A: Remote start functionality is not a standard feature of the 2021 RAV4. However, some trims of the 2021 RAV4such as the Limited, TRD Off-Road, and Adventure trimsare outfitted with an Audio Plus package, which includes available remote start technology.
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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.
Is remote start available for the Toyota RAV 4?
In the middle of July, it’s a scorchingly hot day. Your excursion to the supermarket took longer than you had planned, and your car has been parked there for at least two hours. Even though it was a busy day, you made an effort to find a spot in the shade, but all you could see was an empty area in the lot’s back close to a cart return.
As you wait in line to pay, you catch a glimpse of the top of your RAV4 through the store’s front sliding glass doors. You anticipate the car’s inside to be extremely hot. Ice cream, frozen peas, eggs, butter, and other chilled things that wouldn’t make it home in a heated car are looking back at you as you take a quick glance at your items that are spread out on the conveyor belt. Fortunately, you have a remote start for your Toyota RAV4 so you’re ready!
What is Remote Start?
The mechanism that enables remote starting enables you to start your car from a distance. A remote start will start the engine even if your car is locked, turned off, and in the driveway.
If you live somewhere where it becomes very cold or very hot at different times of the year, remote starters are especially helpful. A remote start can help you save time in the winter by warming up the engine while you’re still getting ready to leave the houseno more waiting outside in the chilly weather for your motor oil to stop being molasses!
Additionally, remote starting is beneficial in the heat. The majority of contemporary cars come with automated climate control that you can regulate with presets to maintain the highest level of comfort, including higher-end Toyota RAV4 versions. Or just let it run its course! You can start your car by using the remote start. For the purpose of bringing the interior of your car to a comfortable temperature, the automatic climate system will either turn on the heating or the air conditioning.
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Everything You Need to Know About Toyota RAV4 Remote Start
Auto shoppers and auto reviewers both love the Toyota RAV4. Depending on your demands, it is a capable off-road vehicle with either front- or all-wheel drive.
The RAV4 is a versatile little SUV with superb looks and driving manners. Additionally, it is extremely well suited for city life: Car and Driver gives it a special award for being a particularly opulent and refined vehicle on paved streets. In contrast, other large, tough Toyotas tend to prioritize off-road capability over driving comfort.
Remote start systems typically operate in one of two ways. Within a larger range of connectivity functions, there are fob-based remote starts and more sophisticated app-based remote starts. The RAV4 features both. The RAV4 also features the standard Toyota remote start technology as standard equipment.
A button on your key fob sends radio waves to a receiver inside your car, which subsequently switches on the engine and starts it. This is how traditional remote starters work. With select Toyota RAV4 grade levels, this is included as standard equipment. Using your fob, turn on your car by doing the following:
- Your fob’s lock button should be pressed.
- Repeatedly press the lock button in quick succession.
- To start your car, press the lock button once more and hold it there for three seconds.
The more sophisticated remote start technology offered by Toyota is one of several features included in the Toyota Connect program. With the premium service Toyota Connect, you may start your RAV4 from the outside and receive notifications when a window is damaged. It also makes it easier to locate the car in a crowded parking lot, allows you to lock and unlock the car, and even monitors the speed.
Follow these steps to link your RAV4 to the Toyota Connect app:
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Toyota RAV4 Remote Start: The Downsides
A complimentary one-year trial of the Toyota Connect service is included with every new RAV4. But in order to continue utilizing their remote start after that, drivers will need to purchase a monthly subscription. For convenience, Toyota charges $8 per month or $80 annually.
Even though it’s less valuable than free, a 4G wireless hotspot, Apple Play, Sirius XM, and the capacity to start your car remotely are all available for just $8 a month.
You should also be aware that not all US states permit vehicle idling. While some states only permit a maximum of 3 minutes of idle time, others allow up to 20 minutes in extremely cold temperatures. To determine whether investing in Toyota Connect will be worthwhile for you, check the laws in your state.
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Toyota RAV4 Remote Start: Other Options
For between 170 and 400 dollars, you can get an aftermarket plug-and-play kit that functions just as well as other branded fob-remote starts if you have an older model of RAV4 created before the period of remote start.
The ability to let your engine reach its ideal temperature before driving is one of the advantages of remote starting, as we have discussed. This is especially true during the winter or in areas with a cooler temperature. Additionally, if your state has strict regulations about idling, you may want to look into other methods that may make warming up your automobile a little simpler.
If you don’t want or have access to remote starting, think about switching your regular engine oil for a lubricant intended for cold weather. Engine oil made specifically for colder climates warms up faster and reduces the need to start your car ten minutes earlier.
How do I use my Toyota RAV4 Remote Start?
Make sure your Toyota Remote Start works with your car before using it. Press the lock button on your key fob three (3) times to remotely start your RAV4. Make careful you push the first and second times quickly after one another. On your third press, hold down the lock button for three seconds to activate remote start.
