the stolen vehicle locate feature and the remote lock/unlock feature. But at $1500 additional mandatory cost, I like others above have probably bought my last GM vehicle. With enough outrage at this trial balloon policy maybe GM will wake up and reverse this policy.

    Reply
    1. The ignorance about it being the same as cell service is probably a major contributing factor in their decision to make it mandatory. Mind you I wholeheartedly disagree with the decision to make it mandatory. Yours is the only comment on this article that acknowledges features beyond what a phone can do and even it falls short of grasping what OnStar can do. It’s a shame people are so determined to not understand things before making judgements about them (not just about OnStar, this is just a good example of the pattern).

      Reply
      1. This no doubt a precursor to having subscription based services. Want air conditioning? No problem, that’ll be $50/month extra. Sorry, we disabled 2 of the engines cylinders. For only $200/month you can restore full power to your truck. Just tell Alexa you authorize the payment.

        Duck you GM – and all other car manufacturers moving in the same direction. I bought the vehicle, I didn’t borrow it from you.

        Reply
      2. True, I don’t know what all Onstar does, but I do know that I’ve driven over a million miles in numerous cars and trucks without it and have been quite happy. Maps+, Alexa, streaming music, navigation? No thanks. Don’t care about anything mentioned in the article or even the emergency service or vehicle monitoring features.

        Reply
      3. I’m determined not to pay an additional $1500 for a vehicle for a service I don’t want.

        Reply
        1. That’s easy… Negotiate the $1,500 off the price or add $1,500 worth of accessories… It’s not that hard. Just takes balls and the worse that happens is the dealer may say no but usually will not if you go the accessory route… like pre-formed (Weather-Tech style) car mats and cargo mats as a toss-in, wheel locks as a toss-in, cargo shade as a toss in, cargo net as a toss-in.

          Reply
          1. I don’t see that happening. The dealership is not going to be reimbursed for that money if they “toss in” accessories.

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  19. Another reason to buy a Toyota

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  20. Thanks, GM. I am a long time GM buyer (6 new trucks in the past 9 years) and have been torn between a RAM Laramie and a GMC SLT. You made the decision easy. The RAM is now mandatory! Adios!

    Reply
  21. This is a nightmare.

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  22. If this is true..
    .I will be definitely switching brands. I would like a lower priced vehicle without all this tech junk. I don’t need it to drive to the grocery store and back.

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  23. My 2022 GMC Terrain AWD SLT built in June 21 arrived ar Canadian dealer from Mexico in Jan22 for delivery to me ,now 7 months since taking possession ,still no heated seat chips sent to dealer to install free ,if they are shipping vehicles to customers not fully complete or now with safety equipment missing as announced recently ,then GM should not be allowed to force any customer to take a three year contract for On Star they don’t want ,your cell phone and CAA or AAA is all anyone will ever need .I won’t buy another Buick or GMC if GM persists to over rule customer needs with compulsory add on’s that are not for safety reasons !

    Reply
    1. You are absolutely entitled to not buy a GM if you don’t like how they’re doing things. But you are ignorant about what OnStar is and does. I have many customers, as well as myself, who won’t buy another vehicle without it. No, your phone and AAA don’t provide the same things.

      Here’s a hint: Most manufacturers are adding services like OnStar to provide the same kinds of benefits. Subaru StarLink, Hyundai Blue Link, Hondalink, Ford Pass, Uconnect, etc. Just about every manufacturer now offers some set of OnStar features, with very few offering anything that OnStar doesn’t. So much more than you can do with your phone that it’s a major point of competition among manufacturers.

      Reply
      1. Yeah, you’re right. I’m too dumb to know what I don’t want. If it were so great they wouldn’t have to be forcing it on people. You compare this to what other manufacturers are calling their same junk but I guess you fail to realize I don’t want those either.

        Reply
    2. “heated seats” are NOT a safety item… My 2022 Acadia Denali’s second-row seats are missing the heated seat chip and the “backup assist” chip… I will get the chips when I get them… Personally, my second-row passengers having cold butts does not concern me… and seeing how it is summer, I am sure it is not a concern of theirs either. Backup assist? I really could not give a flying rat’s ass about it as I know how to use my mirrors.

