Big Brother's watching

[ocnblu]

Onstar has a lot of nice benefits, to be sure. In particular, I like the lockout protection, emergency notification, and telephone service. But I am feeling a bit uneasy about the monthly email diagnostic report, showing the mileage at the time, oil life index, and other diagnostic checks.

I am half afraid to drive my truck the way I want to drive it for fear of being watched. If I want to do a burnout for some reason, or even exceed the speed limit... could this information that's being gathered be used against me, for example, if I have a warranty issue in the future?

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to beat the hell out of my new truck, I love it too much to abuse it, but I bought it to have fun with it once in a while... somehow, feeling watched doesn't make me feel better.

I am trying to decide if the benefits outweigh the level of intrusion into my privacy that I feel when I consider if I want to continue the Onstar service after the trial period is overwith.

Does anyone have any Onstar stories to share?

[avant1963]

When Motor Trend did testing on a Malibu with On-Star, while in the slalom portion, the G-forces exceeded "normal" levels. All of a sudden, out of the speakers came a voice asking if they were "OK." On-Star had registered that there might have been a crash.

I understand where to some people this would be a great security blanket, but to me, it's just too intrusive. I don't like knowing that someone can track me no matter where I am at, tell my speed, and if I took a turn quickly.

When my 1 year of free On-Star is over, I will not be renewing. It is not a service that is for my life right now (I don't travel much, I don't have kids, etc).

[usonia]

I don't really have a story to tell other than a friend of mine who bought a new Trailblazer disliked the idea of Onstar so much that he disconnected the cable to the antenna to make sure it couldn't transmit or receive anything.

I'm not sure of my feelings about the whole thing. I guess what bothers me is that I don't know for sure what info is being sent back and forth and when it happens. The potential for abuse is huge but I don't know whether it is something to be concerned about right now.

[Camino LS6]

I don't really have a story to tell other than a friend of mine who bought a new Trailblazer disliked the idea of Onstar so much that he disconnected the cable to the antenna to make sure it couldn't transmit or receive anything.

I'm not sure of my feelings about the whole thing. I guess what bothers me is that I don't know for sure what info is being sent back and forth and when it happens. The potential for abuse is huge but I don't know whether it is something to be concerned about right now.

I dislike this reality so much that I may do the same thing with my next GM.

Onstar needs an "off" button.

[american_revolution_2005]

Our Tahoe has it but luckily we hadn't renewed the service. It did come on one time when we accidentally hit a button and the thing was so annoying. It took us about 12 minutes to get the Onstar voice to shut up and we were all yelling at it and it would always say, Pardon me. That was before our free service had ended. As to whether it can track that, don't all new cars have black boxes that track this information for a crash anyways? I know the 2004 Ford Taurus has one.

[Satty]

The "black boxes" in new cars continuously re-write their information, I believe they only keep info for 5-10 seconds (its been a few years since I've read this) so unless you wreck while speeding the only way the dealer would be able to use that against you is if you did a burnout in the parking lot and flew through the service bay at 50mph then shut the car down. Or at least thats what I was told a few years ago. Also heard that some dealers wont honor a warranty if they find rubber on the inside of a cars wheel wells because thats a sign the car has been raced and racing voids the warranty. As for 'blu's concerns, I dont think that they can use it against you in a warranty claim unless they inform you that they can, which would be in the really small print on page 461 of the OnStar manual. Some car rental agencies do charge customers for abusive driving/excessive speeding by using GPS, but they have to state on the rental agreement that they are watching the car.

[Sixty8panther]

Agreed O.B.

OnStar is cool but having the ablity to pinpoint my location

within a few feet makes me a little uneasy.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Agreed O.B.

OnStar is cool but having the ablity to pinpoint my location

within a few feet makes me a little uneasy.

Meh, you won't think that when your vehicle is stolen!

[Carguy]

A mixxed blessing it seems!---Its like owning a car that can TATTEL ON YOU when you do SOMETHING you shouldent according to MOMMY MANUFACTURER!!---The safty is GREAT but the loss of freedom is NOT!!

[Cadillacfan]

The "black boxes" in new cars continuously re-write their information, I believe they only keep info for 5-10 seconds (its been a few years since I've read this) so unless you wreck while speeding the only way the dealer would be able to use that against you is if you did a burnout in the parking lot and flew through the service bay at 50mph then shut the car down. Or at least thats what I was told a few years ago. Also heard that some dealers wont honor a warranty if they find rubber on the inside of a cars wheel wells because thats a sign the car has been raced and racing voids the warranty. As for 'blu's concerns, I dont think that they can use it against you in a warranty claim unless they inform you that they can, which would be in the really small print on page 461 of the OnStar manual. Some car rental agencies do charge customers for abusive driving/excessive speeding by using GPS, but they have to state on the rental agreement that they are watching the car.

Yeah.. you don't need Onstar to have people spying on you when you already have a black box.

