Buick, GMC Now Requires $1,500 OnStar Subscription For New Vehicles

Shoppers checking out a new Buick or GMC vehicle this summer will likely be scratching their heads at the window sticker. Since June 2, both General Motors brands have been selling vehicles with an optional OnStar package as standard equipment with no, uh, option to remove them, according to Detroit Free Press. This forces buyers to pay $1,500 for three years of service whether they want it or not.

A non-optional option is the GM OnStar Premium Plan and Connected Services, which offers features like WiFi hotspot, automatic collision response, vehicle diagnostics, and more. GM pasted the package under Monroney’s “options & prices” section, which was confusing.

The automaker told the paper that it decided to make the equipment option standard because connectivity “is more convenient for our customers and provides a smoother onboarding experience.”

Buick and GMC are not the only brands affected by this. It Free also reports that GM is making standard equipment a feature on the Cadillac Escalade on July 18, and that Chevrolet may be next when the brand finalizes its OnStar plans. While customers may not have the option of paying for an OnStar plan, they will have the option at the end of the three-year service period.

OnStar GM spokeswoman Kelly Cusinato told Media freedom that standard optional OnStar packages such as “improved powertrain, or upgraded interior materials, or upgraded infotainment system.” However, it implies that there are options that are not upgraded. Otherwise, it’s not an upgrade, just an extra feature that the customer might not want but was forced to buy.

Digital subscriptions and services have become a major focus for automakers. BMW believes there is money to be made by putting certain features behind a monthly subscription paywall, such as heated seats. However, while not every automaker plans to go to extremes, almost all wonder how much they can’t make from the service.

BMW has faced significant backlash for its heated seat subscriptions, but that hasn’t discouraged it from moving forward. Ford, Stellantis, and GM are all interested in digital services, but ultimately it’s up to customers to decide how many subscriptions are too much for their wallet.

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