      That being said, the mandatory 3-year OnStar contract should be challenged in a court of law. Thank God, I bought the Acadia before GM had this latest brain fart!

      Reply
  24. Pretty sure this won t come to Canada as this would be quite illegal to force customers to pay for this.

    Reply
    1. Jon Miller, it’s a money grab. U are the only one on this site saying anything positive about onstar. Other companies are offering this stuff hoping they will forget about there subscription and keep paying this fee. My wife was one. No thanks.

      Reply
  25. Funny way to get people to buy more vehicles. Make them pay for something they don’t want and make it mandatory.

    Congratulations to the product planning/marketing people that thought this one up.

    Reply
  26. Noteworthy misunderstanding in the article: You can’t select something in the configurator and have it be outside of MSRP. Those things selected there, including mandatory selections like this new OnStar Connected Services plan, are what dictates the MSRP. This reminds me of people talking both before and especially after the 2020 election about the results being overturned by mail-in ballots. That is fundamentally false: There are no results which could be overturned until all ballots are counted. Before that you just have a partial count.

    There’s no MSRP until the base price, all selected options, and DFC are added up. Until then you just have a list of prices of different options.

    Reply
    1. Basically a standard feature included in the base price of the vehicle? Since this is a new feature, the price has actually gone up by the $900/1500 depending on model.

      Any idea how this will be handled on vehicles ordered and accepted but haven’t arrived yet? Will they change price or exclude the 3 year service plan?

      Reply
      1. It’s part of the configuration now. If you configured previously AND it gets picked up for production without rolling over to a 2023, then you’re good as-configured. If it rolls over because GM wasn’t able to allocated it for production as a 2022 then it will have to be reconfigured as a 2023 which will include this mandatory new “feature”.

        Reply
  27. This is a crazy policy. I have had OnStar active now for over 7 years. Over those 7 years, I have paid approximately $3500 in subscription fees. I have never once spoken to OnStar or even pushed the OnStar button in my Chevy. Nor have I ever used the guidance feature. I do like the monthly diagnostic Emails, as well as the alerts in the event something goes wrong. However, GM should have just increased the price of the vehicles and positioned the price increase as more standard features. To name OnStar specifically simply aggravates customers who otherwise wouldn’t want the service.

    I wouldn’t let this prevent me from buying a Buick Enclave or Envision GX as I would probably have subscribed to OnStar anyways. But for those that simply don’t want OnStar at all, it is an unfortunate requirement.

    Reply
    1. I agree, especially on how they should have handled it. I also enjoy the theft alerts, low tire pressure alerts, etc. My daughter drives an Encore and I can check on her (if she says she’s running a little late after a date but that she’s on her way, I can actually verify that), check her fuel economy and tire pressure and oil life, etc.

      Incidentally the “I’ve survived this long without that” logic has always made me laugh. Used to see it all the time on facebook regarding seatbelts and airbags and cancer warnings and just about everything. But the fact is there are MANY no longer alive to chime in on those posts. Hard to quantify how many people have been saved by OnStar automatic crash response, but I personally have two customers who have, so extrapolating from that obviously limited sampling I would say it’s an appreciable number.

      Reply
      1. Trying to equate seat belt use and airbags to On Star is quite a stretch, but then again I guess you wouldn’t be able to spy on your daughter without it.

        Reply
        1. I didn’t equate it. It was reminiscent of those arguments because it uses the same faulty logic. The only stretch here is to see what I wrote as equating the two.

          For you to read my trust-but-verify parenting of a teen driver as inappropriate says more about you than it does about me.

          Reply
          1. It means you don’t trust your daughter, plain and simple.

            Reply
            1. I wish I could know anything so perfectly as you believe you do from so few words without context. No doubt this skill of yours has only provided great success and never serves you wrong. I tip my hat to you!

              Reply
              1. As you should. I’m sorry you have to so desperately try to sell a product no one wants or needs to put food on the table.
                Based on the comments concerning this subject I’d say you better get used to rice and beans.

