OnStar Renewal

When I purchased my 2008 Saturn Vue, it came with a free year subscription to OnStar https://www.onstar.com/us/en/home.html.  I understand now that new GM vehicles come with 6 months of free OnStar. I loved OnStar. I loved receiving a monthly diagnostic of my car's operating system, and oil life history.  I renewed it at the almost $200 or a bit more a year cost because I really appreciate the peace of mind it offers.  I have continued, over the years to renew the OnStar coverage, and over the years, I have used it increasingly.  There have been times when my car did not run as I thought it should, and I have requested an on demand diagnostic which helped me to know what to do. Sometimes, my car is just acting strange, and I can call OnStar and talk to them about it and they can walk me through what is happening.  If I had a mate or spouse who knew my vehicle, they might be able to do this. But the neat thing about OnStar is that while they walk me through what is happening, I am able to talk to somebody, real time, and actually work it through in my mind. And, if a warning light appears on my dashboard, they can run an on demand diagnostic, and tell me what is happening, and how urgently I need to tend to the problem. 

I like the idea that if I have an accident, OnStar will detect it and call help for me, but I hope that I never need to use that feature. It also offers free remote service if you lock yourself out of your vehicle. 

My insurance company, State Farm https://www.statefarm.com/ has coupled with OnStar. OnStar provides my insurance company with my driving record, and State Farm adjusts my insurance, accordingly.  The first six month I used this, OnStar saved me more in auto insurance in six months than what I paid for OnStar for a year!

I use the one step above the basic plan, called "Protection."  The services include Advanced Diagnostics (monthly reports on car health, and on demand reports); Smart Driver (drive smarter and save money, including on insurance); Remote Access; Automatic Crash Response (talk about peace of mind knowing help will be on its way); Emergency Services; Crisis Assist (severe weather); and Roadside Assistance. 

The last 3 years, when I renew my OnStar coverage, I have receive a "promotional discount" which amounts to a considerable savings on OnStar. Not sure why I receive the promotional discount, but will not argue with it.