# On-star worth it or not?



## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

For us we use only AAA. I wonder how much a tow service would be if gone thru On-Star to have your car taken to your home or dealer . I have AAA for its 200 mile towing range that is covered can On-Star do the same for me. We did not renew On-Star and with AAA all is well.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Between my cell phone with it's internal GPS telling me where I am and USAA I don't see a need for On-Star other than the automatic contact if the vehicle reports a crash (air bag deployment) to them.


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## Chase Toole (Feb 4, 2013)

I agree, On-Star isn't really worth it.. I've used the turn-by-turn nav once just to try it and it's pretty annoying.. It looks cool on your rearview though.. But if you have a smart phone and decent insurance it's pointless...


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Your car comes with roadside assistance & towing(to the dealer) for the entire 5year 100,000 mile warranty. Calling 911 on any cell phone eliminates the middle man, the police can see exactly where you are calling from & respond accordingly. Onstar is all about scare tactics & making you feel you need it to be safe. 

After seeing numerous cruze crash photos I will rely on the safety of the 10air bags & the super strong/safe passenger compartment, I'm sure even if I am unconscious it wont be for long enough I can't call for help or someone else that comes along will.


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## lilredsled (Feb 3, 2013)

Well thank you all for your opinions, appreciated


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## chaser x (Sep 3, 2012)

I let the on star expire after free trial i never used it much.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

IMO On-Star is worth every penny. 1) crappy cell service prevents getting directions all the time. Had several occasions where neither of our phones would get accurate directions/maps or even work while on-star did. 2) It's hands-free. I can get directions by pushing a single button and never taking my eyes off the road. 3) Yes, the car has air bags. But if I get into an accident, I don't want to try to call 911 on my phone. I've done it before and it was horrible. No, they cannot always determine your location. Again, I called 911 from my phone in a major city and I had to tell them where I was. On-star is automatic in a crash and if I get knocked out I'm covered.

Think about it this way, you complain about paying for a warranty that you never use. You're thinking is backwards about it. The BEST warranty is the one you NEVER have to use in the first place. This is the same thing with on-star. They provide plenty of services that I use (even though I don't use them often). I can call to get trouble codes, make appointments with my dealer, get directions and have them find me the best route, have them look up places even if I'm lost and don't know where I'm going and I don't have to pull over or risk an accident. I can call and say "I want to home please" and boom, they send me directions to get home.

Additionally, the car phone is a great feature when you need it. 

Yes, I have AAA and I have On-Star with turn-by-turn and road side assist. I also have all of this through my insurance company. 

But, that's just me. It isn't that expensive and it will be worth every cent when you need it and it's there for you, even just once.


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## MiamiMike (Apr 17, 2013)

I just got On Star for the first time in my Chevy Equinox. Had the free three months that comes with Chevy. I paid for the fourth month only because I forgot to cancel. I just called them to cancel after this month is up. Told them I can't afford it. Right away they said they will give me another three months free to really see if I want it. After that the price would be 12.95a month for next six months. It would not have gps. It would have all the security features as door unlock car tracking. Turn car on or off and phone. Also of course accident reporting. I have a GPS for the dash so I never needed this. I figure I will use the extra 3 months they offered then maybe decide. Have had a car stolen many years ago so I know what that is like. That is why I might keep On Star at the 12.95 price. I think if you can get with out the GPS its worth it. I paid $ 30.00 for the month I forgot to cancel. That is not worth it at all. Call and tell them what can they do to help you on price. I did same thing with Sirius radio. I called 4 different times asking about deals or can they work out something to help with the cost. After the fourth person stepped up I finally took that deal. $107.00 for the year and they broke up the payment into three payments so I wasn't charged all at once whitch was great. Just call be nice and thank them if they don't offer you any deal. Call back until you get the deal. Good luck.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

I had onstar for 1.5 years. 6 months free trial, and a year paid by my insurance company through a special promotion. Let's just say I didn't renew it.

It sounds good in theory.. I mean god forbit you are ever in a crash and can't call for help. That is worth it alone but I couldn't push myself to pay for it.

Directions? Get a Garmin or Tom-Tom. I don't see how this is a selling point at all...

Roadside? AAA Membership - cheaper, faster, and hotel discounts to boot.


