OnStar 'ignition block' disables stolen vehicles

OnStar, General Motors' in-vehicle safety and communications system, has launched a service to keep car thieves from starting a vehicle that has been reported stolen.

As of July 20, three stolen cars had been disabled by the technology, called "remote ignition block."

The feature is available on select 2009 and 2010 GM models. Subscribers must report their vehicles stolen to police officials and request assistance from OnStar, which then sends a signal that prevents the car from restarting.

The block adds to a suite of stolen-vehicle products, ranging from tracking by global positioning systems to a service designed to curtail high-speed police chases by conveying a signal that idles a stolen vehicle.

OnStar President Chet Huber said in an interview that the ignition block marked the next logical step in Onstar's work with law-enforcement and emergency-aid departments.

"We're taking a piece at a time," Huber said.

"We said: 'What if we even could prevent the high-speed chase? What if we could actually reach into the car before the bad guys had a chance to run out and do something bad with it?' "

He quipped: "I would characterize this as the Denver boot from outer space, although our marketing guys won't let me call it that."

By Leslie J. Allen- Automotive News