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    2. $3500 down drain

      Reply
    3. You’ve paid $3500 for a subscription you admit you’ve never used? Do you also heat your home by throwing cash in the fireplace? Whoo boy. By the way, you don’t need to be a paying subscriber to get the monthly diagnostic emails. I get them on both of my Chevys through the free Connected Access that is good for several years after purchase (my 2018 until 2025 and my 2021 until 2030).

      Reply
  28. GM Authority author who wrote this article is way back in time or just needs some garbage to write. I am not going to say this without giving examples. From 1970 through 1999 I paid for power windows, power door locks, air conditioning, power steering, cruise control, etc, etc, etc. As GM made these standard options, yes there was an increase in MSRP to cover these add-ons. All manufacturers have done the same over the years. Now as we enter the technological years, there will be some technological items added to the base MSRP, just like power windows and door locks, etc, etc. So I say GM Authority, if you want to write an article like this one, then explain it fully.

    Reply
    1. Absolutely correct, great point! People freaking out in the comments about it not providing any more than they already have on their phones, even though it absolutely does a lot more than you can do with just your phone, and talking about switching to other manufacturers yet every manufacturer is coming out with new systems like this to extend the functionality of the vehicle.

      It would be ridiculous to see a line-item charge for floor mats or AM/FM radio these days, but that was definitely the norm when they were new.

      With self-driving features becoming standard on the horizon it is not a bad idea to start now to get people used to the idea of paying for these subscriptions (which are necessary at least under current business models for such features). I do wish they had just included it in a base price increase though. “Included features” is much more palatable than “mandatory subscription”.

      Reply
      1. They are starting now to “get people used to the idea of paying for these subscriptions.” What? They are ripping the customer off. There is a huge difference between floor mats and a $1500 subscription plan that is absolutely not necessary. Hence the low take rate. The price tag amounts to over $46 a month. That’s steep for many people. And guess what? I have a cheap OnStar plan on my wife’s 2017 Cruze. She was hit on the left front side of the car. No airbags went off. No automatic crash response from OnStar, but it did have about $10,400 in damage. I don’t need OnStar, but GM gave it to me for cheap because they can’t give it away. Now they won’t need to, but customers like me will just walk away. They’ll miss my $1500, but they’ll miss my $45,000 even more.

        Reply
    2. The obvious difference is that by the 90s nobody wanted crank windows, manual door locks and A/C delete. You can’t say that everyone wants OnStar even after all these years. I suspect the take rate is very low which is exactly why they’re doing this.

      Reply
  29. Likely would be an illegal move in Canada as this would be considered as forced fees on customers.

    Reply
  30. No one in their right mind is going to except a mandatory option that is totally unnecessary. From what I have heard, On star, is in desperate financial straits after most folks would not renew the service. Evidently this is a rescue plan orchestrated by GM to save On Star.

    Reply
    1. I doubt that. Self-driving features require a subscription (Super Cruise and Ultra Cruise), and those features will be more common each year moving forward. Every manufacturer has a service roughly like OnStar (though most don’t do as much as OnStar), and it’s a major point of competition among them. You do need OnStar to get the full benefit of the features of the vehicle (again, this is true across manufacturers with their own systems). I don’t like this policy but nothing about it smacks of desperation to me, or to my many customers who won’t buy a vehicle without it. It’s much more popular than you’re allowing yourself to believe.

      Reply
  31. Jon Miller what people are saying is, there cell phone is enough. We can get maps on them and make phone calls. We can make reservations on the phone, we don’t need on star !! !

    Reply
    1. Yes and no. I would agree if that’s what most people actually said. But it isn’t. The argument has been made repeatedly that their phone (and AAA?) does everything OnStar does. That’s objectively false. If they don’t see the value of the additional features, it aware of them, then that’s fine. They aren’t the target market. But it’s simply ignorant to argue that a phone does everything OnStar does.

      Reply
  32. Jon I can also see my tire pressures and oil wear with a push of a button while driving, and I don’t need to pay onstar for this.

    Reply
    1. Ken, I learned at a very early age that by looking at my tires I can tell if there is air in both the upper and lower half of the tire. Do people not do a walk around their vehicle to look it over before driving off???

