Why Doesn't Ford Offer Onstar?
 

Why Doesn't Ford Offer Onstar- or something similiar? That **** is nice. It used to be exclusively offered in the Caddy's, now they're in damn-near every GM (At least as an option.) My best friend has an Acura RL and it has GM's OnStar system. I first saw it at work when my co-worker bought a Seville STS in 1998 or 1999. It was around a year or two before that.

Not that I think it's a useful gadget if you get lost (That's what navigation systems are for), but for on the road diagnostics, unlocking your doors, anti-theft, accidents, roadside assistance, etc. that is tha sch!t.

I didn't expect Ford to be so far behind in offering a similiar service. I think Infiniti uses it too, or markets it as a different brand name.

The way I see it, Ford could use GM's existing infrastructure, and just pay GM. Win-Win- eventually, GM would spin Onstar off into a seperate company, and every manufacturer could use them.

What do you guys think?

Actually Lincoln offered a similar serivice called RESCUE some time ago, 1996? It wasn't marketed like Onstar, and I believe was pulled(?) after some time.

I think they found most people have cell phones and didn't want to pay an extra $20 a month plus for the Onstar service. Heck, you can even get a old used cell phone and use it for 911 calls for free if you don't want to pay for cell phone service.

I don't see the point of getting Onstar even if it is offered on a Ford or any other car.

I have keyless entry.
I have antitheft devices on my truck.
I have a cheap cell phone.
I'm a guy, so I don't ask for directions, or I get a map for $1.99.
I don't live in fear that I'm going to get in this massive accident such that I can't call 911 myself.

I would agree with Toyota Sucks. Even if it was available as an option, I don't think I would pay for the service. A few guys I know drive GM's equipped with On Star and I don't think any of them have it connected. For what you really get, it seems pretty expensive.

Just my .02c.

I would definately prefer other options, such as satellite radio and navigation unit over on star... any day. :thumbsup:

both of the Mercedes my parents own (CLK 320 and E 500) have the Mercedes version of OnStar. It may even be OnStar brand, but I don't think so. Anyway, they have a pay-per-use system if you don't want a subscription. That is what my dad does. Between the two cars (E 500 is less than a month old, the CLK 320 is about 3 years old) i think he has used it only once. also, the display inside the E 500 can update itself using the same communications device, so that is helpful.

as for me and my truck, i don't want it. it's a truck, not a Mercedes. no need. i don't even see the need for nav units, but that's just me.

the other factor is that GM lost a ton of money on OnStar. To the point where it will take many, many years of profit on it to make up for all of the losses (read Saturn case study).

I'm not even sure if its breaking even now.

Don't need Big Brother watching over me any more that he already does. If On-Star can unlock your doors, what else can they do with it that we are not told about?

My wife has a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer. When we bought it, the 1st year of On Star was included. She did not use it even once, so when it came time to actually pay for it, we opted not to. We felt there was no need to pay even the minimum charge, (which was something like $16.00/month), when she already had a cell phone.

I used to have the same opinion of Onstar that many of you seem to have, but about a year ago I bought a Subaru that came with Onstar installed. I never thought I'd find a use for Onstar and never wanted it. If it hadn't been 'free', I never would have activated it. But now I really like it. I only use the personal calling feature, which gives me a completely hands-free cell phone. I purchase blocks of 100 minutes for $30, so the per-minute cost is pretty reasonable. There are no extra long distance or roaming charges. The car came with a one-year subscribtion to the safe-and-sound service. That's the basic service level and includes door unlocking, emergency response and air bag monitoring. It does give a sense of security to know that help will be summoned if I have a serious accident, even if I'm unconcious or otherwise unable to make a call. I will renew for another year when the first one runs out. I wish Ford offered the service in their cars and trucks. I would definitely be a subscriber.

I have a cell phone, a map, and a spare tire, what other worries could i have?

I dont think OnStar is enough of a "point of difference" to divert buyers from a different make over to the GM stable.

I agree and even if it was completely free it would not divert many if any people from one make to another.

I didn’t know it was $16 - $20 a month. I am sorry but that is a complete rip off. I could see $1 - $2 a month but nothing more as had been stated most people have cell phones now so what use is OnStar? Someone mentioned that it monitors the airbags so if they were deployed and you were unconscious great but that is extremely rare. Your odds of that happening may be somewhere in the neighborhood of winning lotto…

HECK You can call me up for only $10 a month and i'll give you directions!!!!

-ii

An Onstar story
 

I went Pheasant hunting with my brother in South Dakota. He drove his Yukon with Onstar. The truck was in it's first free year of Onstar and I'm sure my brother was eager to show it off.

We were standing on the edge of a corn field talking to a farmer friend of our planning out the hut. The dog while waiting in the Yukon hit the button and locked all the doors. My brother smiled, and said: "No problem, I have Onstar."

Ok, so all he has to do is call them, but the phone is in the truck. No problem, every prepared hunter carries a cell phone, so my other brother says with grin: "Here, use mine to make that call." I'm sure you can see this comming, the number is in the glove box.

No problem, it's a company vehicle, and a dozen employees have the same vehicle and they are all working today, and he calls them on a reguar basis and knows some phone numbers. Within a half an hour he has the number and dials it up Onstar.

The first question he has to answer is who's name is the vehicle listed under? He has no idea, but within half an hour a co-worker provides the answer. Now Onstar says, "I have 12 vehicles listed under that name, which one?" It's the grey one, but 10 of the 12 listed are grey. By the time they decide to get the vin number we are closing in on 1.5 hours, but Onstar now knows which truck it is.

The operator at Onstar can't find the truck. She asks: "Are you in and inclosed building?" He answers: "No, I'm in a corn field in South Dakota." After three tries, and now almost two hours, the doors pop and unlock. We are hunting again; good thing we had Onstar.

Ford uses a key pad in the door to solve the door locking problem. Give the code to your mother if you can't remember it. I programed mine in my cell phone.

I guess the airbage detection thing is kinda cool, or the theft thing.

It's definitely not a feature that would sway myself into purchasing a different vehicle.