OnStar – A Fresh Look

Copyright © 2006 by Larry Mason

Since 1997 OnStar has been helping drivers in a myriad of ways. While other telematics systems have come and gone, OnStar has endured. It’s not just a button you push to give you peace of mind, there’s far more to it than that. It all started on three Cadillac models back then and has since grown by leaps and bounds. OnStar will be standard equipment on every GM car built in 2007.

According to OnStar, “With more than three million subscribers, OnStar is the leading provider of telematics services in the United States. OnStar's in-vehicle safety, security and information services use Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and cellular technology to link the vehicle and driver to the OnStar Center. At the OnStar Center, advisors offer real-time, personalized help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Most people are familiar with some of the features of OnStar such as an automatic phone call to emergency services if the airbags deploy and the occupants don’t respond to an advisor phone call. There’s also the very helpful remote unlock to aid those who have locked their keys in their car. However, OnStar does much more than that. If you look at the list below you’ll find out how many people take advantage of specific OnStar services in a particular time frame. In fact as of February 2005, OnStar personal calling reached its 500-million minute milestone.

Monthly average of OnStar responses for January includes:
500 stolen vehicle locations
1,200 air bag notifications
6,000 Good Samaritan calls
12,000 emergency calls
37,000 remote vehicle diagnostics
27,000 roadside assistance calls
46,000 remote door unlocks
333,000 routing calls
12,000,000 OnStar hands-free calling

A recent feature enhancement to OnStar is the partnership with the Verizon Wireless America’s Choice Plan. If you have Verizon as your cellular carrier, then you can make hands free calls while in your vehicle – no Bluetooth required. It’s a great feature and the phone signals are very clear. You simply push a button and moments later speak the number you wish to dial. Shortly thereafter, you’re connected and carrying on a clear conversation. I tried this part of the system out and it worked like a charm. If you’re not a Verizon customer, don’t worry, you can still take advantage of the hands free calling feature by purchasing OnStar minutes. The clarity and ease of use is still there, but be prepared to spend a lot of money. If you purchase 1,000 minutes, you’ll be spending about 30 cents per minute.

Another positive partnership is that with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Wisconsin police credited the system along with the AMBER Alert program with the successful rescue of a 17-month old child.

Some of the drawbacks I experienced with OnStar were long wait times to connect to an advisor, getting cut-off from a call to an advisor and trying to remember what the command name was to access a specific service. In the latter instance, I had called in for directions to be stored for later playback. By the time I needed them; neither I nor my passenger could remember the exact word to use to recall those directions. Of course that’s more my problem than their problem, but my guess is that I’m not the first to speak the wrong command word nor will I be the last. Are there limitations to the system? Yes. Are those limitations problematic? Not usually. In fact, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks in this system. However, I’ve found that a good navigation system is superior to the pre-recorded directions.

Some other OnStar benefits include: stolen vehicle location assistance, vehicle diagnostics, and remote horn and lights activation – very handy when you don’t remember where you parked your car at the mall!

The basic Safe & Sound plan runs $16.95 per month or $199 per year. The only features you don’t get from the upgraded Directions & Connections plan are driving directions, ride assist, and Information/convenience services. Those three perks roughly double the basic subscription price. It’s up to the consumer to see if those features are worth it or not.

The bottom line? OnStar has proved its worth over the years and like a fine wine it’s getting better with age.