GM makes select OnStar services free

General Motors said on Wednesday that it will make unlocking doors, activating horn and lights, and remote start on equipped vehicles standard with its OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App for 2014 vehicles, even if owners decline to pay for other OnStar services. More than 36 Buicks, Cadillacs, GMC and Chevy models are compatible with the app.

GM says it gets more than 60,000 requests from forgetful drivers each month, asking for door-unlock assistance, “so it makes sense for us to offer RemoteLink key-fob services to enable customers to lock, unlock or start their vehicle from anywhere they have a wireless or cellular connection,” said Mary Chan, president GM global connected-consumer business unit.

Additional services such as monitoring the vehicle's operating systems, one-touch access to OnStar and the Directions and Connections plan are still available by subscription.

Once a customer takes delivery of an eligible vehicle, they can download the app on any smartphone and agree to the terms. The app will work for five years from the date of delivery.

The kicker with the RemoteLink Mobile App is that it will work wherever there is a cellular signal: It's not limited by the radio range of a key fob. GM envisions drivers touching down at the airport in the winter, starting their car immediately and making it toasty warm by the time they arrive.

By Jake Lingeman