Just bought a 2022 -- need some advice with remote start & navigation options

Buy a Garmin with lifetime maps, better than any on board GPS solution.

I don't understand the remote start option considering you bought a Prius which is designed to reduce ICE fuel consumption. Park in a heated garage or install a block heater. Or buy a Dodge Hemi if you want to burn more fuel fast.

 

When I purchased my 2021 I called Toyota about the Bluetooth. (I have an iPhone) Toyota said & I confirm that Bluetooth only works for phones and music. To get any phone to display on the screen you need a MFi Certified USB cable.

 

I am the original and current owner of a 2022 Prius Prime XLE. There are (supposed to be) two remote climate functions. Remote functions require the vehicle to be off, the doors/rear hatch to be locked, and sufficient and available EV range. I believe it also needs to be in this state for several minutes before remote features will work.

The most basic is the remote A/C activation from the key remote fob. You have to be within remote control range of the car for this to work. I have only used this for cooling, but I suspect that it just activates whatever mode the vehicle was last left in. So it may heat if it's cold enough.

The other remote climate function is from the Toyota Connect app'. It requires an active Remote Connect subscription--but right now mine isn't working. I have had an open ticket with Toyota Connect support since late November and all their have responded with is that they haven't triaged my issue yet, and they hope to have it fixed in a future app' release. I renewed my subscription in October so I'm not too happy about paying for no remote connect function.

Also note: Remote climate heating uses the HVAC in heat pump mode. The few times I did try that, the vehicle was warmer when I got in, but the windows fogged up on the inside, so I ended up having to run the engine and heating up the windows before I could drive which offset the time advantage of remotely activating the heater remotely ahead of time.

 

If you want to display your own gps maps on your prius display you will need a smart phone and an app supporting andoid auto/carplay. There are no stand alone GPS units with that capability. You could link the GPS audio by BT or hard wire as an audio input for your car stereo.

 

My navigation is on all the time and I don’t pay for anything or even know why it is on. I never use it I know where I go. I didn’t know my Prime had remote start. Maybe it was dealer add on, Toyota did sell it at one time for other models.

 

in current Toyota models, navigation is subscription-only. My 2025 Camry came with a 1 year complementary subscription. Unfortunately, the speed limit data in navigation is very inaccurate but the car speed limit sign detection insists on using the navigation data. Now my subscription has expired, that feature is MUCH more useful. I use Apple Maps with an iPhone for navigation. Navigation directions appear on the car display and HUD. My Apple watch notifies when a turn is upcoming too.

 

The navigation panel in my 2025 Prius Prime disappeared after the XM subscription expired. It was replaced by a full-screen, glaring purple splash panel telling me I must get the subscription back to use the nav again. Now, no longer getting map updates and live traffic info, I understand. But killing the nav completely goes beyond the pale for me. Is it legal to disable parts of a car I own if I stop paying Toyota? If this is their new business model, they have lost me. BTW, using your phone is only an option if you live in an area that has cell coverage. I don't. If the car's GPS is dead, I have no nav.

 

The navigation subscription expired. Yours may have expired at the same time as the XM subscription though. In my 2025 Camry XLE, the navigation subscription was longer.

 

The LE didn't come with maps installed, that's an option you need to purchase. IMHO; You shouldn't Bluetooth maps through your phone since you'll have a low or dead phone battery when you leave the car. You can install a translation box into that USB cable connection to Bluetooth everything over; though I don't recommend that. Dead or low phone battery, because it's not charging while your driving.

Remote climate control through the app is buggy at best; if they sold you that - you may have got "punked". Sorry; post #5 has the best description of what the system actually does and is built-in to ALL gen4 Primes. It's not really a "remote start"; but a 10 minute climate equalizer; assuming you have significant power in your traction pack. If your HVAC is set for auto; it well do it's best to take the interior to the set value within that 10 minute operating cycle. If the HVAC is set to manual control; it will only do whatever the last setting you powered down with. If you pay for the app; your not limited by the FOB distances - but as I said before; it's buggy and probably won't work half the time or won't activate if the traction battery is too low.

I use a Garmin; because I'm out of cell service range or service is spotty. I don't need it in the city; because I know where I'm going most of the time. If I don't know where I'm going; I just plug-in my phone and android auto kicks on. I've got a power ONLY USB cable plugged into that port most of the time and switch cables when I need android auto.

YMMV

 

BMW did that with their seat heaters remotely. They deactivated them remotely, if you don't pay the monthly connection fee. I don't think they do that anymore; but they did it for several model years.

You've got a gen5 and the OP has a gen4; they operate differently.

Read your paperwork more closely; because that is part of the connected services agreement that you signed; when you bought the car.You stop paying for a service; you don't think it's going to get cut-off? I'm sure you got multiple emails about paying for and/or extending that service; so I don't know why your so upset? If you stopped making your monthly car payments, do you think it would be illegal for the bank to take back the car????