[FenwickHockey65]

GM to stop forcing $1,500 OnStar subscriptions on all Buick, GMC buyers
After requiring every buyer to pay for three years of OnStar since last summer, GM is making its safety and connectivity service optional again on all but the top trims of Buick and GMC vehicles.

Automotive News (paywalled)

March 14, 2023

Detroit - General Motors will stop building a $1500 OnStar subcription into the price of all Buick and GMC vehicles, instead making the safety and connectivity service standard only on high-end trims but optional again on most other models.

For the 2024 model year, three years of OnStar Premium will be included on all GMC Denali trims and Buick Avenir trims and all versions of the GMC Hummer EV. The change largely reverses a decision by the automaker in mid-2022 to begin packaging the subscription with every Buick and GMC vehicle, giving buyers no option to have the $1500 cost removed.

A GM spokeswoman said the switch is meant to pair premium OnStar features with premium vehicle trims.

 

[gkr778]

A huge thank you to GM Inside News forums members who protested the "forced OnStar" BS at Buick and GMC!

Phrase Of The Day: "Forced Option Package"

The Detroit Free Press August 9, 2022 The price of many new General Motors cars are going up. The automaker has been tacking $1,500 onto many new vehicles to cover a new connectivity package. The package is listed under options, but isn't optional at all. Since June 2, all new Buick and GMC...

www.gminsidenews.com

 

[BlackGTP]

While good news, as a Cadillac owner I'm concerned that I don't see anything about Cadillac (I can't read the article - no subscription). Just because I have the financial means to buy a Cadillac doesn't mean I'm all for throwing out $1,500 on a package I don't want and certainly won't get $1,500 worth of value out of.

 

[RamJet502]

Does $1,500/year seem insane to anybody else?

 

[BlackGTP]

Does $1,500/year seem insane to anybody else?

$42 a month - I'm not seeing anything compelling in OnStar for that $$ amount. I'll offer $5 a month or $180 for the 3 years for what they are offering.

 

[ksr]

I didn't hear about this being mandatory. I think I'd walk away from the dealer before agreeing to pay that. It's the principle more than the money.

$42/month is insane for something that you may never use. Of course, you don't want to have to use OnStar for some emergency, and I know it has other concierge type services, but I've never used them. $42/month is an insurance payment, and your insurance company may offer roadside assistance. Or AAA, which costs what, $50/year?

A lot of the monthly fees just don't seem worth it to me. My ATS has navigation, but I don't pay the extra monthly fee for the live updated traffic conditions. My Cherokee had some connected service that, among maybe a few other things, you could remotely start or lock/unlock your car with a phone app. It was like $15/month. It might have been nice to start my car from my building on a cold or hot day when I was still at my desk and well out of range for the remote start on the key fob, but $15/month just to avoid an unpleasant temperature for a very short time? Nah. I'm not cheap, but I also don't just burn money for fun.

 

[BlackGTP]

I didn't hear about this being mandatory. I think I'd walk away from the dealer before agreeing to pay that. It's the principle more than the money.

$42/month is insane for something that you may never use. Of course, you don't want to have to use OnStar for some emergency, and I know it has other concierge type services, but I've never used them. $42/month is an insurance payment, and your insurance company may offer roadside assistance. Or AAA, which costs what, $50/year?

A lot of the monthly fees just don't seem worth it to me. My ATS has navigation, but I don't pay the extra monthly fee for the live updated traffic conditions. My Cherokee had some connected service that, among maybe a few other things, you could remotely start or lock/unlock your car with a phone app. It was like $15/month. It might have been nice to start my car from my building on a cold or hot day when I was still at my desk and well out of range for the remote start on the key fob, but $15/month just to avoid an unpleasant temperature for a very short time? Nah. I'm not cheap, but I also don't just burn money for fun.

They are clearly testing the waters for what they can get away with in monthly fees. I'll not pay $15 a month to start my car to heat or cool it either. I'd pay $1.25 a month for that. I'd love to see what the take rate is for the $15 fee.

 

[InCogKneeToe]

Does $1,500/year seem insane to anybody else?

Nope, but $15/month for basic Remote Access when Ford offers it for $0 with Ford Pass does. Ford Pass also calls 911 in the event of an Airbag Deployment for $0/month.

All while the Manufactures are gaining Data for Free on How, When, Where, you drive, and what you were doing when the CES Light came on.

 

[Greg Burr]

They are clearly testing the waters for what they can get away with in monthly fees. I'll not pay $15 a month to start my car to heat or cool it either. I'd pay $1.25 a month for that. I'd love to see what the take rate is for the $15 fee.

The ultimate goal may be away from ownership to a subscription model where service can be denied if you are not "compliant".