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## MjC (Dec 23, 2012)

on star is pretty pricey =S i basically only use it for directions, still on free trial.
a GPS would probably be less of a hassle


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

My problem with both OnStar and XM radio is poor reception driving on Wisconsin tree lined roads requiring line of site reception from a satellite only 20 degrees above the horizon.

I seem to still have the option to contact either OnStar or XM provided I am in a reception area and give my credit card number. But believe only if my electrical system is in working order.

So I have a question, if one gets into an accident that instantly kills the electrical system, would those crash signals still be transmitted? I mean if you disconnect the battery, you could push that blue button all day and nothing will happen.

Just a question. We had a terrible ice rain about a week ago, but still had to travel at 10 mph. If I did slide off, wouldn't have been much damage.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

........and if my car gets stolen I'll have my insurance company worry about it. Of course I feel the same way about XM. I can do a lot of other things I want with the $107 a yr + $12.95 a month that I save.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Vetterin said:


> ........and if my car gets stolen I'll have my insurance company worry about it. Of course I feel the same way about XM. I can do a lot of other things I want with the $107 a yr + $12.95 a month that I save.


Hopefully you're not talking about $107/yr for XM. If you are, you're doing it wrong. My wife called in and got 9mo for $30 plus $5/mo for a receiver for her car.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

On Star.......I despise On Star.......I consider the Cruze a product so good that I am willing to overlook a feature that gets shoved down my throat, yet has a subscription fee......ie, not a "Feature'

1. Car gets stolen......Hello State Farm......I don't want it back, it'll be wrecked.
2. I crashed.......Ask any 911 operator.....they get a few hundred calls from passerby before On Star even calls....anyone.
3. Directions......uh, old guys keep a Atlas in the car.....I don't leave till I know where I'm going.....same as before GPS.
4. Lockout.....good grief.....engage brain before closing door.....pay a locksmith once....your memory gets better.
5. A system that when my check engine light is on I need to get the car looked at.....I think I read that in the book.
6. I can go on, but it boils down to the fact I highly value my anominity, in fact, serving my country may have had something to do with my feeling that way.
Now, I have a vehicle that can be tracked if so desired and frankly, that bothers me, a lot.

I'll not bore you all any further but leave you with this thought:
I can beat up the system till I am blue in the face....but in the end, I feel as though my privacy is invaded by a system that has pre-labelled me a Dumbass.......lucky I like the car.

Rob


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Even my 04 Cavalier had that spy box in it, keeps track of the last few minutes which is okay as long as you are not involved in an accident. But if you are, and suppose to be private, so GM claims, to learn how to make a vehicle safer, but courts have managed to get hold of these black boxes that disclose how fast you were driving, whether you were wearing your safety belt or not, how quickly you reacted to the hazard, how fast you were driving, etc.

Already been court cases where a claim was denied due to an accident and the driver was even ticketed due to these relatively unknown black boxes. OnStar is the next step, know exactly where you are and how fast you are driving. Next step if the government gets involved, you may find a speeding ticket in your mail box. Already talking about that.

If you do lock yourself out of your car, better have your cell phone in your pocket, batteries are good, and within cell phone range, so you can call them to unlock your car. 

If you do need a tow truck, better have your credit card ready to pay that towing bill.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

NickD said:


> If you do need a tow truck, better have your credit card ready to pay that towing bill.


AAA. Nuff said.

Yes, if you caused an accident, you should be found at fault for driving like a stupid moron in the first place. Through the black boxes or little insurance thingys or dash cams or passers-by, whatever.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

titan2782 said:


> Hopefully you're not talking about $107/yr for XM. If you are, you're doing it wrong. My wife called in and got 9mo for $30 plus $5/mo for a receiver for her car.


No...I'm not. I wouldn't pay $25 for the year for XM. I was refering to this:

"That is why I might keep On Star at the 12.95 price. I think if you can get with out the GPS its worth it. I paid $ 30.00 for the month I forgot to cancel. That is not worth it at all. Call and tell them what can they do to help you on price. I did same thing with Sirius radio. I called 4 different times asking about deals or can they work out something to help with the cost. After the fourth person stepped up I finally took that deal. $107.00 for the year "


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## tc_sting (Feb 23, 2012)

lilredsled said:


> It may sound silly but 06 gto took me every were and was quite reliable when i wasn't shreading tires off the thing. Now I've always carried a spare key, GPS and a AAA card. Got to admitt that the On-star is cool. My point being that while this cruze is not the hp/torq machine the gto was, as long as it has the reliability it had can you think of a reason to keep it? I replaced the goat to save some cash so is on-star worth the money?