      Reply
  33. Wow Miss Mary is on a roll. 1300 price increases on trucks even after 2 price increases just a month before. Lowering Buicks warranty to what every common Chevy, toyota and Honda has. Killing the 2.0T option on the Nox and Terrain. Lowest in the class mileage ratings on all of their gas truck engines. Killing 90% of their sedan lineup and soon the Malibu and Camaro. Decontenting the Blazer, TB and Terrain. Charging extra on GMC’s and Buicks for the exact same paint colors that are no charge on Chevy’s and now this. Nice to see that arrogance, greed and agendas are still the primary focus of this company.

    Reply
    1. Miss Mary blamed the first increase on transportation costs… nahhhh, there is no way she is going to blame the second increase on the same, will she???

      Reply
  34. I saw the sticker price on the Buick website and this $1500 OnStar charge appears as it is an option. BUT it is not an option, its a forced price increase for something very few would choose. This kind of stuff makes me rethink buying another Buick. We have had 6 or 7 over the years and our current Buick may be our last. Especially with no incentives etc, When an Enclave Avenir was $54,000 after discount and incentives last year and now it is $62,000+ since there are no incentives and discounts these days, that makes me look at other brands. Its too bad . GM has likely done the numbers and it won’t hurt them financially even with selling fewer vehicles,

    Reply
    1. Incentives exist to move old inventory, period. There’s no inventory that needs help getting sold. I don’t understand where some customers get this idea that they are simply entitled to discounts. Do you do this in other areas? Do you expect a discount on everything you purchase? Or is it just something special about vehicles? Sincerely curious.

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      1. If you are curious and not just being snarky… Incentives have always been available on vehicles that are in the pipeline or even if you order a new vehicle, the incentive in effect when it arrives is available, so its not “old Inventory”. Yes, in many areas. for example when looking at college costs, the discounts, grants and scholarships are part of the equation in choosing a college.. Incentive used by auto manufacturers are used to lower msrp to be more competitive with out lowering the msrp. Completely understandable however its helpful to know how manufacturers use them.
        For example, a couple years ago, an Enclave with discounts was competitive with say a Highlander, now and Enclave is many thousands more.

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        1. Because incentives have always been tied to specific models or packages and not the date your vehicle was built, yes, it has long been possible to do a custom order and enjoy the benefits of an incentive which coincidentally applies to it. But that’s not why the incentive was created. It has always (at least in my nearly a decade in the business) been rare for any significant incentive to exist for the first months of a new model year, and even less common in the first half year or so of a newly redesigned model. Toward the end of the model year they would increase to move old inventory. Toward the end of a model cycle they would increase even more. The last 8-10 HDs we sold before the 2020 redesign, for instance, were almost $10k off! If someone did a custom order in that time they would have enjoyed that coincidental benefit. They weren’t the target of that incentive, it just happened to apply to them because the incentives are blanket policies. (Consider that the alternative would be an incentive that only applies to a limited list of specific VINs. The idea of the headache of that scenario weighs heavily.)

          Incidentally my wife has a Highlander. It’s a good car. But it’s far from an Enclave. Many fewer features, louder and rougher ride quality (again, not bad, just by comparison), and dramatically less comfortable at least for my build. I feel rather cramped in the Highlander. But she likes it and it was available used for a great price so we bought it. But we don’t kid ourselves that it’s the same as an Enclave. Not by a long shot.

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          1. Good comparison regarding Highlander vs Enclave. How would you compare the ride quality between an Enclave Avenir with the damper suspension, an Enclave Premium/Essence and a Traverse High Country?

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            1. I’m a big fan of the Traverse. I think they knocked that design out of the park. As you can probably imagine I don’t have a ton of time on the road in the Avenir as they’ve all been presold for much of it’s life, and less in the High Country as I don’t sell Chevys new. My take is that the Enclave Avenir (along with the Envision Avenir) is the best ride quality and feature set you can get under 6 figures. But I’ve never been disappointed by the High Country (other than the occasional example of the Traverse lurch / power surge issue). And many customers don’t even pay enough attention to noticd the difference between even the Honda Pilot and the Enclave Avenir, let alone between the High Country and Avenir.

              I’ve unsubscribed from notifications on this page as the willful ignorance about what OnStar even does is staggering. I hope this helps! Especially knowing that I don’t benefit in any way by you buying either of them.

