New Lexus Cars Will Phone Home, Report Engine Status
New Lexus cars will regularly report to dealerships their conditions and any engine trouble, Automotive News reported.
The service, which is dubbed Enform Service Connect, will be added to new Lexus models starting with the 2016 ES. The opt-in service will be bundled with the Enform connectivity service, which costs $139 each year after the first year.
According to the report, the vehicle will submit via telematics information about the car’s condition and mileage to Lexus service locations, who may call owners to schedule maintenance. A monthly report may be generated for owners to see their cars’ statuses and to totally remind you not to cheat on your local Lexus dealer with that other Jiffy Lube, OK?
Lexus says the service will be opt-in for owners. If an owner notices a warning light, they would still have to call into the dealer and provide a VIN for technicians to diagnose the car’s problems.
So you know, it’s basically OnStar and nothing could go wrong with that, right?
More by Aaron Cole
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Ring, ring! Hello, I'm a Lexus, and I'm fugly.
Of course, in the true spirit of 21st century malice, this data will be collected to spam you with ads from dealership service departments. Oh, and a bombardment of paper mail, because used-car supplies are low, especially '16 ES's, and they'll give you a great deal on a your trade in for a new car.
From this year, Mercedes cars will also do this, no need to subscribe to anything, they have a built-in GSM module that sends VIN+Data to Mercedes HQ. Not just engine status.
I have decided to never buy a car that communicates through the internet. My next vehicle will have a simple, robust fuel-injection system, a simple automatic trans and a CD-changer. I'm thinking a late 90s GMC Yukon.