WHY SHOULD I RENEW MY SAFTEY CONNECT?

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sobayimage

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2012
Messages
62
Location
Palos Verdes Estates, CA
I just received a request to renew my Safety Connect electronics in my RAV4 EV for $140. In the three years I’ve had the car I haven’t found any use for it. My phone has a far superior navigation system. What use is knowing that your car has completed it’s charge at 3:30 a.m. The system is still turned on to be used by Toyota and Tesla and would a car thief knowingly steal a RAV 4 EV? Will Toyota switch off my car if I don’t pay?
 
We must have purchased our RAV4's at the same time. I have vin #1086. I also just received the e-mail from Toyota and can ask the same questions. The only times I have seriously used Entune was when I forgot where I parked my car in the Costco lot :D . I have LoJack so I don't need Entune for that. I actually turned on to this blog today to write the same note that you did.

ps... I have JdeMO and it is a totally different car.
 
Michael Bornstein said:
ps... I have JdeMO and it is a totally different car.

That would be the number 1 reason for me to retain Entunes. I can sit nearby at remotely monitor the charge, ensuring something didn't quit, and know about when it's time to return to continue the trip.

Some chargers work at different speeds, so it's not always easy to estimate the time without monitoring (unless you want to sit in the car every time).
 
So you guys put no value at all on the 4 major elements of Safety Connect?
- Emergency Assistance
- Stolen Vehicle Locator
- Roadside Assistance
- Automatic Collision Notification

I have to admit I've never used those features in 29 months of driving, but it's like insurance.... you may be glad it's there and working when you do need it.
 
We live in a connected world so you got to be connected to your car, and if it's an EV even more so.

Here in the north east winter remote preconditioning is a must for maximizing range, without Entunes you can't do it.

I'm renewing.
 
davewill said:
sobayimage said:
... My phone has a far superior navigation system. ...
I don't believe that losing Safety Connect will interfere with the Nav function, except maybe no more updates to the list of charging stations.

No data about traffic jams, "severe weather warnings" etc.
No more voice calling "slow traffic ahead of you" ;-)
 
I must live in another world from everyone on this forum. I have been driving for about 55 years, and have yet to use, Emergency Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Locator, Roadside Assistance or Automatic Collision Notification and I’m not Forrest Gump that has an angel over seeing my life. I use an app called Here Maps and drive all over the world and have yet to get lost or be miss directed. Similarly there are loads of charging station apps. I live in California, a place that is difficult to be far from another motorist that may need help.
 
In 3 years I have had 2 occasions to use Safety connect. The first time I wound up too low on power. To be fair I was mostly testing the system. I hit the safety connect button, and while the operator was very pleasant, they bounced me back and for with AAA for over an hour and never did come up with a solution. I finally just started the car and drove the 2 blocks to a charger that I had located while waiting.
The second time I got a flat tire. They most surely would have sent AAA and patched it, but after the first test, I decided I really did not want to wait more than an hour. So I used the inflator/sealer it (again as much to test it as anything) and drove home.
So, would I pay $150 a year? NO
Just get AAA
 
miimura said:
I thought the traffic data was coming from XM NAV Traffic. Renewing that beyond 3 years is a separate issue.

Wow, you are right!

In that case the $140/year is really not worth it (imho)
 
I just cancelled the XM audio services and I won't be renewing the data services when they run out after 3 years either. Traffic is something that a smartphone definitely does better.
 
I assume Ravcharge wont work without also paying for Safetyconnect?

If so, add in xm radio and the costs are really adding up. Everyone wants to go with subscription based services in order to keep the revenue rolling in.....
 
$140 per year for Safety Connect vs $695 once for Lojack - with fewer features.

Am I the only one who uses the remote AC/Heater functions? Really LOVE getting into a warm car in the winter, or a cooled car in the heat of summer.

Used the SOS button twice in the last 14 months. Once when I first got the car - (Entunes wouldn't work. (It was still registered in the previous user's name.) And once again when I got the EV Warning light the first time.

Traffic alert has been 'somewhat' useful, but not worth it by itself. "Stop and Go Traffic 2 miles ahead" while I'm IN rush hour traffic wasn't helpful, but "Accident ahead at milepost 188 on the right" did allow me to exit beforehand and avoid a real mess.

Used the Car Locator a couple of times, but again, not that big of a deal. Mainly used it because I had it. I could actually see someone trying to steal these cars. Especially if they can spam the remote key function to get into a running car. Do I think it's a high likelihood? Nope...

Charging locator is a total waste compared to PlugShare. Never use it at all.

I haven't gotten the letter yet, but will give it some thought when I do.
 
Larry_in_Seattle said:
$140 per year for Safety Connect vs $695 once for Lojack - with fewer features.
Traffic alert has been 'somewhat' useful, but not worth it by itself. "Stop and Go Traffic 2 miles ahead" while I'm IN rush hour
traffic wasn't helpful, but "Accident ahead at milepost 188 on the right" did allow me to exit beforehand and avoid a real mess.
app like waze will warn you for that as well.
Guided me nice around a standstill on the freeway when there was a fire that blocked the traffic on the freeway

Used the Car Locator a couple of times, but again, not that big of a deal. Mainly used it because I had it. I could actually see someone trying to steal these cars. Especially if they can spam the remote key function to get into a running car. Do I think it's a high likelihood? Nope...
Charging locator is a total waste compared to PlugShare. Never use it at all.
I haven't gotten the letter yet, but will give it some thought when I do.

I like the streaming music functionality (slackerradio) without add's .
Will miss that, but still have over a year, and probably will turn the rav in.
Hope to be able to afford a model X by then.
 
Went to install Waze but it seems too intrusive. The permissions required:
Identity -why does it need my profile data?
Calendar - why does it need this?
Contacts - WTF???? A traffic app doesn't need my contact list!
Location - Obviously
SMS - to send traffic messages, OK
Photos/Media/Files - ??? Not sure why it needs access to my files, and which files? Edit capability? Delete? view?
Camera - pictures of blocks, accidents, issues...OK I guess...
Microphone- Not sure why?
Device ID & Call - OK, I guess, to be able to send those SMS texts....

But I don't like giving all my contacts to some app that's only there to help me navigate traffic.
 
fromport said:
I like the streaming music functionality (slackerradio) without add's .
Will miss that, but still have over a year, and probably will turn the rav in.
Hope to be able to afford a model X by then.
Don't see why the streaming audio apps wouldn't continue to work. My wife's PIP has them and the car doesn't even offer Safety Connect.
 
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