Simple answer: No.

Onstar is an expensive gimmick that is actually a redundant service no one really needs. Why?

Onstar is simply an additional cell phone line through verizon but hidden under the middle man 3rd party company contracted via GM through the Onstar. You pay a lot for this onstar featured cell phone line, but its a cell phone that severely limited to sporadic use in your car.

Fact: if you can't use your cell phone, you can't use onstar because onstar requires the verizon cell network to operate.
Fact: onstar charges a premium for a similar services most have inherent in their smart phones anyway such as GPS, auto dialing, hands free, roadside assistance, and more!....... because onstar is just a very limited cell phone that you can't take out of your garage.
Fact: if you can't dial 911 after a crash, onstar isn't going to help you anyway because its game over.
Fact: all those junk apps onstar offers and nothing more than data download from your car's computer. Really need the info?... look on your dash. Not near your dash? Then the info isn't important and can wait.


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## Epickphale (Jan 30, 2013)

The service really sold it for me. I only pay about $12/month for basic emergency coverage but the advisers are always very pleasant to deal with and can do things that I would have a much more difficult time doing myself. I wouldn't need it around town... but when you do lots of long distance driving on less travelled roads its nice to have. Was driving across the country and told the advisor that we were heading west to the coast and planned on doing about a 1300km day and wanted to know where to book our hotel. They found the place, looked up the rates and booked the hotel using my CC info on file with them.... all in under 5mins. Pretty impressed. Really depends on the type of driving you do and where you spend most of your time. City... dont bother. Highway... worth looking into.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Could be assuming wrong that OnStar is strictly a satellite based service according to this article.

"
The OnStar service relies on CDMA mobile phone voice and data communication, primarily via Verizon Wireless in the United States and Bell Mobility in Canada, as well as location information using GPS technology. Drivers and passengers can use its audio interface to contact OnStar representatives for emergency services, vehicle diagnostics and directions.


The OnStar service allows users to contact OnStar call centers during an emergency. In the event of a collision, detected by airbag deployment or other sensors, Advanced Automatic Collision Notification features can automatically send information about the vehicle's condition and GPS location to OnStar call centers. OnStar has 24-hour emergency call centers in Warren, Michigan, Charlotte, North Carolina and Ontario, Canada, and other call centers in Makati, Philippines and Oshawa, Ontario.[SUP][_citation needed_][/SUP] This Advanced Automatic Collision Notification service is designed to assist emergency response efforts."

Reason I assumed its satellite is because if I don't have a clear line of site at about 20* above the horizon facing SSW, I do not receive reception. Cell phone works. Or parked on the north side of my wife's hospital, get nothing, but cell phone works great so I can call her.

Like my Garmin I paid 130 bucks for, so far, 15 free map updates, and can use it in my motorhome, boat, walking and other vehicle. Shows and gives directions to all that stuff, restaurants, shopping, gas stations, airports, hospitals... Goggle maps is even better on the smart phone, not only all that information of the Garmin, but the phone numbers as well.

Wonder if OnStar could find your stolen car if you get a thief smart enough to pull that OnStar fuse.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

NickD said:


> Could be assuming wrong that OnStar is strictly a satellite based service according to this article.
> 
> "
> The OnStar service relies on CDMA mobile phone voice and data communication, primarily via Verizon Wireless in the United States and Bell Mobility in Canada, as well as location information using GPS technology. Drivers and passengers can use its audio interface to contact OnStar representatives for emergency services, vehicle diagnostics and directions.
> ...


Yes, it uses both. How do you think you are able to speak to the reps? The car doesn't transmit to a satellite, only receives. In fact, if you look at TOS, it says "may not be available in rural areas"


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Least I trained myself not to hit that blue button when adjusting the rear view mirror. But if I do, someone on the other end is asking me for my CC number.

If in a crash, would this OnStar still work? Like could you give them your CC number?


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

If you are no longer a subscriber, in the event of a crash, On Star, it is said, will not respond.

Rob


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

OnStar got a sheriff's deputy to me pretty quickly after a deer strike, and the deputy knew exactly where I was way out in the middle of the sticks. That made it sort of worth it...


