Toyota has removed the remote start buttons from its physical key fobs, so owners who wish to start their cars remotely will have to pay. The feature will no longer be part of the actual car key as the automaker transitions to digital services and a subscription-based approach, the manufacturer informed Roadshow on Wednesday.
Here is how it works. The remote start technology will operate for three years during a “trial period” for automobiles made in 2018 to 2020 that have it on the key fob. The button is present on the owner’s fob, however after three years it will no longer operate. Owners must search the brand’s Connected Services for Remote Connect in order to regain the remote start feature. The cost, which also includes a plethora of additional digital features accessible through the Toyota smartphone app, is $80 per year or $8 per month.
The remote start functionality on a key fob won’t be available on any new Toyota vehicles. Key fob remote start is not a function we actively market as we transition to more digital interactions through the Toyota app, the business stated. Owners of specific automobiles from the 2020 model year and newer enjoy a 10-year trial for connected services. In other words, since owners receive more than a decade of free use, there’s a strong chance they won’t need to fork over the cash to use remote start. However, it will eventually become permanently invalid and call for a Remote Connect subscription.
Toyota stated, “We routinely incorporate feedback from customers to ensure we’re giving features that are beneficial and enrich their ownership experiences,” despite the fact that it is a controversial move in an era where manufacturers continue to seek revenue streams via subscriptions.
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When did Toyota introduce remote start?
Toyota charges customers for the convenience of remote vehicle starting with their key fobs. The Drive reported that a subscription will be required for the key fob to provide remote start features on Toyota cars that are 2018 or newer.
When buying a new Toyota, buyers have a variety of Connected Services to select from, and one of those servicescalled Remote Connectjust so happens to include the ability to start your car remotely using your key fob.
The car’s audio system is required for the remote start feature of the key fob.
Customers are given a free trial of Remote Connect, although the duration of the trial is based on the vehicle’s audio package. Even more perplexingly, only a select few Toyota models are compatible with the Audio Plus or Premium Audio packages that are included with the free trial, as you can see for yourself in this PDF.
In other words, the remote start capability of the key fob is dependent upon the vehicle’s factory-installed audio system. This first appeared in a Reddit post, where the author provided a link to Toyota’s Remote Connect promotional materials (PDF). Since then, the post has been marked as “Though possibly deceptive, Toyota told The Drive that after the free trial, users will actually have to pay for remote start.
The remote start function of the key fob is described in the brochure that is referenced in the post, along with how it relates to the Audio Plus and Premium Audio packages. A car bought with Premium Audio offers free remote start for 10 years, while one with Audio Plus offers owners the luxury of free remote start using a key fob for three years. The entire Remote Connect service, which includes the key fob remote start feature, will then cost drivers $8 per month or $80 per year.
It’s not fully apparent from Toyota’s Remote Connect page whether the plan covers the remote start feature of the key fob. There is no mention of using the key fob for remote starts; instead, it claims that users can use the Remote Connect service to start their cars using a smartwatch, smart home device, or smartphone.
Furthermore, as The Drive notes, it appears that some users have been aware of this for a long time. Users on the Toyota Nation site discuss the key fob’s remote start capability in a topic that was started in 2019. However, the majority of users in this thread own a Toyota that is 2018 or newer, so they may still be covered by the free trial. Some customers report that their key fob may still start their car remotely.
These paywalled features are typically exclusive to luxury automakers. In addition to the $300 it costs to install Apple Car Play, BMW in 2018 required users to pay an annual subscription fee. Nearly two years after making its decision, the German automaker reversed course.
However, BMW still accepts payments for “In-car microtransactions are a method to access additional functions for your vehicle. Similar technology exists in the all-electric Porsche Taycan, known as Functions On-Demand, which enables owners to add new, add-on functions to their Porsche, such as Active Lane Keeping or Dynamic Light System Plus. Cadillac’s hands-free driving mode, Super Cruise, which has since been temporarily stopped in newer Escalades owing to the chip shortage, now costs consumers $25 per month after the expiration of the free trial.
How do I find out whether my car has a remote start?
If your car has a remote starter, the owner’s manual will have information about your unique remote starter and how it functions. To see if this feature is present, look in the manual’s index.
Listed below are few well-known automobiles with a factory remote start option:
- Accord, Civic, and Insight from Honda
- GM automobiles (2003later)
- Honda Accord
- ZDX and TLX Acura (2010later)
- Tribeca, Legacy, and Outback Subaru models (2007later)
- Navara Altima
- Fusion and the Ford Mustang
- Corvette Camaro
Check your vehicle’s key fob
If your car has a remote starting, the key fob will include a specific button. Typically, an arrow forming a portion of a circle serves as the remote start symbol, as seen above. But be aware that some automakers may use a different symbol for remote starting.
