2009 Vibe and OnStar

[badtzbuzz]

I asked this same question for the 2008 model year, but I need to ask it again for the 2009. So apologies to those who's time I am wasting.Is the Onstar system on the 2009 version 7.0? Which is the minimum required for their Turn by Turn Navigation service. Thanks to the great members here I found out the 2008's shipped with 6.1, which is not compatible.I've ask 2 dealer's, and they either just don't know or perhaps are too lazy to find out. Either way, they tell me they aren't sure. I called onstar which referred me back to the dealers.I'm close too signing the deal for either a ultra white 2.4L or a Liquid Platinum AWD. Since the Onstar is a critical feature for my wife, I need to find out so I can use it as leverage to buy yet another car.Any 2009 owner's out there than can confirm?

[dtana117]

Turn by Turn does not work on the 09' Vibe. (Salesman driving an 09' Vibe GT Demo)Edit: I should ad that it is the newest version of Onstar however the ABS components used in the Turn by Turn system are not compatible with the Vibe's system. Problem probably is the system is Toyota sourced.

[badtzbuzz]

Thanks dtana,That's unfortunate, it's a great feature on my other vehicles and I find it a lot more useful than those navigation device's, both factory version's and the Garmins'.

[Caretaker]

Very interesting experience pushing the onstar button for the first time. Activating your account is a trap. Your account of course is fully activated from the date of purchase. They have that on file, and the green button is illuminated the moment you drive off the lot. When you push the blue onstar button as directed by the literature, a very helpful person comes on in hopes of selling you more. First they ask you to verify your account number (like they don't already know they have it correct). After their pitch, which you have already read in the literature, they try to sell you the 100 minutes of phone service for $14.99. These minutes only last one year and CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AT THE MOMENT YOU ARE ACTIVATING YOUR SERVICE. What a suprise. They use it as a high stress sales pitch to get all the nervous neds to say yes on the spot. The attendant then asks you to pick a pin number (no problem), and then tries to sucker you in to giving your credit card number so the system can be automatically charged to your card once the free service runs out in a year. Unbelievable!!! I'm waiting for the day when our tires start talking to us as we drive off the lot stating that they will upgrade the crappy OEM tires to the highest rated tire on TireRack.com, and if we don't do so THAT VERY MOMENT, we are bad parents subjecting our children and passengers to less than adequate tires. As Palin would say: What a hoot!

[nygiantzz1]

I thought I was going to like having Onstar in the Vibe, but I actually disabled it a few weeks ago. I never gave them a credit card number when I activated it and they started calling my cell every day trying to get a CC number out of me. The last straw was when an Onstar rep called me through the Onstar phone while I was driving. I unplugged it as soon as I got home. They still keep calling and are now sending me emails. XM is no better, I get multiple calls almost every day from them because my free trial has expired. Onstar and XM are both nice options to have in a car, but both companies need to really tone down their aggressive sales tactics. I will never do business with either company ever again.

[Caretaker]

WOW, thanks for that heads up nygiantzz1. I will keep my air horn in my car now. I normally have it near the phone at home for when polical wonks bother me at dinner time. Since the campaign is winding down, I'll move it to the new Vibe so I can blast onstar with a few deafining bursts to remind them who owns the car.

[shemp]

I don't really see the value in Onstar myself. I'll take my free year, but beyond that, I can't see any of the features justifying the monthly cost. -If someone steals it, I don't want it back.-I've never locked my keys in a car in my life, but in case I do, I have a spare hidden on the car.-the turn-by-turn directions would be nice on occasion, but it's expensive, and my GPS would serve the same purpose.The new option to use your Verizon minutes is nice, but it adds another $10 to my verizon bill... that plus Onstar's $15/mo is too much to pay for hands free. My bluetooth works fine.My $0.02, I'll get off my soapbox now.