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## OnStar Advisor (Oct 23, 2012)

NickD,

Robby is right, if your OnStar system is not active and the two way connection is not established. All services-including Automatic Crash Response and Emergency Services-will not alert OnStar. The only way to activate the connection is by pressing the OnStar button and having the unit activated. Hope this answers your question. 

-Jessica, OnStar Advisor
Social Media Team


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

OnStar Advisor said:


> NickD,
> 
> Robby is right, if your OnStar system is not active and the two way connection is not established. All services-including Automatic Crash Response and Emergency Services-will not alert OnStar. The only way to activate the connection is by pressing the OnStar button and having the unit activated. Hope this answers your question.
> 
> ...


Which I think I crap I think that in case if an emergency ut should respond no matter if your a susbriber.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## OnStar Advisor (Oct 23, 2012)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> Which I think I crap I think that in case if an emergency ut should respond no matter if your a susbriber.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


H3LLON3ARTH, 

If a subscriber does not have active OnStar subscription it will not alert us automatically like an active unit would; but when they contact us in the vehicle, they will be directed automatically to our activation department. In the event of an Emergency, the call can be transferred to the appropriate team to assist. I hope this helps. 

-Jessica, OnStar Advisor
Social Media Team


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

OnStar Advisor said:


> H3LLON3ARTH,
> 
> If a subscriber does not have active OnStar subscription it will not alert us automatically like an active unit would; but when they contact us in the vehicle, they will be directed automatically to our activation department. In the event of an Emergency, the call can be transferred to the appropriate team to assist. I hope this helps.
> 
> ...


Yea

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## Clump (Oct 22, 2012)

Personally, I don't think the OnStar services are worth the price that they charge. That is a debatable point though. 

Here's why I will not be renewing OnStar:
For the last month of my free trial they made me nuts! Calling multiple times/day, most often not leaving a message, sometimes a dire "CALL NOW!" type message. When I told them I was not interested they continued to call. The final straw was when they sent messages to my car - It gets your attention when the radio mutes and you get "BONG! CALL ONSTAR!". I have a pretty simple rule - call me or knock on my door selling something and I'm not interested. The way OnStar approached this was a HUGE turn off. Past cars I had with it the renewal push was not nearly so bad.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Clump said:


> Personally, I don't think the OnStar services are worth the price that they charge. That is a debatable point though.
> 
> Here's why I will not be renewing OnStar:
> For the last month of my free trial they made me nuts! Calling multiple times/day, most often not leaving a message, sometimes a dire "CALL NOW!" type message. When I told them I was not interested they continued to call. The final straw was when they sent messages to my car - It gets your attention when the radio mutes and you get "BONG! CALL ONSTAR!". I have a pretty simple rule - call me or knock on my door selling something and I'm not interested. The way OnStar approached this was a HUGE turn off. Past cars I had with it the renewal push was not nearly so bad.


Holy crap, I remember that. Between Onstar and XM, my phone would ring multiple times a day, usually when I was in meetings or something at work.

I even answered a few times and asked them to stop calling. "That will take us a week to process". What BS. I hate companies that do that crap.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

I remember the reminder that came through the Onstar system in the car, it nearly sent me into the ditch. I had just left work and was in heavy traffic, trying to make it through a light before it turned.


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## Gus_Mahn (Aug 16, 2011)

My wife and my 18yo son are the primary users of our '12 and mostly drive around Chicago. I like onstar because when they are by themselves they don't have to fumble around with google maps on their cell phones. Both of my kids are in school sports. It's been nice to be able to say the school name and town to the operator. Onstar finds it, looks it up, and send the routing. That being said, we will drop it after the kids get out of High School. We'll have far fewer trips, and travel more together. Other than the turn by turn directions, we don't really use any other onstar features. Although, the service updates are nice, since my wife and son often forget to tell me when it need an oil is change.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

In one word No.


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## Clump (Oct 22, 2012)

Last Friday, 4/26/13, I was driving and talking on a rather important call via bluetooth. Suddenly I get "BONG! An important message from onstar concerning your service renewal. Please press the blue onstar button as soon as possible." It interrupted and disconnected my call. I was fit to be tied. After I made an apology I pressed the blue button and got a "all representatives are busy message". The blood pressure went up another 50 points. When I finally got someone I explained how annoying this whole process had been and was transferred to a supervisor. The supervisor assured me there will be no more harrassment from them. We'll see.

Again, even if I didn't think the service is terribly over priced I would not be renewing because of this.