There was a case from a couple of years ago where a guy accidently killed two teenage girls as they were pulling out of their driveway with his car. He was charged with manslaughter ( I think) and sent to jail for the rest of his life(I believe) even though it may have been an accident since his black box recorded him doing well over 100 mph at the time of impact. Though, I think that even without the black box, it would've been really easy to tell that he hit that car at extremely high speeds judging on the amount of damage created.

[thegriffon]

You people are paranoid. Unles you're smuggling drugs, guns or people, driving a getaway vehicle for an armed robbery or kidnaping, building a car bomb etc., who cares where you are at any time?

[ocnblu]

I just want to know all the different kinds of data that are being compiled, and what it's being used for. If it is being used to help GM engineer better vehicles, I am somewhat for it, if it is being used to judge me as a vehicle owner, it's not cool.

[CARBIZ]

I don't care what GM compiles about me. I am waiting for the insurance companies to a) insist all vehicles are so-equipped and b) access to the data during renewal time.

I don't think GM has any sinister/hidden plans for the technology, but as with radar detectors came hidden radar cameras, we all know the technology is open for abuse. Your local service center already has many ways to tell you have been abusing your car (like holes in the trunk where the nitro lines used to be on your Corvette with the blown engine, for example), without worrying about OnStar.

The funny thing about OnStar is that the people whose lives were saved renew at 100%.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I just want to know all the different kinds of data that are being compiled, and what it's being used for. If it is being used to help GM engineer better vehicles, I am somewhat for it, if it is being used to judge me as a vehicle owner, it's not cool.

Data being stored: waist size, weight, color or teeth, color of underwear and type! ETC:

Edited March 11, 2007 by Pontiac-Custom-S

[Flybrian]

OnStar sucks.

We had OnStar once, never again. It costs too much and failed in its primary function of airbag deployment notification. They lost two customers for life.

I love GM and if someone really buys into the OnStar business case, well...more power to them, but I would never pay to have OnStar ever in any vehicle I ever purchase. $199/yr buys a membership to AAA and a couple of nice dinners. I'd rather have that.

[Drew Dowdell]

Onstar has a lot of nice benefits, to be sure. In particular, I like the lockout protection, emergency notification, and telephone service. But I am feeling a bit uneasy about the monthly email diagnostic report, showing the mileage at the time, oil life index, and other diagnostic checks.

I am half afraid to drive my truck the way I want to drive it for fear of being watched. If I want to do a burnout for some reason, or even exceed the speed limit... could this information that's being gathered be used against me, for example, if I have a warranty issue in the future?

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to beat the hell out of my new truck, I love it too much to abuse it, but I bought it to have fun with it once in a while... somehow, feeling watched doesn't make me feel better.

I am trying to decide if the benefits outweigh the level of intrusion into my privacy that I feel when I consider if I want to continue the Onstar service after the trial period is overwith.

Does anyone have any Onstar stories to share?

It's not the onstar that does that. There is a black box in many cars today. I don't know if GM does this though.

[ocnblu]

Well, if Onstar is tied into my odometer and oil life index, you know it's tied into the whole instrument cluster, not much of a stretch to think it may be recording speed and RPMs.

I thought GM pioneered the use of black boxes in vehicles, which I understand only take a snapshot of data at the moment of impact. I may be wrong on these points.

Custom-S: 30 inches, 144 pounds, white, and none. :AH-HA_wink:

[Drew Dowdell]

Well, if Onstar is tied into my odometer and oil life index, you know it's tied into the whole instrument cluster, not much of a stretch to think it may be recording speed and RPMs.

I thought GM pioneered the use of black boxes in vehicles, which I understand only take a snapshot of data at the moment of impact. I may be wrong on these points.

Custom-S: 30 inches, 144 pounds, white, and none. :AH-HA_wink:

Onstar only captures a "snapshot" of your current information and only when you give them permission to do so. If you're on the the phone with and OnStar rep, you'll sometimes be asked to allow them to updated your vehicle information. The maintenance monitor service they offer is just a once a month snapshot.

[ocnblu]

OK, thanks, Drew. Now I know I can go to Maple Grove Raceway this year for "test-n-tune" after I get my exhaust, and possibly an intake system. :AH-HA_wink:

[usonia]

...and none.

oh my.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Well, if Onstar is tied into my odometer and oil life index, you know it's tied into the whole instrument cluster, not much of a stretch to think it may be recording speed and RPMs.

I thought GM pioneered the use of black boxes in vehicles, which I understand only take a snapshot of data at the moment of impact. I may be wrong on these points.

Custom-S: 30 inches, 144 pounds, white, and none. :AH-HA_wink:

You've been peeking!

[ocnblu]

Dude, those are my stats... are you saying we share those four traits?

[Oracle of Delphi]

Dude, those are my stats... are you saying we share those four traits?

Nope, I'm refering to a green Pontiac with a white top!

[ocnblu]

Well, ya got me there... :AH-HA_wink: