Tuesday, September 13, 2005

GM's OnStar will e-mail monthly maintenance updates to car owners

Associated Press

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DETROIT -- OnStar said Tuesday it plans to add a feature that will let drivers know how their vehicles are doing every month.

The new service, called OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, will be featured exclusively in vehicles made by General Motors Corp. It will automatically perform hundreds of diagnostic checks on key operating systems: the engine and transmission, antilock brakes, air bags and OnStar itself.

The vehicle is automatically programmed to send the results through e-mail, along with maintenance reminders based on the vehicle's odometer reading and remaining engine oil life.

The service will be offered free to most 2004 or newer GM vehicles already carrying OnStar. GM expects to have OnStar in all of its vehicles by 2007.

OnStar, launched in 1996, is a subsidiary of GM, the world's largest carmaker.

As an option, OnStar service costs $695 -- roughly $500 for the hardware and $200 for the first year's subscription fee. After the first year, the subscription price is $16.95 a month. OnStar has said the retention rate for service is more than 60 percent.

On the Net:
OnStar: http://www.onstar.com
General Motors Corp.: http://www.gm.com/