 

[gkr778]

All while the Manufactures are gaining Data for Free on How, When, Where, you drive, and what you were doing when the CES Light came on.

+1
Thank you InCogKneeToe, this is the most worrisome aspect of OnStar and related "connected car" features from all automakers: they are surveillance and spy devices.

 

[tripowergto Jan2003]

+1
Thank you InCogKneeToe, this is the most worrisome aspect of OnStar and related "connected car" features from all automakers: they are surveillance and spy devices.

Agreed, but so is your cellphone and everyone seems more than happy to pay for that every month.

 

[BlackGTP]

The ultimate goal may be away from ownership to a subscription model where service can be denied if you are not "compliant".

Yeah, they probably want us out of ownership for the most part - another reason GM is pushing self-driving. Probably could make a lot more money with paying a fee every time I order a car on the GM app to show up at my house and take me somewhere.

 

[gkr778]

but so is your cellphone and everyone seems more than happy to pay for that every month.

Good point tripowergto. So called "smartphones" are the worst offenders of any consumer product - even worse than OnStar and "connected cars" - when it comes to facilitating a surveillance and addiction-oriented society.

As Neanderthal mentioned in another thread, that's indicative of rapid societal decline.

My wife and I got rid of all of our "smartphones" a few years ago.

 

[Greg Burr]

^^^ As an aside. There was a talk at Caltech headed by one of its professors with four panelists, one a venture capitalist, and the others were regulators and lawyer/government types. One panelist said that due to liability concerns, autonomous vehicles would be run like a government utility. The governments would then ensure that the roads would be maintained so that any road work would not undermine the safe operation of the autonomous vehicles. So liability would not fall on the manufacturer or the driver as present, but on the government.

I could not stay for the full Q&A session to ask follow-up questions.

 

[AWHoden]

+1
Thank you InCogKneeToe, this is the most worrisome aspect of OnStar and related "connected car" features from all automakers: they are surveillance and spy devices.

Like our cell phones that we can't live without?

 

[AWHoden]

Good point tripowergto. So called "smartphones" are the worst offenders of any consumer product - even worse than OnStar and "connected cars" - when it comes to facilitating a surveillance and addiction-oriented society.

As Neanderthal mentioned in another thread, that's indicative of rapid societal decline.

My wife and I got rid of all of our "smartphones" a few years ago.

ANY cell phone can be tracked and used to surveil. I wouldn't call it indicative of societal decline, inasmuch as the phones are not the cause of societal decline but an facilitator of that decline. Having a cell phone doesn't necessarily lead to the downfall of society. What's more indicative of rapid societal decline is when the rights and freedoms that that society strives to uphold aren't extended to all the members of that society. "First they came....and I did not speak out."

I'm not trying to be political with this post, just feel that cellphones are NOT the problem, the people using them are. It's right up there with "Guns don't kill people, people kill people", which is true, "Cellphones don't destroy societies, the Kardashians and TikTok do". LOL

 

[rockyspaw]

I have the OnStar Protection Plan. Paid annually, it's about $12/month. After my horrific accident in 2014, it's my "peace of mind".

• • Keyfob services that enable owners to remotely start, lock/unlock doors, as well as activate the horn and lights from the myChevrolet, myBuick, myGMC or myCadillac or OnStar RemoteLink app
  • OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics
  • Dealer Maintenance Notification
  • Emergency Services:
  • Automatic Crash Response
  • Crisis Assist
  • Roadside Assistance

 

[tnmats]

$42 a month - I'm not seeing anything compelling in OnStar for that $$ amount. I'll offer $5 a month or $180 for the 3 years for what they are offering.

I'd rather have Sirius XM for that kind of coin ($5/month) for 3 yrs. than OnStar, even a bit more than the $5 would be OK. At least I use it, a lot, when in the vehicle AND when I'm out of the vehicle. My 2017 Malibu came with OnStar for a year of remote start/unlock/etc. and I never used it except to see if it worked, once. I did not miss it in the least when the service expired.

 

[1958carnut]

So in other words they've come to their senses sort of after a well deserved backlash. Say hallelujah.

 

[BlackGTP]

I'd rather have Sirius XM for that kind of coin ($5/month) for 3 yrs. than OnStar, even a bit more than the $5 would be OK. At least I use it, a lot, when in the vehicle AND when I'm out of the vehicle. My 2017 Malibu came with OnStar for a year of remote start/unlock/etc. and I never used it except to see if it worked, once. I did not miss it in the least when the service expired.

OnStar/GM have a price mismatch issue - the value of what OnStar is providing doesn't match the $$. That's a thought for them to bundle in XM with that cost - at least give people something that they'll use on a daily basis to give the appearance of value (though still dubious value at $42 a month).