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  35. I just canceled my order with my local GM dealer. I refuse to play Mary’s game!

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  36. $1,500? YES! And worth it. WHY? I’ll tell you. You get Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services, Guardian, Crisis Assist, Roadside Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Remote Key Fob, Voice Service, Vehicle Status, Vehicle Locate, Remote Personalization, On-Demand Diagnostics, UNLIMITED WIFI that can connect 7 devices within a 50 ft radius of the vehicle, WIFI will power Amazon Alexa, Google Built In with maps, the Play Store for other apps such as Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, the Weather Channel, and many others. The real win? You don’t have to make 2 payments, one to OnStar and one to the bank. It is financed into the price of the vehicle. Google maps will update automatically and you will be able to find charging stations if you own a GM EV and Super Cruise capable roads if you have Super Cruise. Welcome to the 21st Century!

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    1. You left out “and GM pays my mortgage”.

      Let’s break this down a bit, shall we?

      Stolen Vehicle Assistance is pretty much the only service that isn’t built into my cell phone.

      *Automatic* Crash Response is likely the only service my cell phone doesn’t currently do (though my Apple watch does it anyway, so my phone can’t be far behind)

      Guardian, Crisis Assist, is all included in my cell phone (Find My Friends) et al. are all basically the same thing- “we can talk to you if there’s an emergency” – thanks, that’s called a cell phone and 911

      Your WiFi is called “use your cell phone as a hot spot”, and I’ve been doing that for about 12 years now.

      I don’t need their version of Spotify, YouTube Music, etc., because I also have those on my cell phone.

      Google maps (on my phone) updates automatically already. Don’t need OnStar for that.

      SuperCruise? If that requires a cell signal / satellite link, it’s not worth a damn. Reliability demands that the vehicle be *autonomous*. Tunnels, trees, buildings, bridges, etc.- they call cause drop outs. (If you listen to XM radio, you know what I mean.) Every other manufacturer is building the sensors into the cars. It can update when I pull into my garage and connect to my home WiFi. Charging me $40/ mo to do something I already have is outrageous. (and if SuperCruise really requires this service, then it sucks even more. I tend to keep my vehicles for a lot longer than 3 years, so I’d have to pay for the deamn service just to have the joke-of-a-self-driving feature work? Give me a f*ckin break.)

      Never owned a Ford, but I guess that 2023 Canyon is looking pretty sh!tty right about now…

      Side note: Spare me the “welcome to the 21st century” nonsense. I worked in high tech for 30 years,often on things folks take for granted (like data services on cell phones). I’m no luddite. This reeks of a product manager who is desperate to increase adoption but has a weak/ non-existent value proposition. Way to kill brand value!

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  37. Wow. These conversations are incredible

    Automotive software is the absolute worst. Now, because they can’t sell it (no one wants it) they forces it on the consumer

    Here’s a hint. If it’s popular and people find value in it, they will buy it. You don’t need to force it down their throats. OnStar might have value for some people, clearly for most it simply isn’t worth the upcharge. If it was they would select it as an option and you wouldn’t have to force it on them.

    This applies to a lot of the stupid gimmicks being incorporated into modern vehicles. Put your efforts into making them simpler and more reliable and everyone would be further ahead.

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  38. Waste of money I have to drive about 15 miles to get close to US 2 to get a cell signal.

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  39. Buy a Hershey candy bar for a dollar and get billed $1000 for dental advice over “zoom”. No Thanks, I’ll buy a Mars bar.

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  40. $905 plus tax. Brings it to $1000. Up front. Not like the monthly charge of $25 .this suck. I ordered a 2022 back in April. Just saw the add on .when it comes in they can keep it. What about after 3 years, do they charge you again.

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  41. I sold and Drove Buicks and GMC’s for 48 years is This is a power Move to try and Save a dying Onstar division ? I’m glad I retired

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  42. I just found this out and I’m picking up my new Yukon tomorrow. I’ve had GMC/Chevy trucks since 2002. They all had On Star but it was basic and no fee unless you wanted to upgrade the service. Looking at the details, other than crash notification and unlocing the door for some reason, I don’t see a single thing it does that my cellphone doesn’t do. I hate to say it but this may be a deal breaker unless they work with me on adding a few dealer options. I think GM has made a huge mistake and it will cost them business.

