OnStar is a tool of convenience. When purchasing an OnStar-enabled vehicle, you can choose from a variety of different services. Prices vary based on the services that you choose, but you are not required to purchase every service that OnStar offers. These services can help you in the case of an emergency, or help you limit your risk of having an emergency.
If a car with the OnStar Automatic Crash Response feature is involved in an accident, the impact alerts an OnStar Advisor that your vehicle was involved in an accident. The OnStar Advisor will then attempt to contact you through your OnStar voice system, and if there is no response, the advisor can relay information such as your location and damage information to emergency responders.
OnStar can help the owner of a stolen vehicle. The GPS feature of OnStar will help assist the police in locating the vehicle. The OnStar Advisor can also remotely stop the ignition from starting and limit the speed of the vehicle on the road. These can be used to assist the police in recovering a vehicle with OnStar installed.
The OnStar system can monitor your vehicle using the vehicle's computer system for issues that would require maintenance, such as transmission, engine or brake system problems. The OnStar product can also keep an owner updated as to when you should take your vehicle in for the next oil change and if tire pressure is low. OnStar can even alert you about any recall notices published for your vehicle.
The OnStar service will help you get where you need to go. All an OnStar customer has to do is press a button on the OnStar screen and the OnStar Advisor will send directions for how to get to the destination from where the vehicle is currently located. If you make a wrong turn, these directions will be updated to help you to your destination.
This feature of OnStar doesn't use Bluetooth capabilities of a driver's cell phone; the calling system works without a cell phone. You purchase a prepaid minute plan and then make phone calls using your car's speaker system without having to take your eyes off the road.