[CaptTractor]

Quote, originally posted by nygiantzz1 »I thought I was going to like having Onstar in the Vibe, but I actually disabled it a few weeks ago. I never gave them a credit card number when I activated it and they started calling my cell every day trying to get a CC number out of me. The last straw was when an Onstar rep called me through the Onstar phone while I was driving. I unplugged it as soon as I got home. They still keep calling and are now sending me emails. XM is no better, I get multiple calls almost every day from them because my free trial has expired. Onstar and XM are both nice options to have in a car, but both companies need to really tone down their aggressive sales tactics. I will never do business with either company ever again. The dealer told me to same thing to activate Onstar i'd have to do it myself....it was already set up...they had my name and everything (except credit card). The phone, at least up in my area is fairly weak. Ppl can hardly hear me when I call. Its definitely something I'm going to let lapse and not bother signing in for....other than that...the Vibe is an awesome car

[Eloi]

Quote, originally posted by shemp » that plus Onstar's $15/mo is too much to pay for hands free. As I don't have a cell phone, I like to have OnStar in my 2009 Vibe. However, your message proves me that we're screwed in Canada once again compared to you guys in the US. You mention that paying $15 per month is too much. Just to let you know that in Canada, it's $24.95 per month, plus taxes, so close to $30 / mo. Plus, you have to buy some more minutes, which are here $50 for 100 min., good for 12 months.So, when my free year is over, I'm quite sure I'll pass on OnStar. I'll go get a cell phone instead for about the same price...

[Racemedic]

The one thing I have not seen anyone talk about here is the safety feature. I am a Paramedic and I have to say that I have never been to a car crash where someone got up in the morning and planned to get in a wreck. I have yet to get my Vibe yet... they tell me it should be soon and I am not an Onstar sales person. On the other hand I have been first on scene to car wrecks where ppl have been trapped in a car in the ditch for some time waiting to get discovered so help can get called. cell phones fly all over the car like a bingo ball and don't always land close to the driver. If you are trapped you are out of luck till someone finds you.I know I am being a real ray of sunshine this morning but I thought I would say something for the other side of the argument. Stuff happens and it does not always happen to someone else and it would be nice to hear that voice come though your radio and say that help is on the way.Just a thought... I too will now get off the soap box

[shemp]

That is a good point.... I do see some value in that feature. Having never been in a serious accident in a car (knock on wood) I might not have given it enough consideration. I wish Onstar offered a stripped down version of the service... maybe it's only $5 a month, and $50 or $100 every time you use it for example. The monthly charge for something I never use is what bothers me.... If I'm in a ditch wearing my car like a hat, I'm not going to sweat the $100 for them to call an ambulance.

[Caretaker]

moreover, I did not get an option on whether I wanted an extra inch hanging down off of my rear view mirror further blocking my visibility. How about you? Since onstar is GM only, the least they could do is to have the emergency button always work whether I have an onstar policy or not. Fine, charge me $5 per month for the ability for me to push the button if I see a police officer in distress at the side of a road, or a house on fire, or should my cell phone go flying all over the cabin and I can't reach it. The current price is simply not worth it, unless you live/work out of your car. With people complaining up in Canada that the service is way overpriced for the substandard audio, and others complaining about dropped calls due to them owning a cheaper model GM vehicle, or the pressure put on people to buy the extra minutes for $19.99 or else, seems to me that onstar is simply a business first, and not the cavalry waiting to save the day should one of their GM customers suffer an unfortunate incident. For the latter to be true, seems like there would indeed be some "scaled down plan" or a pay as you push option given that we are stuck with the thing hanging down off our mirrors for the life of the car (or until we swap the mirror out with one that doesn't have advertising). Hey, I've got it: I should send GM a bill for being on onstar billboard!!

[vhoward1122]

OK, Here's my 0.02 worth.Onstar should offer the emergency part as a free service so if you do get in an accident, you can get help. Sort of like 911. Then if you want all those other features like turn by turn navigation, hands free cell phone, etc, then you could pay for those.If you really don't want the Onstar part on your mirror, go to Toyota and buy a mirror for an 09 Matrix and change them out.

[ou.grizzly]

Quote, originally posted by vhoward1122 »If you really don't want the Onstar part on your mirror, go to Toyota and buy a mirror for an 09 Matrix and change them out.Pretty much any rear view mirror would would, it does not have to specifically be Toyota. As long as it mounts up or if the mounting bracket was changed, that is all that matters.

[scooter]

While I haven't given it any thought as to whether or not I will sign up for OnStar once the first year expires, I would say you have to look at it as an insurance policy. A totally elective policy (unlike your regular insurance). For those with disposable income, seems like a no-brainer. Otherwise, one needs to think long and hard about it. How much is that peace of mind worth to you...