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  43. GM must want potential customers to walk away. Dumb, really dumb.

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  44. GM has its second-quarter earnings report coming out on the 26th. I will be eager to hear the Anaysts questio Mary Barra on this action. Hopefully, they will put the hot metal on her and force her to tell the whole story.

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  45. I bet they eventually mask this forced purchase by increasing the base price to cover the cost and make it “standard equipment” in the future.
    My truck is garaged in the winter months, Evidentially, Onstar could not connect with it one winter and sent me a note saying that they were no longer able to assist me in an emergency- Strange since I did not have a subscription in the first place. Makes me wonder why they need to get into my business anyway.

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    1. Yep, exactly what I suspect as well. They’re easing it in by later pretending they relented and it’s now just “standard” but just jack the sticker up. Then find something else to bend us over for. I also think this is an effort to prop OnStar up.

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  46. I agree with all of the above comment and am piling on that this is VERY poorly executed. With the minimal cars they are going to sell the remaining model year they could have easily baked the dollars of a “mandatory” feature into the base of next year’s model and focused on the positive. I’m seeing so many fumbles on the go to market execution lately from the likes of BMW, Toyota, and now GMC. The customer (or at least the customer’s perception) has been completely lost on them and they just simply ask for more.

    My hunch, OnStar is failing since based on the cross section of comments above, no one wants it except GMC for the data. Well, if the data is valuable to them, but not to me why should I pay for it? OR… at a minimum, don’t make me feel like I got picked up by that UFO again…

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  47. Very sad to see this being forced on buyers.
    Probably going to end up costing GM more from a potential loss of customers.

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  48. I’ve been a GM employee for 22 years. Ever since thus company has come out of bankruptcy it’s been nothing but company greed. From not giving employees a raise for 10 years to cracking down on all the dealerships over discounts and now this fgarbage. Mary Barra and the idiots who run this company are f’n clueless and are driving people away from thus company. Now they have an employee who will never buy another GM vehicle and many more will follow.

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  49. I have used Onstar for over a decade. This doesn’t bother me one bit as I would probably be subscribing anyway. Cell phones are of no use when they get tossed out of the car during an accident. I have had it happen to me when I got hit by a drunk driver. Made me a believer in the crash response part of the service. The other part “connected car” of the service shouldn’t be crammed down our throats.

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  50. If it were a standard feature and didn’t expire after 3 years, maybe… Sure, my phone doesn’t do most of what OnStar does, but I don’t care. I’ve read the posts about what it offers. Not interested in those features. Yes other manufacturers offer their version of OnStar, but I was able to not subscribe to Hyundai’s Blue Link, just like I would like to not subscribe to OnStar.

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  51. I just learned about this Buick OnStar scam today. Was looking to up grade my ‘16 Enclave and order a ‘23. Even though we almost never use it except on our annual trip in Feb to Florida, I renewed my premium OnStar contract in May on my ‘16 Enclave for only $180. The Mandatory $500 x 3 yrs is STEALING GM!!! I won’t do it!!
    I’ve been GM loyal for many yrs, but I will not be extorted. Going to Ford dealer tomorrow to discuss ordering an Explorer.

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  52. I have been an OnStar user on two vehicles for over 25 years but did not renew on either vehicle last year due to features being taken away and price gouging.

    I just priced and was ready to pre-order a 2023 Yukon Denali and found the $900 3-year mandatory OnStar subscription and immediately walked away! I definitely will be going to another manufacturer. Such a shame for GM to attempt to force this on customers (or use to be customers)!

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  53. There is a cure for this problem… Just demand a $1500 overall price discount… Personally, I do not care how they do it as long as I am not paying for it. If the dealer says no, tell them to throw in the good preformed rubber floor mats and cargo mat as well… Enough people do this and enough dealers b!tch to Mary about this then GM will change their attitude. Thankfully I got my new GM before this moment of genius struck!

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    1. Meh, right now it’s a sellers market for sure. Makes me sick to think they’re easily selling for MSRP and above right now. Especially since you know the prices all these years have been inflated, especially on trucks, so they can discount them 20%. There will be a reckoning with all this soon though.