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## OnStar Advisor (Oct 23, 2012)

Clump said:


> Last Friday, 4/26/13, I was driving and talking on a rather important call via bluetooth. Suddenly I get "BONG! An important message from onstar concerning your service renewal. Please press the blue onstar button as soon as possible." It interrupted and disconnected my call. I was fit to be tied. After I made an apology I pressed the blue button and got a "all representatives are busy message". The blood pressure went up another 50 points. When I finally got someone I explained how annoying this whole process had been and was transferred to a supervisor. The supervisor assured me there will be no more harrassment from them. We'll see.
> 
> Again, even if I didn't think the service is terribly over priced I would not be renewing because of this.


Clump, 

I'm sorry to hear that your phone call was interrupted. I would be happy to review your account and see if there was anything further I can do to ensure this doesn't happen again. Can you please PM me with your account information. Thank you!

-Jessica, OnStar Advisor
Social Media Team


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## spacey_stacey75 (Apr 12, 2013)

Quote:
Directions? Get a Garmin or Tom-Tom. I don't see how this is a selling point at all...


Me either considering that I used it one time to get directions and they sent me to a residential neighborhood on the opposite end of town, typed into my phone navigation and got the right directions. 
I decided at that point I was not paying for this.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

*OnStar™ worth it or not?* -- ..._or _*NOT*.


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## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

OnStar Advisor said:


> Clump,
> 
> I'm sorry to hear that your phone call was interrupted. I would be happy to review your account and see if there was anything further I can do to ensure this doesn't happen again. Can you please PM me with your account information. Thank you!
> 
> ...


I have no intention of using OnStar. How can I insure We do not get any renewal contacts when the initial service expires in six months?

Can I voluntarily end the service now?

Thank you.


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## farmallgray (Nov 28, 2013)

I have only had the car a month and they are already calling me to renew or whatever. They called me at work yesterday. I listened to the speal a little. I thought it was supposed to be 6 months free? Why are they calling me already? I was pretty busy so I didn't give him much of my time. But the way I understood what he said, they would give me 300 minutes good for up to 1 year for a one time fee of $9.95. He said that included the navigation and hands free calling and the dignostics. Sounds similar to a prepaid cell. No longer a monthly fee. If this is true, I would probably do it. $10 for a year I can live with.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Be prepared to see a $150-per-year charge sooner than later.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Funny to see this thread bumped. Other than having them call for an ambulance if I were to run into a tree, or something, I see little value in OnStar. I'd probably pay 5 - 10 dollars a month for that service, but other cars offer the other features for less or nothing. If the functions of OnStar are important, then perhaps that should be part of the buying decision criteria.


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

Garandman said:


> I have no intention of using OnStar. How can I insure We do not get any renewal contacts when the initial service expires in six months?
> 
> Can I voluntarily end the service now?


When we bought the car we refused to activate on-star.
Did not sign any of the paper work. The did call us a time or two but I told them to take me off the call list and haven't heard from them in many, many months. Have had the car for just over 1 yr now with no improper billing issues.


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## Roadburner440 (Dec 29, 2013)

OnStar has been awesome in our Volt, but that is because GM gives you 3 years free with the Volt. So the phone app and all is great... Whenever I turn it in off of lease and buy a Cruze I am unsure if I would pay for it though myself. My father in law has a Cruze LTZ and was paying $27 a month for the directions and connections package. Barely ever used it. Only things I really use it for is to check the charge on the Volt. For the Cruze not sure it would be worth the cost. 

On a side note the 300 minutes they offer you in the beginning for $9.95 is a steal.. They expire after a year though unless you buy more minutes. Ranges from 100 minutes for $39.99 to 1000 minutes for $299.99. Needless to say my minutes expired the year after I bought the 300 for $9.95.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Waste of money IMHO


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## Camcruse (Oct 4, 2011)

Diesel Dan said:


> When we bought the car we refused to activate on-star.
> Did not sign any of the paper work. The did call us a time or two but I told them to take me off the call list and haven't heard from them in many, many months. Have had the car for just over 1 yr now with no improper billing issues.


If the green light is on, you're still being tracked.


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## dfwtxpatrick (Apr 22, 2012)

Okay, I took the time to read this entire thread.

I understand everyone has their opinions, so I will provide mine and you can take away what you want with it.

Here are just a couple of reasons why I feel OnStar is worth every penny.