[oriden]

Quote, originally posted by maxx4me »WOW, thanks for that heads up nygiantzz1. I will keep my air horn in my car now. I normally have it near the phone at home for when polical wonks bother me at dinner time. Since the campaign is winding down, I'll move it to the new Vibe so I can blast onstar with a few deafining bursts to remind them who owns the car. its gona be funny when they shut the car down lol

[Caretaker]

Quote, originally posted by oriden »its gona be funny when they shut the car down loldoh!!!! (8 ^ (l)

[vhoward1122]

Quote, originally posted by oriden »its gona be funny when they shut the car down lolThat's why you pull the fuse for the Onstar system.

[03vibedriver]

I like my OnStar and XM radio and the built in phone a lot.The phone works very well using voice commands so I can keep both hands on the wheel on the twisty NC mountain roads that I drive every day.

[DownTheShore]

I have OnStar for the first time with this Vibe.I have the kind of cell phone that gets billed on an as-used basis, so right now, that extra 100 minutes was a good deal for me.I was also in an accident recently (luckily no one was seriously injured) and had to contact the police. I was going to dig out my cell phone, turn it on, dial 911, etc. At that moment I realized that I didn't know the name of the nearby intersection or any of the street names. Then I remembered OnStar (I was a bit unnerved at the time) and hit the emergency button.The thing worked just like in their commercials. They verified my identity and my location (they got it off the GPS) asked what help was needed, called the local police dept, patched them through to me, and then came back on the line and stayed there until the police came and I told them they could end the call. It was one less thing to deal with during an extremely stressful time, and for me OnStar is worth its weight in gold.

[Caretaker]

Great post. I'm glad you were OK.

[DownTheShore]

Thanks.

[z32dude]

Yeah I think its a bummer that they didn't include the turn by turn nav system on the vibe( the one with the cool little screen). Why would GM put this in other new vehicles like the pontiac G8 and not the vibe? I just paid the 14.99 for the 100 mins of phone..after reading some of the comments on here Im gonna call them up and make sure they dont try to charge my card without asking. Really the red emergency button should work whether you pay them or not..Im gonna find that out as well.. The vibe is a really great car though..it took me a little while to warm up to it but after owning one for a little while its great. The 2.4 is great, just wished I splurged for the GT model..That way you get the double wishbone rear..or you'd get that in the AWD anyway..pretty awesome car either way..its funny because you see more and more of these new small cars on the road all the time.. all different makes...guess its a trend

[airplaneflyer]

I've attended a crash involving a brand new impala with onstar and it did not activate. Onstar only self-activates if the airbags deploy - and not all crashes involve airbags - but can still be serious.

[lowincash]

so this onstar only activates when airbag are deployed? just wondering tho...how hard does the impact have to be for the airbags to deploy? when i crashed my accord the airbag didn't come out and i hit my head on the steering wheel =/ this was the pic from that day...

[vintagegz]

Once you give OnStar your credit card number, read the fine print in the contract as they will automatically renew your membership at the end of one year unless you notify them one month before expiry, just a heads up. Also anyone else finding that although you can hear the person you are calling fine on your OnStar system, they cannot clearly hear you. My friends are complaining of a tunnel effect in speech and a lot of background noise, even with windows up and fan on lowest speed. OnStar diagnostics showed no problem, but people on the other end of the phone terminated my calls as they could not understand me. Perhaps cheaper vehicles have a cheaper OnStar system?

[file014]

I set up onstar about a week ago. I didnt give them my card number either. They just sent an email about adding the cell minute. They really ought to give you 50/month with rollover if you sign up. Why would I pay for extra minutes?I wont activate XM either, unless my wife wants it (its her car anyway). I'm not paying for something else that is free (a la cable TV).

[vhoward1122]

I am curious how helpful onstar would be if the electrical system was damaged in the crash?

[jake75]

The salesperson sat in the car with me while "we" activated OnStar. The person from OnStar was hard to understand - I think they might outsource that to India. I may or may not renew after the first year - seems like $199 a year is worth whatever safety advantage it may provide. I thought the 100 extra minutes minutes were reasonable at a cost of $16.73 including tax etc. If you renew, unused minutes do rollover. We only have one cell phone. My main use would be to call my wife when we go out shopping but separate to find out where she is, and in the mountains where there is no cell service.I used to pay about $500 a year for cell phone service. Switched to STIMobile.com prepaid - available on the internet only. They use the Sprint network and they are the lowest cost I ever found. My cell phone cost is now less than $150 a year so I can afford to also have OnStar. I don't have much use for the turn by turn directions -- the dealer is giving me a free Tom Tom GPS anyway.XM radio - forget that. But the No. 1 reason I like OnStar - it's the one gadget my brother doesn't have!