Toyota Owners Now Have To Fork Out Monthly Fees To Use Remote Key Fob
Image via josefkubes / Shutterstock.com
If you’re a Toyota driver and are not one for subscription packages, you might be disappointed to learn that you won’t be able to access your car with the remote key fob.
Recently, the automaker announced that, in order to remotely lock and unlock their car doors, owners will have to subscribe to Remote Connect, a service that enables them to start their vehicles via an app.
According to Ars Technica, the technology used in this service is no different from the usual key fob, which has been around since the 1980s. GM was the first brand to add a remote-start option to its key fobs back in 2004, making use of a short-range radio transmitter to send the car a signal from afar. While Toyota has added an app to the mix, starting the car with the key fob actually doesn’t require the use of it.
The company had originally introduced remote start on cars 2018 and newer equipped with Audio Plus or Premium Audio. Owners within 50 feet of their vehicles could simply press the button on the key fob to lock or unlock doors, similar to that of other carmakers.
However, as 2018 cars reach their “third birthday,” Toyota owners have faced an unwelcome surprise that in order for their key fob to continue functioning, they have to maintain the Audio Plus subscription, which had been available for free with a three-year “trial” when they purchased the car. If the subscription lapses or expires, the key fob stops working as well.
Owners who weren’t aware of this stipulation might have found themselves suddenly unable to access their cars remotely, and even worse, realized that if they wanted to regain the service, they’d have to fork out US$8 a month or US$80 annually to keep the subscription going.
[via Ars Technica, cover image via josefkubes / Shutterstock.com]
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