zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
New Toyotas Come With a Free Decade of Connected Safety Services
New Toyotas Come With a Free Decade of Connected Safety Services-February 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:20

Image for article titled New Toyotas Come With a Free Decade of Connected Safety Services

We’re entering the era of , or vehicles that have services that always need to be on. And you know what this means: . That’s right. Automakers are doing whatever they can to keep making money off you long after your car payments have stopped. Not all automakers are coming for your wallet right away. reports that, starting in 2023, buyers of new Toyota and Lexus vehicles will get a 10-year free trial period for the company’s Safety Connect and Service Connect systems.

As long as you equip your new Toyota or Lexus with the company’s new infotainment system, you get 10 years free. What do these systems include? Any connected service that has an actual human or human interaction behind it. That means stolen vehicle locator, alerts for vehicle service and health, auto collision notification, and roadside assistance.

It seems though that Toyota may have changed its tune after seeing the blowback that subscription services were getting, especially after GM announced that it was . Previously, Toyota’s connected services trial period was one year, and then a subscription plan after that. Toyota group vice president Steve Basra believes that automakers have a duty to offer these services to consumers saying, “I think it’s our duty as OEMs that we provide this, where the customer doesn’t have to think about them, doesn’t have to subscribe to them, and we’ve figured out a way to do that, because it contributes to society.”

Don’t think that any of this means that Toyota isn’t on board with subscriptions, however. The revenue from these connected services subscriptions goes to paying for and maintaining these call centers. But Basra has prioritized safety-connected systems, saying he doesn’t think people should pay for that. At least initially.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
The 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Is Perfect Except For Three Things
The 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Is Perfect Except For Three Things
Some things bear repeating. For instance, I tend to harp on about how value trumps price and that you shouldn’t ever settle for the mundane just because it’s technically the safer choice. As if to prove my point, the automotive gods at Mercedes-Benz have created the : the world’s most...
Feb 12, 2026
For $5,400, Could This 1975 Moto Guzzi 850-T Mean V Is For Victory?
For $5,400, Could This 1975 Moto Guzzi 850-T Mean V Is For Victory?
The eagle on the Moto Guzzi logo commemorates a founder who died in a plane crash before the company could get off the ground. Today’s 850-T could let you fly, that is, if its price doesn’t ground it. It was no surprise at all that yesterday’s earned a quick and...
Feb 12, 2026
For $11,995, Would You Ring In The New Year With This 2004 BMW R1150RT and Hannigan Sidecar?
For $11,995, Would You Ring In The New Year With This 2004 BMW R1150RT and Hannigan Sidecar?
Simon and Garfunkel once sang that the boxer stands alone. In contrast, today’s Beemer is a boxer that will never make you ride alone. That’s because it comes with both a pillion and a space age side car, but will its price mean you’d just as soon leave it alone?...
Feb 12, 2026
For $6,000, This M50-Equipped 1985 318i Takes A Stance
For $6,000, This M50-Equipped 1985 318i Takes A Stance
At what point is it safe to make someone else’s project your own project? Ever? Today’s 318 looks to be a work in progress, but will its price make you want to go back to the start? The teeth gnashing and pearl clutching that accompanied the discussion on yesterday’s proved...
Feb 12, 2026
Every Single Vehicle We Reviewed In 2015
Every Single Vehicle We Reviewed In 2015
This past year it felt like we drove damn near everything. From Subaru rally cars to the Bentley Mulsanne Speed. From a Power Wheels to a McLaren 650S. From an Audi TT, to an Audi TT, to an Audi TT a third time, because sometimes we all disagree and everyone...
Feb 12, 2026
For $29,000, Will This 1974 Porsche 914 Bumblebee Start A Buzz?
For $29,000, Will This 1974 Porsche 914 Bumblebee Start A Buzz?
Today’s 914 is the nirvana of the four-cylinder cars: two-litre, five speed, with the gauge pack. It’s also an unrestored, limited edition, with paint that earned it the nickname of Bumblebee. Might that just take away some of the sting of its price? Hey, do you remember 2015? I know...
Feb 12, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved