Toyota Key Fob Remote Start... is now Subscription based

Apparently, Toyota started forcing a subscription to the Connected Services for Toyota vehicles that offer the keyfob to remote start the car.

For PP owners, the Remote Start is not a feature of the Connected Service. Thus, this does not matter.



Read this article for more detail:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/43329/toyota-made-its-key-fob-remote-start-into-a-subscription-service

Here is the highlight from the article:

A Toyota spokesperson confirmed to The Drive that if a 2018 or later Toyota is equipped with Toyota's Remote Connect functions, the vehicle must be enrolled in a valid subscription (whether it be a free trial period or otherwise) in order for the key fob to start the car. It's become more common in recent years for automakers to charge for apps that allow drivers to monitor, lock, or start their cars with their smartphones. But as far as we can tell, Toyota's the first company to charge for full use of your physical key fob—either $8 a month or $80 a year at the Remote Connect plan's current price.
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The Connected Services comes with 3 years free trial period for vehicles equipped with Audio Plus (LE for example). The vehicles with Premium Audio (XLE and Ltd for example) may have a free trial for up to 10 years. This means, $80/year is not really that much revenue generation for Toyota. What I think Toyota is wanting is BIG DATA from each vehicle by having every Toyota owner opt-in for Connected Services. Well, I am not giving them free data of my vehicle usage. I just sent an e-mail to Toyota to opt-out of Connected Service and DEACTIVATE the data transmission.

You can check Toyota's current Private Notices here:
Privacy and protection

 

Here is more excerpt from the article I linked:

Toyota's example feels a bit egregious; it would be different if the key required a separate cellular connection or paired with the owner's phone via bluetooth and utilized the app's baked-in connectivity. But this is a physical key fob that needs to communicate directly with the vehicle via radio frequency—no remote connection back to Toyota is needed. So why require a subscription?
​

Again, PP does not have the Remote Start functionality, so it does not apply to PP owners. But for other vehicles in which this functionality exists, why force the subscription for a fob-based Remote Start which does not use a cellular connection or phone app?

 

Yep, that part is also covered in the article I linked:

For example, cellular providers in the U.S. have earmarked the end of the 3G cellular network, a technology that many vehicles rely on today in order to call home to the mothership, so to speak. We've got a whole explainer on that available here, but the long and the short of it is that the situation is particularly dire for Toyota owners.​

 

Of course, the next generation of connected vehicles are likely to be without physical key fobs soon. Not sure if that's good or bad. I for one do not like using a phone as a car key or as a wallet. But, in not so distant future, I may have to give in.

 

As I stated in my OP, strictly for PP owners all the way up to 2022, the fob subscription has no effect since it has no Remote Start functionality. Subscription paid or not, there will be no Remote Start. I opted out and deactivated the Connected Services on my 2020 PP LE before selling the vehicle. I am doing the same on my 2021 PP Ltd now.

 

OK, Toyota conceded. LoL
https://www.thedrive.com/news/43636/toyota-reviewing-key-fob-remote-start-subscription-plan-after-massive-blowback

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I do carry a phone or two with me, but I keep very little personal information in any of the phones I use. For me, it is a convenient mini-computer or multi-tool, but I tend to drop or lose the phone much more often than a key fob. That is one of the reasons I don't like to spend a big money on a phone. Last year, I bought a used Pixel 5 for cheap to replace an aging Android phone to use a few apps. But my daily go-to phone is almost 8 years old Nokia Lumia 635 512MB Ram/8Gb storage running defunct Windows Phone 8.1 OS with a prepaid SIM which cost me $3.33/mo. Soon, I may have to ditch that phone when the 3G goes off the air. I don't know if I am going to replace it with another cheap used phone or not. But, I'd much rather be disconnected when I am in a car driving.

 

Phone and text are not the only connected apps in a car. From Alexa auto, GPS navigation to push notification and streaming radio, today's cars are filled with connected services. Out of the car, our lives are now totally connected to the internet and information highway. Without it, I would not be talking to you right now. It brings a lot of funs and excitement. But sometimes, I want to just walk away totally disconnected and do a digital detox for a while.