How long will my RAV4 engine run after activating Remote Start?
You have 10 minutes to idling after Remote Start activation before the engine shuts off on its own. You can press the lock button one more inside those 10 minutes to add another 10 minutes to the idle period.
After 20 minutes, if for some reason you are still unable to operate the vehicle, the engine will automatically shut off and must be manually started again.
Is it safe to leave my vehicle unattended after activating Remote Start?
In any event, it’s great practice to avoid leaving your car running unattended after starting it. The Toyota RAV4 is equipped with an anti-theft device that, thankfully, turns the SUV off if the doors are opened by hand.
Yes, it could seem a little inconvenient, but it does stop someone who isn’t allowed from taking off in your car.
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Has the RAV4 Prime of 2021 had remote starting?
Toyota seems a little uneasy about the mildly unfavorable feedback from people who discovered their basic remote start capabilities would require a paid monthly subscription. By a blowback of epic proportions, we mean a minor negative, to the point that some consumers began to wonder if Toyota would ever start charging a monthly subscription just to unlock their car.
To Toyota’s credit, top company officials seem to be paying attention. The Drive reports that the subscription requirement for cars with basic transmitter-operated remote starts is being reevaluated. According to the story, Toyota didn’t anticipate the outrage it experienced after word of the subscription need spread. Consider that.
Not so much the subscription itself was the problem. Instead, it was making it necessary to pay for a remote linked service in order to enjoy what is effectively a free analog feature. In short, newer cars with remote starts controlled by a fob use the same linked services software to start the car, but it’s not included in a subscription bundle. As a result, even when the key fob transmits a minimal signal to the vehicle, the engine won’t start unless the software detects an active subscription. Older cars with remote starts controlled by a fob are therefore exempt from the obligation for a membership.
Gallery: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime
Instead of a simple button on a key fob, future automobiles will only include remote start as part of subscription-based app-controlled features. According to the article, Toyota isn’t even convinced it can separate the transmitter control from the linked services software, leaving Toyota vehicle customers caught between these two technical worlds. It appears that’s a component of the ongoing assessment.
Does the Toyota RAV4 from 2022 provide remote starting?
It’s simple to use your remote start. To activate the remote start, push the lock button on your manufacturer remote fob three times. The vehicle will start, run for the predetermined amount of timetypically 15 minuteswhile the parking lights flash. The vehicle can be turned off by pressing the lock button three more times. It may take a few tries to get the timing right, so be careful not to push the lock button too quickly or too slowly. Just unlock or open the door as you approach the car. As soon as it shuts down, you may jump in, fire it up, and drive away.
- Simply press LOCK three times on your factory remote to activate the remote starting. 3x Lock from OEM Fob Only = No more remotes to carry. Want a wider range? See below for upgrade possibilities:
- 1-Way 1000ft = Includes two 1-button remote controls with a range of up to 1000 feet, plus a 3-lock OEM fob that also functions.
- Comes with (1) 1-Button and 2-Way 2000ft two-way remote control and one button It will also function with a 1-way for a range of up to 2000 feet and a 3-lock OEM fob.
- Smart Phone App Control enables you to start your automobile from any location in the world using your smartphone. Service plan is necessary; it costs $39.99 per year. The OEM remote fob’s 3x lock will also function.
Does Toyota offer remote starting as standard?
The Smart Key fob in your car can be used to start and stop your engine with Toyota’s remote start system. In order to ensure that your car’s interior is at the perfect temperature when you get in and drive to your next location, this feature also lets you turn on the air conditioner, heater, and defroster.
A 2020 RAV4 does not have remote starting.
Factory remote engine start is available with either the Audio Plus or Premium Audio multimedia systems in the RAV4. The most important item to look for will be an 8-inch touch screen.
Remote start is not available on base Toyota Audio systems. These devices come with a 7-inch screen, which is slightly smaller. As a result, cars like the LE and LE Hybrid RAV4 lack it.
Although it takes some time, remotely starting your car is an easy operation “a touch as you develop and refine your expertise.
Hold your key fob in front of your RAV4 while pressing and holding the “LOCK” and “LOCK” buttons “LOCK. Hold it down until the lights start to flash. Your vehicle’s engine will start up after a brief delay.
A Toyota hybrid will begin quite differently. Before the gasoline engine fires up, the electric motor will first begin to hum for five to ten seconds. This is demonstrated in my video below.
Using Remote Connect on your Toyota app, you could also be able to remotely start your car from a smartphone or smartwatch. Try it out as well.
I strongly advise you to try this life hack in your car, truck, or SUV to see if it works. With your Highlander, 4Runner, and Camry, you might be very successful.
In fact, you might wish to try this with automobiles from other brands as well. I occasionally hear from someone who has successfully done it on other makes.
Thank you all for watching. I’m interested to see if your car’s remote start functions. Please share your findings with us.