OnStar - anyone use it?

*jimbo* · 12-03-2003, 12:57 PM

My car is equipped with OnStar, though I haven't activated it. With Winter coming up, and the probability of accidents rising, I'm considering activating the service.

Does anyone have any stories (good or bad) about OnStar?

Thanks,
-jim

**Deb** · 12-03-2003, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Does anyone have any stories (good or bad) about OnStar?

We only had one instance that we really could have used the On Star Service. It was the night we purchased our truck. It was our first truck.... and it was new...and it was begging to be tested. As such, Terra and I did the obvious thing and took it out to a field to umm test it out... Needless to say, we got stuck. On Star wasn't activated at the time lol For reasons unknown we never activated and except for that one night, never saw a need to. I assume that's primarily because of cell phones and beepers et al that seem to go with us everywhere and the fact that we don't deal with that cold white stuff you speak of...

Deb
- The buttons look good though

*jimbo* · 12-03-2003, 01:07 PM

Ha! Not too many fields around here

. So if you "tested" it in a field and it failed, it must be an SUV, right - not a "truck"?

I think it's like a paranoia thing. I like the fact that if the airbags go off, they'll contact the authorities for you right away, things like that. So if I'm incapacitated, help will be on the way anyway. There's some comfort in that I suppose. Not to mention that they can unlock your car for you if you lock your keys in it

.

-jim

*Mandi* · 12-03-2003, 01:11 PM

Do you mind if I ask how much it costs?

**Deb** · 12-03-2003, 01:18 PM

No it's not an SUV

It's a very pretty Chevy Avalanche so there

We just failed to pay extra for the four wheel drive part

I think for us, iirc, it was about $20 per month for the very basics and then of course w/ options the costs went up from there...

There really is a sense of security that can come with it... and if you would gain that from having it then by all means it's a low price to pay....

Deb
- Uhhh Terra, Maybe we should've paid for the other two wheels huh

*jimbo* · 12-03-2003, 01:20 PM

It's about $16.95 for the basic package. Then they have add-ons that will do everything from give you directions to make dinner reservations. I'd just be looking at the base package.

www.onstar.com

-jim

*hobbes* · 12-03-2003, 02:39 PM

The part where they can turn on the mic remotely and monitor the conversations in the car w/o you knowing it just scares the **** out of me. No first hand experience but recall reading in RISKS or some other security list about how law enforcement had OnStar do this. I also don't care for others to know track me, which with built-in GPS, OnStar provides.

-- Then again, pretty much the same can be accomplished with cell phones ...

-- There's also that pesky computer under the hood recording how fast you were going when the airbags deploy ...

*jimbo* · 12-03-2003, 04:24 PM

If anyone has that much interest in me to listen in on a conversation or track where I'm going, god bless 'em

. My commute to work really isn't that interesting! And with cell phones, debit/credit cards, and EZPass, Big Brother really wouldn't have any trouble tracking me down as it is.

And the computer system would be recording all of the pertinent crash data anyway regardless of whether OnStar uses it, I believe.

-jim

MichaelC · 12-03-2003, 07:12 PM

Excerpt from recent FBI recordings from my OnStar system:

"...cough, cough...(drumming hands on steering wheel)...Stran-gahhs wait-iiin', up an' down the BOOO-LE-VA-AAARD...sha-dows searchiiin, in the NI-AI-AIGHHHHT... (recorder abruptly shut off by agents)"

But seriously, I had been thinking it might come in handy for my cross-country trips, where I often travel through long stretches of desolate highway. Haven't had engine failure in northern Wyoming yet, but just in case...

MC

(What OnStar's really missing is the "Coke me" feature)

*TVB* · 12-03-2003, 09:02 PM

Quote:

-- There's also that pesky computer under the hood recording how fast you were going when the airbags deploy ...

Alot of cars have this now at the urging of the insurance industry. It has nothing to do with on-star.

The ability to monitor conversations is creepy however. I'm contemplating a new car in the next few months and was thinking about one with on-star (due to their current advertising campaign which I think is really effective) but now I'm not too sure.

Betsy