Toyota to charge US owners $8 per month for remote start ability

Toyota is to implement a subscription service for remote start functionality in the United States.

First reported by The Drive, Toyota will soon begin to charge owners with 2018-onwards vehicles equipped with Connected Services an annual fee of up to US$80 (AU$113) or US$8 (AU$11) per month to continue using some systems.

One of those impacted is the remote-start function, activated by the proximity-based RF key fob, something which is currently free but will incur the subscription fee once Toyota's trial runs out.

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The free trial itself has caused minor confusion, as it's unclear whether it applies from the date of the vehicle's purchase or from the start of 2022, with some models given a three-year trial whereas others are covered for the next decade.

In addition to the remote start system, Toyota's Safety Connect SOS system and Destination Assist will also be covered under the subscription, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain as free items.

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Owners will still be able to use their remote key to access their Toyota vehicle and turn it on via the push-button start, with the ability to remote start becoming the only key-related function dropped when it goes to a subscription model.

Toyota isn't the first company to propose or implement subscriptions in its vehicles, as the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Tesla have all done the same for various technologies.