Safety Connect renewal

The Safety Connect features say that they replace your roadside service. Any idea if there is an additional fee for towing? How far they will tow your car? How many calls are included?

There isn't much information provided by Toyota.

 

Has anyone let their subscription expire, then later gone back to renew? Is that a smooth process or any problems? Mine is about to expire and I drive so little these days it would be silly to pay the $80 at this time. I may want to go back later. I kind of like the remote climate feature.

 

The problem that you may encounter is that there is a hidden transmitter that is essentially a cell phone as far as the wireless networks are concerned. If it is deactivated for a long period of time the wireless providers may declare the SIM to be invalid. The Toyota techs will then have to follow a special TSB to get it reactivated. I figure the $80 is not too bad and MUCH better than fighting with Toyota AND the wireless company to get it fixed.

 

What SafetyConnect uses is not "essentially a cell phone", it is an honest-to-goodness cell phone which has been designed specifically for telematics use. The one in the Prime uses 4G LTE, and thus has a SIM, like any other 4G LTE device. I renewed the service in my 2017 Advanced without any problem. I think I just did it online on the myentune.com web site. I have gotten attached to the remote features so it was worth the cost to me, and fortunately I have not had any occasion to use the emergency SOS features. If the occasion ever arose where I needed road service, I am not sure whether I would use SafetyConnect or my AAA service. One thing that SafetyConnect would provide in this case is the automatic locating feature, so the repair truck would know where you are. SafetyConnect automatically activates in case of an accident, and if the dispatcher cannot get in touch with you to check if you need help, they will report the incident to emergency services, including your location.

And yes, Safety Connect provides towing --- to the nearest Toyota dealership only.

 

Good to know. Still, just doesn't seem worth it. It will be quite a while before I do a whole lot of driving, and paying to keep the service alive seems wasteful.

 

Even you don't don't have any use for the towing service, you have to decide if the remote functions, such as charge management, remote climate control, and vehicle finder, are worth the cost of the Safety Connect subscription. They are to me, but that is a personal evaluation.