Does Your Factory Remote Start Work?

From what I read, it will work until the Toyota connect free trial expired.

 

My trial expired in June this year and I did not renew. I used my key fob to remote start this morning and warm the truck up

 

This article explains it in full

https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/12/22831105/toyota-subscription-remote-start-key-fob

 

So basically, when I get my 22 here hopefully in the next few months, my remote start will only work for 1 year (when the trial expires)? That’s pretty annoying.

 

My trial expired in early November and I can still remote start with the fob as of Friday.

 

I just bought a '21 Sport w/ premium package and it remote starts with the fob. It's a nice little surprise because the salesman couldn't get it to work and said it must not have the feature. I got it first try after reading this thread.

 

2021 here, still starts with the key fob even though the 1 year trial expired way back in March.

 

The fob should have nothing to do with the remote start, I believe they are independent of any service.

 

Works on my 2023 Sport.

works on our 2022 Highlander limited hybrid.

but why do both vehicles shut off as soon as a door is opened..? Partially counterproductive…

 

That was the earlier question. People thought the ability to remote start was turned off if you did not keep the service subscription, but people like myself found you could still use it even if you canceled the service or didn’t renew it.

The one thing that seem to be consistent with the newer trucks (mine is a 21) was that for the fob to work for remote start, you had to initially activated the service apparently.

 

There lies the confusion, as Toyota's documentation stated: "Key Fob Remote Start will not function if Connected Services are waived."

Scroll back to page 2, post 28.
Does Your Factory Remote Start Work?

 

You are 100% correct. The remote start in the app on your phone calls the phone number assigned to your truck for the remote start service, and then starts your truck. Whereas the fob does not have to do this and uses the builtin electronics on your truck.

Check the link in the post above this one. There is still confusion about all of this and people still think that when the trial service is over, then you can no longer remote start the truck.

 

To prevent someone from stealing your running truck. The vehicle can be driven away / stolen w/o the FOB as long as the driver does not shut it off. Most cars are like this. The only ones I know of are certain Mercedes that there is a proximity feature that shuts the car down and in some cases calls the police. I have seen this on slightly older SL models.

 

You think you can break the window, climb in and drive away? Of course you can't. There has never been a single factory remote start that allows the car to be driven off without the key present.

It doesn't do anything to prevent theft. It simply annoys owners. And Toyota has acknowledged as much. This subject pushes my buttons more than it should... nothing against you.

 

Not working on 2022 DCLB SR5 with Premium audio upgrade. Tried the key fob 3 clicks, itʻs a "no go". Also tried Connected Services but all it will do is show me tire pressures.

I guess because the SR5 is a lower trim level with key turn start and remote door lock/unlock key fob, but no push button start, it does not have the remote start capability either through app or fob.

Subscriptions listed in the app are: Destination Assist (1yr trial), Safety Connect (1yr trial), and Dynamic Navigation (3yr trial). Wi-Fi connect is not connected, 2GB or 90 day trail.
When I try to add services, nothing else is offered.

Under App Suite I did activate Toyota+Alexa but all it does is voice prompts to play music from Amazon music.

 

If by “most cars” you mean “the very few vehicles that I personally have experience with” then you would be accurate.

the last 7 vehicles that I have owned with remote start ranging from 2009 to now and being GM’s, Ram’s, a Mazda, and a Chrysler all stayed running until you either put the key into the ignition and turned it on, or had the fob close enough to the sensor that it allowed the vehicle to be shifted from park.

haven’t tested the Tacoma or the Highlander, but the previously owned 2018 Rav4 and 2022 Corolla would tell me that the fob wasn’t present very quickly and would stop the car very shortly after being moved, and that was without remote start being used.

 

NP, good discussions about why some things are. I was referring to the point that the truck shuts off if the door was opened while it was running after the remote start to prevent theft.

 

Exactly. If the reason the car shuts off after you open the door is to prevent theft, then it speaks poorly to the system Toyota has put together. Other car manufacturers have figured out a way around this problem. My 2019 Expedition stays on after you remote start it and open the door and it won't let you drive it away unless it detects a FOB. The Chevy Malibu I drove back in 2006 worked the same, though you had to put the key in the ignition. Toyota's remote start feature in the Tacoma has a very strange limitation. Is it the end of the world? No. But is it annoying? Yes.

 

This step is the correct one!

 

Hey all, I've been digging deeper into this as it the key fob remote start does not work on my 2020 TRD Sport AC with 'regular' audio. In looking at the eTechnical brochures someone posted earlier, apparently this was NOT an option for ACs in 2020 or before. (It is for the dual cabs..) I can do the 'lock, lock, hold lock' procedure and the lights will flash 5 times after three seconds but the truck will not start. My truck does not have the remote connect app option. I've seen a few others on here say theirs doesn't work either so what I'm THINKING is that your truck had to have the remote connect option when new for the key fob remote start to work regardless if you have an active account from then on or not. So for users like mine, only option is to go aftermarket..