Advice on Adding Remote Start to Your New Ford F-150
Many new F-150 pickups come with remote start, but if yours did not, there are lots of aftermarket options.
If you buy a new Ford F-150 in King Ranch, Platinum or Limited trim, remote start is a standard feature while being optional on Lariat models. Years ago, remote start was reserved for luxury vehicles, but at this point, the vast majority of new Ford vehicles come with the feature, whether you are talking about the Focus, the Mustang or any of the F-Series pickups.
However, there are some new Ford trucks that don’t come with remote start and if you bought one of those pickups, there are plenty of options via the aftermarket. “Uin2it” posted about his dad buying a 2017 F-150 STX without remote start, but he wanted to add the option, so he tapped the community for input on an aftermarket remote start system.
F-150 Remote Start Inquiry
When the OP first posted his question to the forum, he provided some basic background along with a link to the remote start system that he was considering for his dad’s F-150.
My dad just bought a 2017 STX off the lot. It’s beautiful, but he wanted remote start and this didn’t have it. anybody add an aftermarket remote start like the one below?!
The first member to reply was “KingRanchCody”, who has seen others post about positive experiences with the 12 Volt Solutions setup.
Everything I’ve heard has been great on them. Most people go with this one and love it.
While “Treebs109” showed interest in this kit, having had problems with aftermarket remote start systems in the past.
I just recently purchased a 2015 F-150 XLT and would love to hear any reviews on this product. I’ve been very wary of aftermarket remote starters in the past and have had some unpleasant experiences with them, however those were back in the day before plug-n-play units.
Other Options
While much of the thread focuses on the 12 Volt Solutions kit, “BlacKnBack” shared an eBay link to another popular aftermarket remote start kit for the modern F-150.
This one got high reviews on another forum and it’s a little cheaper:
Next, “Garnie” recommended that the OP take the truck to the dealership to have them install the factory remote start system.
Why not buy one from your Ford dealer? They probably have a couple different models. I had them install remote-start for me and it works perfectly. And, as I recently found out, I can start my truck from my factory key fobs – sweet!
But BlacKnBack pointed out the downside to the dealership option.
You’re not going to get one for around $100 bucks from a Ford dealer and you can also use the factory key fob with the 12volt Solutions unit.
First Real Input
Finally, after some other members shared information on other eBay kits, Treebs109 posted that he bought the 12 Volt Solutions kit, got it quickly and installed it without any problem.
Okay, so I just ordered the starter from 12Volt Solutions. You can get a $15 discount if you use the code SocialStalker at checkout.
Ordered the starter on Sunday and received it Wednesday (Oklahoma to NY). Had no issues installing it in about 5 minutes and works as advertised. Pretty impressed so far.
If you have experience with any aftermarket remote start kit for the modern Ford F-150, click here to head into the forum to share your input on this simple, popular upgrade.