GM OnStar

[WoodPeckr]

Got it free for a year and so far have been impressed by it.
Seems to be accurate to ~10-20 yards on a few tests. How accurate is it in the GWN? For those using it, what are your thoughts on it?

 

[ryick]

It's great for directions, (they will give you directons from where you called not where you are) so if you call stop if you can. For tickets and other things if you have the premeium package its great...BUT If god forbid your car is stolen. IT'S CRAP and say goodbye to your car. You will call, they will tell you they cannot track your car unless you have a police report. Once you finally get that they will call the police to confirm your police report, by the time all that happens your car is in Africa or in 10,000 pieces. we all see the FAKE commercials with the "hello onstar my car is stolen can you track it" "Sure Mr. Robinson'...NOT GONNA HAPPEN. This is the most important reason why we should have onstar. My opinion, Get the boomerang system, THEY will have your car back incase.

 

[WoodPeckr]

we all see the FAKE commercials with the "hello onstar my car is stolen can you track it" "Sure Mr. Robinson'...NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

Thanks for the info.
Just got done speaking with an OnStar advisor and she confirmed what you report, which not surprisingly is NOT what the salesman told me!

She told me the OnStar SOP is:
first call police to report the vehicle stolen,
get a police report #,
then call OnStar so they can work with police to track your stolen vehicle......provided a 'savvy' thief hasn't disconnected the vehicle battery cable which will effectively kill OnStar!

What a joke! Seems GM would prefer the vehicle is not recovered so you will buy a new one with your insurance settlement, to replace the vehicle stolen.....

 

[ryick]

I know its a joke and the sales person will NEVER tell you this, I was told this is beacuse husdands, or wives, call onstar to track where the car is, which would to them be a false call, so I said ok so that ruins it for real calls when a 80.000 car is stolen?? I said well do this, if it is a trace my car so I can find my wife (husband, kid) then charge them like 500 to 1000 bucks if no police report is filed. They should track the cars as soon as a call is made then charge accordingly. This is one of the most insane rules I have heard of and it is amazing the way the commercials and sales people pitch how GREAT onstar is. For tickets..GREAT, stolen car...good luck

 

[Bif_Butkiss]

A self contained, sealed backup power unit within the Onstar would be a handy idea. That way if someone tries to disconnect the battery cable (WoodPekr) the Onstar tracking unit would still operate.

 

[WoodPeckr]

A self contained, sealed backup power unit within the Onstar would be a handy idea. That way if someone tries to disconnect the battery cable (WoodPekr) the Onstar tracking unit would still operate.

True, I've thought of that. These 'battery backup units' are cheap and easy to install secretly in a vehicle. They come as an option on some vehicle security systems.

 

[onthebottom]

Another GM product, can you really say you're surprised.....

OTB

 

[WoodPeckr]

OnStar in itself works great!...

The issue was the misrepresentations of other OnStar features, made by the salesman to get a sale.