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  54. I am a long time GM customer (in fact, all my vehicles for 30 years have been GM) and a current owner of a GMC sierra, a truck i love. That being said, gmc has now lost one more customer to this stupidity. Whatever they are making from onstar in this exclusive deal will be offset by the hordes of people leaving for other makers. I also like the toyota tundra, hate to leave an american company but hey if they are going to scam me for thousands of dollars for a service that is completely useless for me, then toyota it will be (dodge ram may be in running).
    If the folks at GMC want to increase their profit margin, they need to look at how limited their financing options are compared to toyota. Ford does even worse at this, with horrible interest rates for good credit scores, but GM is right behind. This is a huge part of the reason people are buying so many toyotas instead of american manufacturers. After all, better financing means you can afford more vehicle. Naturally, toyota prices their vehicles a little high, but that is typically offset by a lower interest rate. They also provide so many more options, without having to pay thousands for a service i dont need, so their higher price now looks just fine to me. Maybe gm management should focus on ways to get people into their vehicles rather than scam off the ones that do.
    I understand i could still settle for chevy silverado, but i certainly prefer the options in trim and interior that GMC has always offered, and it is pretty obvious that they will try to do the same strategy with all their other makes and models as time goes on, and i wont support a company that does that. Goodbye, GM.

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  55. Nothing but a way to get a big price jump in one fell swoop and to prop up OnStar that few purchase. They’ve been shortening the “free trial” for some time. I frustrated the hell out of the OnStar rep while picking up my ’22 by going “do not want” repeatedly when they tried to “double” my free trial just for putting payment on file. They’re almost worse than XM.

    I predict next year, they’ll relent on “forcing” you to buy it as a line item but leave the price increase in place.

    I think a lot of this is the pre-cursor for the government mandated remote shut down “feature” coming later this decade

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  56. You know I have been thinking about this for a couple weeks. I think it should be against the law for a company to do this sort of thing to force a charge on the consumer to prop a failing business up that the product IE GM has vested interest in to falsely prop it up. This just doesn’t seem to be a fair way of doing business to me. Forcing a customer to pay for something extra that they don’t want.
    It’s just like the truck lines right now. You can’t get an LTZ in any color that is offered for the model year they limit you to upcharged paint jobs! It’s a crime if you ask me.

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  57. The only thing good I see that this will accomplish is
    For the good of the GM. By forcing this they will be able to comply with the remote shutoff rule from the government. This will piss a alot of poeple off counting on that feature when it comes being like the auto stop thing they have now that company’s are making workaround devices for to shut it off. Onstar is a closed system from my understanding and there is no way to get around it by a third party . Just my thoughts on this. I guess my wife’s 21 envision will be her last.

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  58. Well, I have a 2016 Buick Encore and have loved it. Was planning on replacing it with a new one next year. Since seeing this, I think that I will take my business to Honda or Toyota. I had a trial of the On Star stuff but declined to subscribe. I just don’t think it’s worth it for me and definitely not for a mandatory 3 year rate that I will also have to pay interest on. Real smart move GM losing customers. I won’t be back.

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  59. I took delivery of a 2022 Yukon SLT in July. I had searched for some time before finding this one coming in to the dealer 75 miles from me so I put my name on it. It arrived as scheduled. But I was a bit surprised and upset when I saw the $1500 charge for On-Star for a three year contract. Something I did not want but there was no way out of it. I was even more disappointed when I found out that the On-Star service was linked to the Google Maps app that replaced the traditional GPS that I’ve had in my GMC products for the last 20 years or so but I figured I’d get used to it.

    Well, that ain’t happening. I just returned from a 3500 mile trip from Texas to Iowa, Nebraska, and then a week in the Colorado mountains and the new mapping is crap. It would not work in the mountains on and off and then about a week ago every time I’d touch the screen to put in a destination it would reply “Something went wrong. Try again later.” I did, and it didn’t and never would accept commands. I called GMC and although the person I worked with was very nice and tried their best to help me, she finally opened a “Case” for someone more technical. Of course they called me back to work with me when I was away from the vehicle and could not do anything at that time. The only way I could get any routing information was to go to On-Star and give them the destination. But that was a chore since it would take several attempts before the automated system would get it right. I’d give them a destination and they would ask if I wanted “yada yada yada” in a city hundreds of miles away from what I asked for. Today as we were getting close to home (our destination) I called On-Star and said to cancel the route and it didn’t know what to do. I tried several different commands and none worked. It finally connected me to a technical advisor and I asked them to cancel the route. They said okay then disconnect but the route never did disconnect so I had to live with it until I reached the destination.

