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Toyota is charging drivers for the convenience of using their keys to start their cars. Toyota models of the new year will need a subscription in order to support remote start, according to a report from The Drive.
When buying a new Toyota, buyers are given the option to choose from an array of Connected Services, and one of them is called Remote Connect, which allows you to start your car with your key.
The audio package that comes with the car is tied to the remote start function.
The length of the free trial depends on the audio package that is included with the vehicle. Only some Toyota models support the Audio Plus or Premium Audio packages that are included in the free trial, which you can check out in this PDF.
The audio package that comes with the car is tied to the remote start function. The original poster added a link to Toyota's remote connect marketing materials in a post on Reddit. The post was flagged as potentially misleading, however, Toyota confirmed to The Drive that users will have to pay for remote start when the free trial ends.
The pamphlet linked to in the post is about the remote start feature and Audio Plus and Premium Audio packages. Premium Audio gives drivers free remote start for 10 years, while Audio Plus gives drivers free remote start for three years. Drivers will have to pay an additional $8 per month or $80 per year for the full Remote Connect service, which includes the remote start feature.
It is not clear on the Toyota website if the key fob's remote start is included in the plan. There is no mention of using a key to start a car with the Remote Connect service.
It looks like some users have been aware of this for a long time. Most of the users on the Toyota Nation forum own a Toyota that is newer than the one discussed in the thread, which was dated back to 2019.
Paywalled features are usually limited to luxury car brands.
Paywalled features are usually limited to luxury car brands. BMW made drivers pay an annual subscription for Apple Car Play, in addition to the $300 it charges to install the feature in the first place. The German car manufacturer walked back its decision.
BMW allows you to pay tounlock new features in your car, in a way that is similar to in-car microtransactions. Functions On-Demand is a system that lets drivers purchase new, optional features for their car, like Active Lane Keeping or Dynamic Light System Plus. After the end of a free trial, Cadillac charges $25 a month for its hands-free driving mode, Super Cruise, which was temporarily discontinued in newer Escalades due to the chip shortage.
