Is OnStar protecting your vehicle??

[v10superduty]

This is probably an anomaly but OnStar sure didn't do much for this guys GM car..

ONSTAR FAIL

Wonder if they will refund his $250 he paid for the service?

If you have a $60,000 tow vehicle you may want to just pull breaker for fuel system instead of counting on this?:W

[Beaker]

Now I always keep a spare key hidden in the house

Learned my lesson over 30 years ago. Better to keep one hidden on the vehicle.

OnStar is used for more than lock out. They found me a vet in the middle of the night and gave me directions to get there. Very nice lady on the line.

I still have OnStar and if you know how to work the system you only pay $99 a year.

[mowermech]

Y'know, I never thought about it, but perhaps my subconscious realized it, and that's why I haven't owned a GM product in years!
Well, OK, except for the Buick V6 in my Jeepster Commando C101...

[mhsmith]

Couldn't resist...

[marspec]

I have used OnStar to diagnose a check engine light. The thermostat was not closing so engine was running cool. OnStar's diagnosis, they gave me the code, was it was not an emergent problem and to get it fixed at my convenience.

[mowermech]

That is exactly why in addition to my cell phone I almost always have an all band all mode Ham radio on board, with HF/UHF/VHF antennas that can be set up, and a CB radio. I WILL be able to communicate with somebody. they may be in Virginia or California or Spain, but I WILL find somebody to talk to!

[NJRVer]

rockhillmanor wrote:

IndyCamp wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
It's not an be all end all device to be used 100% for ones safety

I have never heard anyone claim it is. To assert that would be ridiculous.

You'd be surprised how many people DO think that it is activated by satellite and not local cell towers and think it will work 'everywhere'.

That lady's daughter thought it did when she purchased it for her mother's safety. Well they found out real quick that it doesn't work in the Sierra Foothills of California and many other parts of the country just like a cell phone will not have service 100% of the time when you are traveling.

OnStar should DISCLOSE that to buyers.

Moral of the story is don't have a heart attack or accident in an area that doesn't have an OnStar cell tower signal. Cause pushing the OnStar button isn't going to help you.

So I guess people shouldn't waste their money on cell phones either since after all they can't make a phone from anywhere they want. Plenty of areas without service.

[rbtglove]

For what it's worth seems you like it or you don't - Have had on star for three years now and have been from Atlantic to Pacific twice in that time and into many remote locations. The stuff about no regular cell service then no on-star phone is just not alsways so. The only times we found no phone service were in Great Basin and Chaco canyon. The on star transmitter is much more powerful and therefore more range than a regular cell device. Even if it you can't use phone you still can contact on star for help via satellite. There is no cell service at our cabin in TN mountains but we can still use the on star phone.

[ktosv]

rockhillmanor wrote:
OnStar should DISCLOSE that to buyers

They do, they provide a coverage map that mimics the Verizon coverage map. As several of us have stated, we have still received OnStar service in some of those dead zones.

It's obviously not perfect, but in my opinion it is more reliable than my cell phone.

[rockhillmanor]

IndyCamp wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
It's not an be all end all device to be used 100% for ones safety

I have never heard anyone claim it is. To assert that would be ridiculous.

You'd be surprised how many people DO think that it is activated by satellite and not local cell towers and think it will work 'everywhere'.

That lady's daughter thought it did when she purchased it for her mother's safety. Well they found out real quick that it doesn't work in the Sierra Foothills of California and many other parts of the country just like a cell phone will not have service 100% of the time when you are traveling.

OnStar should DISCLOSE that to buyers.

Moral of the story is don't have a heart attack or accident in an area that doesn't have an OnStar cell tower signal. Cause pushing the OnStar button isn't going to help you.

[spike99]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I had On-Star when we purchased each of our vehicles for the standard 1 year (or whatever) when you purchase a new vehicle. Never used it on 3 different vehicles, let it expire and never looked back. I personally wish all the On-Star stuff was never on my vehicles. Occasionally I hit the button when flipping the mirror to night-mode. I hate that stupid thing!

Same with me. re: Never used their 1 year OnStar inclusion either. And, never renewed their service either.

Actually, my money saved went into RESP, government added 20% of my contribution and this total saved monies allowed me to help pay for one of my kids to attend university. Win-Win in my books...

[IndyCamp]

rockhillmanor wrote:
It's not an be all end all device to be used 100% for ones safety

I have never heard anyone claim it is. To assert that would be ridiculous.

I keep it active but haven't used it much.

We did use it last summer when we were driving through corn country in southern Illinois late at night. The car in front of us hit a deer so we stopped to make sure the driver was OK (she was fine but her car was definitely not driveable). She was also from out of state and neither of us knew where in the hell we were, other than on I-70 somewhere in Illinois. No mile markers were near where we were stopped. It was very dark so no landmarks were visible. I could have called 911 on the cell phone, but I would not have been able to tell them exactly where we were. The light bulb above my head came on and I remembered Onstar. Everything worked out and I've kept paying for it since.

If she had been critically injured, the few minutes saved by having an exact location through Onstar could have made a big difference.

[rockhillmanor]

gmcsmoke wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:


OnStar DID NOT WORK.

OnStar uses towers the SAME AS YOUR PHONE.

NO phone service where you are at? NO Onstar help.

so what remote part of america were they in?
https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/coveragemap?g=1

A very secrete part of the USA called the state of "California" in the foot hills. Where one would really need the onstar to work if an accident happened. Just as there are dead zones all over the US.

Just saying if there is no cell service, there is no onstar. Just something one should be aware of. It may have a stronger signal than some phone does as some have mentioned but if there is NO cell phone service in an area there won't be any onstar. It's not an be all end all device to be used 100% for ones safety or to be assured a family member traveling solo will always have help at hand as their product suggests.

[MNRon]

I've had the free initial Onstar on 3 vehicles now and let all lapse without much use.

With that said, am considering picking up the discounted service they sent me a notice for. Why? A month ago at a CG by San Antonio a neighboring 5er without a TV told us about his 2012 F450 KR, fully loaded, with genny and extended diesel tank etc was stolen in downtown San Antonio. He said he's come to know the SA police real well over the last 4 days and they told him there were ~8 PU's stolen every day there for drug runs to Mexico.

I came across him when he was telling an F150 owner he should invest in security. I asked why F150s and not GMs, and he said the police told him "Onstar".

Recognizing that just the GM badge is sufficient for this deterrence, but after watching this poor couple have their 5er towed to another CG where they would stay a few more weeks until the insurance sorted it out has added an exclamation point to this for me.

Don't like $150/yr fee, but sure would hate to be stranded w/o a TV. Chances of this are very small, and Onstar doesn't guarantee it can't happen, but it's got me thinking.

[dewey02]

gmcsmoke wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:


OnStar DID NOT WORK.

OnStar uses towers the SAME AS YOUR PHONE.

NO phone service where you are at? NO Onstar help.

so what remote part of america were they in?

https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/coveragemap?g=1

Zoom in on that map and you will find the number of areas of limited coverage greatly increases. And just to verify, I live near and frequently travel through some of those remote parts. Not everyone in this country lives in a city.