Follow these easy steps to remotely start your Toyota Camry:
- Your Camry key fob has a LOCK button. Press and hold it twice in quick succession.
- Then, on the key fob, press and hold the LOCK button for three seconds.
- The engine starts, and the turn signal lights flash repeatedly.
- The engine will operate remotely for ten minutes before automatically shutting off.
If you open any door on your Camry after remote start while the engine is running, the engine will shut off for safety reasons. To turn the ignition on and start your car, a working key must be present within the vehicle.
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Do all Toyotas made in 2021 feature remote starting?
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.
How can I tell whether my automobile has a remote start from the factory?
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.
Toyota charges for remote starting, right?
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.
What does a Toyota remote start cost?
On all new Toyotas, depending on the model, buyers receive a free trial of Toyota Remote Connect that lasts somewhere between three and ten years. The service has an after-trial price of either $8 per month or $80 per year.