October 2011, 

My next door neighbor was in her 2011 Chevy Equinox at the mall.
When she opened her car door, a man walked up to her and demanded her purse. Said he had a gun.
She gave him her purse and he ran away. In it were her keys, cellphone, credit cards, money, everything.
She pushed the OnStar button and was on the phone with police in less than a minute.
She was able to provide a description, general location of the direction he ran off and within 10 minutes, a policeman caught the guy!
Within 20 minutes, she had her purse back.

If she hadn't had OnStar, she would have had to go get help to call the police, who most likely wouldn't have found the guy.
She would have had to spend money to have someone come out and tow her home since she wouldn't have been able to start her car.
She would have had to spend money to get a replacement cellphone.
She would have had to call her bank, canx all her cards, lost her pictures, other important papers, ect. We all know what women keep in their purses.

So tell me, is the $12-18 per month cost worth the expense (most likely in the $1000's) to replace everything that would have been lost to the guy who decided he thought he had the right to rob someone and take their stuff?

February 2012, 

My father (70 yrs old) was in his 2011 Cadillac SRX. He was at a store and when he was about to back out, he witnessed a man drop to the ground, apparently a heart attack.

My dad immediately pressed the OnStar emergency button and was able to get an ambulance on the scene in less than 4 minutes.
Apparently, a couple of people were calling 911, by the time they got thru to medical emergency people, there was already an ambulance on the way.

The guy lived!


While we did get a reduced monthly payment for asking, I gladly pay that monthly amount on the outside chance, that 1 in a million chance, that we may need it that one time. I don't have the GPS portion, but I do have the ability to use the app and check the car out, start it remotely while it's in the garage at work to warm it up on these cold days and I have peace of mind knowing help is just a button push away. 

OR, 

On the chance that I am not able to press it, some one will be there when I can't be there for myself.

So, is OnStar worth it in my opinion? Absolutely!


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Why it's worth it for me: when I was having issues with the car, I asked my wife to take it in. She pressed the onstar button and not only did they run a diagnostic, they scheduled an appointment with the dealer, sent them the diagnostic logs (current and past) and dispatched a tow truck. My wife didn't have to do anything else and the dealer gave us NO problems like they did last time I tried to give them codes and history.

My favorite feature is this:
"OnStar, I want to go home"
"Ok, sending directions now"

"OnStar, resend previous directions"
"Ok, sending now"

The only thing I have an issue with is by default they send you on toll roads. Toll roads are not common here so you need a pass and can't use cash. Well, that and I think the lady talks too much when telling me the directions.

I've never had them bother me at all. The only issue I ever had was when I called for directions once, they said my card had expired and they couldn't bill me so my turn-by-turn was disabled. She enabled it for me and said I could call in later to update the card. They have never once called me on the phone or sent me any emails other than my monthly diagnostics.

Heck, I once read the renewal price incorrectly and I argued with them about it. In the end (about 20 minutes) they renewed me for the price I asked for which was about $125 difference.

All-in-all it's an added expense and yes, you can get diagnostics & directions and make phone calls from your cell phone, but I'd rather not have to deal with my cell phone while I'm driving. Oh, miss that off-ramp? OnStar will reroute for you automatically. 

Best benefit for me is at night time. It's very hard to read street signs most of the time at night so trying to look at your phone then the signs is difficult (for me at least). With the turn-by-turn I know when I need to turn.


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## Snappa (Mar 31, 2013)

Onstar maybe not worth it but Onstar + green dot is lmao. Yes that's right I said it! Yeah it's slightly shady, but considering it's the year 2014 and their app doesn't want to work half the time considering it employs simple networking technology that's been around for years. Then one time I talked to an advisor for directions and she hung up saying she would send them and never did. The timing of the directions from the GPS is confusing and wrong here and there. Overall I do find myself using it but for some reason the technology is as sharp as it should be, but it's not terrible either. So with this in mind, what one can do is initially pay the close to 30 dollars one month on a plan that charges monthly using a green dot or any type of card that you can load money onto. Once next month comes, they will start sending emails about being unable to process the payment and asking you to update your payment method via the website. That will go on for months on end before they actually shut it off. Once 4 or so months go by of you having "free" service they may finally turn it off. That's when you put more money on your prepaid card and pay for that month and repeat the process again. It'll be like paying maybe 60 dollars for a whole year of service. Lol. I'm sorry but I'm not paying monthly for something that should be free IMO. That's why they aren't so quick to turn it off because they know it should be free and it's not that big of a deal.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

The wife's LTZ has OnStar™ (against my better wishes) but she always uses her GARMAN -- instead of OnStar™ -- because it simply WORKS BETTER and doesn't send her down blind alleys in two-buck towns she's never heard of...which OnStar™ has done repeatedly.

