S.O.S button?

She needs winch alert

 

Gotta be an antenna in there somewhere... The module's shielding would be too much to get a signal through I'd imagine. Unfortunately that doesn't help if the module stores data longer term that can be pulled by a scantool.

 

It has a plastic flip cover over it that has to be opened before you can press the button. Not to say that a child wouldn’t get passed that but it does help to prevent accidental activation when trying to locate the map light.

My last truck connected directly to 911. I made that exact mistake looking for the map light one night and pressed the button (that one was not protected with a plastic cap) I hung up quickly but state police called me right back. I had to explain that I was just a jackass that didn’t know how to use my truck, the dispatcher seemed disinterested to the point that I could tell that it probably happens often.

 

Remember when the Prius was randomly accelerating and getting into accidents? I wonder if that had anything to do with all this. Toyota using data to help prevent lawsuits?

 

global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/19812676.html

 

One more thing I don't want in a vehicle.

 

When I was at the dealership about to buy my Tacoma I asked if it had remote start. The salesman said yes. After I bought the truck I asked how remote start worked because I couldn't get it to start like most other cars do, i.e. press and hold the lock button until the vehicle locks and then press and hold the lock button until the vehicle starts. He said, first I needed to use my phone and download the Toyota Remote Connect app. I downloaded the app, created an account and click yes to everything. Then my remote start worked with my key fob. I got home and I looked up what I had just signed up for. Once I saw that when you use Toyota's Connected Services to include Remote Connect, you give them the ability and right to track your every movement along to include track and record how fast you accelerate, how quick you brake and more. The very first thing I did was found out how to turn it off. I had to press the S.O.S. button to speak to a person and have them disconnect this service. So no more Remote Start for me. I can't believe Toyota ties remote start to giving up all your privacy. They could have kept a transmitter in the key fob to enable local remote starts if they wanted. But they don't because they want your data. Do a little research and see where this is going. Auto manufacturers are looking into how to make money by selling your data to whoever will pay for it. They already do this in limited quantities to their specific insurance company. Think about it, they know how fast you drive, what the current speed limit is for the road you are on, how quickly you brake and so they can determine what kind of rates you qualify for. Expand this to all insurance companies. Expand this to a future where they see that you go to Target all the time when there is a Walmart right next door. So they sell you data to Walmart and Walmart sends ads to you on your Infotainment Center to get you to buy from Walmart vice Target. On the flip side, they offer many nice things like being able to start my car in Florida when I'm in California. Yes, this is a feature I'll use all the time.

 

Do I need an SOS button? Not likely. Would my wife need and SOS button? Well the answer to that is, does she need that 2" 38 spl in her purse? Hopefully never, but if she does it's nice to know she has it.

As to the tinfoil brigade that worries about toyota knowing how and where you are driving, think about this. Do you really think they disable it if you ask politely? Or do they keep on receiving the data and you don't have access to it?

 

So the safety connect thing is a subscription service? How long is the trial? What is the monthly fee and what happens if/when I decide I don't want the service? Just like cars with built in wifi. I have a hotspot included in my cell phone plan with T-Mobile at no extra cost I won't be paying for that either.

 

Ok so I looked it up safety connect comes with a one year trial. After it's $8 per month or $80 per year. That's not a lot but those little things add up if you're not careful about your money.

 

Unless I plan on living in the forest surviving off pine needles, I know it's not possible. I like having my phone and my internet so it's a compromise I'm willing to live with.

What I'm not ok with is people/organizations who have no care for keeping my data secure or openly whore it out to anyone willing to pay them for it. Oh wait, sorry, "sharing it with partners".

 

Not just that but if you stop paying for the app subscription, your fob portion is rendered useless. They have a disconnect somewhere. That's not right. One should NOT have to pay to keep an RF signal that is between you and your vehicle alive. I always use the analogy that it's like not paying for you TV cable service and they turn around and tell you that they're disabling the mobile app access to your DVR (fair enough) AND the volume up/down function buttons on your physical TV remote...it's like, wait what?!? My TV remote is not a data device, that's just a frequency and it's between me and my TV...no one should have the right to get in between that!

 

But is there an aftermarket button to take the place of the SOS button? Maybe like ejector seat, rockets, lock phasers? I love the little hatch over the button, but I wish it was a kooler button.

 

I have subscribed to Safety Connect on my wife's 4Runner, which wasn't packaged on my 2019 Tacoma TRD OR (which at the time, I thought it was funny that SOS just didn't come on all trim levels since they want to sell subscriptions).

Anyway, I received an email recently that says there is a hardware problem that SOS will not be able to connect with a 5G signal and the third-party providers will no longer provide 3G service, which as of (I think it was) November 2022 it will no longer work. After that, it would be cool to do something fun with the button, and I do like the idea of rockets!

 

Not so good if you run off the road at 2am after a few beers.....now you are going to jail for sure.

PS - Not condoning drinking and driving.

 

The real question is, why do they keep moving buttons around every year?

 

I got me a Panic "button" instead

 

literally my thoughts. Eject an annoying passenger? Oil slick?

 

I thought this though.