    This the worst mapping application I’ve ever seen. I’ve traveled the country using GPS but this effort by GMC to replace a traditional GPS system with Google Maps is going to bite them in the butt. When I spoke to an advisor several days ago and expressed my displeasure, he said that I was not alone and he has had numerous complaints, almost from everyone that has called for help. If I had known what I do now, I would not have gotten the Yukon or any GM product that has gone to this garbage. I still have to figure out why it won’t accept in vehicle commands.

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  60. Does Canada has also a class action against On Star similar to the US??? Raynald

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  61. I’ve been buying gm products for 52 years. They can stick their onstar.i will be buying a different brand. Good bye gm it’s been nice knowing you

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  62. Dad was all GM. I’ve been all GM since 1972. Never subscribed to OnStar in the eight cars I’ve bought in the last 25 years. Used it free and have never been impressed. Yes, I suppose the Accident notification would come in handy—but I haven’t had an accident! Navigation? Waze does the trick. I WILL NOT pay for anything I will not use. (I have them remove the ‘standard’ trailer hitch from my SUVs). I’ll try the same with the On-Star. If they can’t meet me halfway, we won’t meet at all. My last four GMC/Buick purchases have all been from the same dealer. I had planned on a Caddy this time around (across the parking lot at the same dealer). Let’s see how badly they want repeat business. Suddenly, I’m attracted to the VW Tiguan.

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  63. I bought 26 Buick and gm products over 50 years , good bye gm and Buick , you can stick your Constar

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  64. All the negative comments about the Onstar plan is a little crazy. Go to gmc.com and just read why its on the invoice. There are in vehicle apps that need Onstar to work. You have active unlimited Wifi thats not only great for family and friends to connect to your HOTSPOT and enjoy a good movie or internet while on vacation or long driving periods. What if you are out of area and stranded somewhere without phone service, there ya go. If your vehicle is stolen and non recovered, its nice to see that it can be recovered. What about that accident you didnt know was going to happen, and your phone falls out of your hand while you were texting. ONSTAR representative will come on and see how severe the accident is and get you all the help you need. Just a few things they are good for. Oh, and its cheaper on the invoice than it is on a month to month no contract price. Have a Merry Christmas and be safe out there. Just trying to help and clear things up.

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  65. @J Thurlow – thanks but spare me. Your reasons for OnStar are questionable at best. For each of your scenarios, I can easily explain why it doesn’t apply to me. Why am I being forced to buy something I don’t want? They’re propping up a failing business. OnStar mattered before cell service was ubiquitous. As for the apps in the car – it could just as easily be tethered to my cell phone. Nah system needs traffic data? Available when connected to your cell phone. Simple

    This is unlawful bundling. Using a market position to force consumers to buy something they don’t want is unlawful. I rarely Cher for the lawyers, but on this one, I definitely will.

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  66. Unfortunate news. Reason to buy a different truck brand. Why not just eliminate OnStar altogether.

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  67. I bought my 1st new GM vehicle in ’63, after driving used GM vehicles.
    I have been GM ever since, trading approximately every 4 years, at least one of our 2 vehicles. I guess we will keep our 2020 Terrain and 2020 3500 Denali, or change brands.
    We will not be forced to buy this, which we won’t use, don’t need.
    Yes I have tried the other features, know what they do, and don’t need them. If I had the option to purchase what I MIGHT want, or what I MIGHT NEED, I Might buy another GMC or Buick vehicle. I’ll not buy another under these circumstances, sadly.

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  68. wow, $1500 add for onstar, been buying GM for 25 years, no longer, going to another brand, greed has it limits !!!!!!!!!!

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  69. Have a 2023 Canyon that requires Wi-Fi after the trial, I though a basic 2 gig of Wi-Fi was included monthly

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