OnStar™ is an outdated *dot.com *product that GM keeps trying to make money from...like selling your information WITHOUT your consent (now supposedly stopped).


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

Camcruse said:


> If the green light is on, you're still being tracked.


Light is off but can we trust them?


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Diesel Dan said:


> Light is off but can we trust them?


You have to specifically request to opt out of data collection if you do not want to be tracked. With my 2011 Cruze, I received a notice that my subscription was expiring after the trial period. In the fine print it said that OnStar may continue collecting data from my vehicle even without me subscribing unless I called them and opted out of data collection.

As far as the value of OnStar, I posted this in another thread recently, but I'll post it again here since this thread has resurfaced:

I like the concept of OnStar, but 1) in today's world it is a dated product, 2) it needs more protection for privacy, and 3) it is far too expensive in my opinion.

The crash response is the single most useful feature in my opinion. However, that could easily be replaced by a passive device that automatically activates in the event of a crash and transmits your GPS signal as well as information about that crash. Similar devices (albeit less advanced) have existed in nearly every civil aircraft for decades and are relatively inexpensive. I see no reason why these couldn't be installed in just about every vehicle on the road. They do not transmit anything except in the event of a crash so privacy advocates need not worry. There should be no need for a subscription to anything.

Beyond that, most of the features could be replaced by 3G/4G and Bluetooth applications through smartphones. I think we'll see that in the next few years as GM and other car manufactures make alliances with Google and Apple to integrate Android and iOS into vehicles. The ball is already rolling on that.

As far as the theft tracking/vehicle disabling features, my personal thought is it should have a lockout whereby the system can only be used with direct input from the owner (i.e. the owner must input a password via smartphone or verbally over a phone) before the system can be used by anyone to protect privacy and remove some potential for abuse. I personally don't like the idea that my car could theoretically be shut down by some guy at a desk without my consent.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, still hitting that blue button when switching the mirror from night to day, natural to put my thumb on the blue button for leverage.

And when I do, get chewed out from this woman for not renewing my OnStar subscription.


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## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

NickD said:


> Ha, still hitting that blue button when switching the mirror from night to day, natural to put my thumb on the blue button for leverage.
> 
> And when I do, get chewed out from this woman for not renewing my OnStar subscription.


So if your car is new and you still have a subscription, can you hit the button to OT out of data collection and be placed on a "Do not call" list?

is the traffic data in the GPS part of the OnStar service, or the FM traffic source?


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Garandman said:


> So if your car is new and you still have a subscription, can you hit the button to OT out of data collection and be placed on a "Do not call" list?


Yes to the first part, I don't know to the second. I've never had OnStar call me before (I guess to be fair neither has XM). If you're referring to the XM marketing calls, that's a separate service and company.


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## Cruze2.0Diesel (Jun 30, 2013)

So if On-Star still receives crash information wouldn't that constitute a legal responsibility to call it in even if you are not subscribed? I do notice that my main power relay will activate every once in a while when the car is just sitting in the garage parked for a few seconds.


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## OnStar Advisor (Oct 23, 2012)

Cruze2.0Diesel said:


> So if On-Star still receives crash information wouldn't that constitute a legal responsibility to call it in even if you are not subscribed? I do notice that my main power relay will activate every once in a while when the car is just sitting in the garage parked for a few seconds.


Cruze2.0Diesel

I just wanted to provide a little clarification. Even if your vehicle was previously activated, if the subscription expires or you choose to cancel it, your OnStar system will be deactivated and your two way connection will be disabled. All services will be inactive and OnStar can not connect to the vehicle without a keypress from the mirror to be reestablished. This means that our Automatic Crash Notifications will not be sent in the case of a collision.

If a subscriber does not have active OnStar subscription, when they contact us in the vehicle, they will be directed automatically to our activation department. In the event of an Emergency, the call can be transferred to the appropriate team to assist.

I hope this helps!

~Sara, OnStar Advisor
Social Media Team​


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