How can I turn on the remote start on my Toyota?
Press the lock button on your key fob three times to remotely start your Toyota. For the first two presses, make sure you push the lock button quickly, and for the third press, hold the button down for around three seconds.
by VIN number, does my automobile have remote starting?
The only reliable approach to find out if the automobile has a factory remote start is to ask the dealership. They might be able to find your VIN number and inform you of this (depending upon what kind of car it is). The telltale sign of an aftermarket remote start installation would be tacky-looking wire splices under the dash.
Is remote connect a feature on all Toyotas?
Entune, Toyota’s proprietary high-tech multimedia system, is standard equipment in every Toyota vehicle. Remote Connect is one of this system’s incredibly useful components. With Remote Connect, you may start your car’s engine and lock your car remotely, as the name of the feature says.
Which Toyota models can be connected to a remote?
Toyota vehicles with EntuneTM 3.0 Remote Connect are available.
- Toyota Sienna 2020.
- Toyota Avalon for 2019.
- Toyota C-HR for 2019.
- Toyota Prius for 2019.
- Toyota Camry for 2019.
- Toyota RAV4 for 2019.
- Toyota Corolla Hatchback for 2019.
- Toyota Sienna for 2019.
How can I tell if my car has remote starting from the factory without a key?
Learning how to use a new car’s many special features might be challenging! There are a couple ways to find your car, though, if it has a remote start.
The key fob itself serves as the initial location. The key fob should feature the following buttons:
- Lock your car.
- Lock the vehicle
- Crack the trunk.
- start the vehicle
Look in the glove box for the user manual if you don’t see a start option. Used autos typically come with the original owner’s manual.
Another choice is to take note of the VIN from your auto insurance or window sticker and use it to look up various characteristics. Try using a website like Carfax, which provides a list of vehicle characteristics connected with the VIN.
In the worst case, call the dealership. The dealer will have information on the car’s features and can give you instructions on how to use them.
Spend some time looking into your auto insurance to make sure you are still getting the greatest bargain when you are looking into your car. The Jerry app can be downloaded to help! Every six months, Jerry’s licensed agents will automatically check your insurance. If they discover that you are overpaying, they will send you free, customized quotations right to your phone.
Do I have remote start on my key fob?
If you spot a button with a clockwise-moving circular arrow, you’ll know it’s there. That is the remote engine start button, though the key fob itself does not have a label for it. For those who are already familiar with this button’s use, it involves hitting the lock button first, then the remote engine start button. No problem, isn’t it? Other key fobs include a button in the same location, but they have a different sequence for remotely starting the engine. The circular arrow emblem on Ford key fobs, for instance, reads “2xother fobs are labeled “X2, which means the samepositioned inside the circle. This informs you that in order to remotely start the car’s engine, you must click the button twice. This button is frequently seen in many key fobs, therefore it’s not really thought of as a hidden feature. However, other car manufacturersmost notably BMWuse modern key fobs without the button. However, this does not imply that these key fobs lack these functionalities merely because there isn’t a circular arrow button to click. By rapidly pressing the “lock button on the key fob, one can remotely start an engine in a modern BMW by doing so. You don’t need to become daring and try out this sequence to test if the engine activates after pushing the lock button three times in a single second if your key fob has the circular arrow button. However, if it doesn’t, it won’t harm to try it out and see if it manages to complete the task in some way.
Does Toyota offer a starting app for its vehicles?
In case you didn’t know, every Toyota vehicle has a download button for the Toyota App on your phone. You can use the app to access services like remote vehicle starting, remote unlocking, remote locking, guest driver functions, and vehicle locator.
You may watch a video that Toyota employees made below that explains how to use Remote Connect in the Toyota App and goes over all the capabilities the app has to offer.
Toyota remote starting is it free?
Drivers must pay $8 per month or $80 annually to continue registered in Toyota Connected Services once the free trial has expired. You may already be a part of this initiative if you bought a new Toyota in 2018 without even realizing it. Even the moderators flagged a recent Reddit discussion touting the program as “possibly deceptive” when it was posted.
Drivers may no longer have access to remote starting after the Toyota Connected Services trial expires, a Reddit user said. The carmaker acknowledged to The Drive that remote start will cost extra for owners. The feedback on Newsbreak reveals that many drivers are not overly thrilled with the change.
The Verge also notes that some drivers unintentionally learned about connected services. Why some vehicles’ remote starts would still function while theirs did not was a common query among users in a Toyota forum. This implies that Toyota won’t even let you know when your free trial is up.
Additionally, the fact that Toyota Connected Services and the duration of the trials are not mentioned in the dealership videos doesn’t help. Dealers simply state that while you have the Audio Plus package, remote start is still an option. That doesn’t apply to all Toyota vehicles, as we’ve learnt.