here we go again. Ten years ago, luxury cars like Lexus and Cadillac that used OnStar really messed up. When the wireless 2G signal was turned off, they and their customers lost navigation and emergency services. You would think that OnStar, automakers, and the wireless industry will learn their lesson and never let this happen to them and their customers again. However, it seems that they did not.

At the time, Lexus used the OnStar system and branded its version of the service Lexus Link. Today, I heard that Lexus still uses OnStar as their Enform navigation service.

So far, only Lexus has started to inform customers that their service will end next year...again.

I don't know what plans the auto industry has for these services in the future, but other companies such as Mercedes-Benz are planning to continue to provide this service. This is the competitive advantage they will enjoy.

For me, OnStar, Enform, and other companies are likely to return as they did ten years ago.

In fact, there are many different navigation services on the market today. Ford, Nissan, BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Lexus, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and several other companies are using them.

I don't know which ones will switch from 3G to 4G and which ones will not. However, this is a problem that the industry encountered ten years ago, and it seems that many people will experience this problem again.

Ten years ago, the problem only appeared in luxury cars. Today, many cars use it every day, and more cars are being purchased every day. This means that this could be a disaster for many drivers around the world.

I will discuss OnStar and Enform, but the affected cars may experience the same problem next year.

The reason this will happen again in 2022 is because the wireless 3G signal will be shut down. This is what everyone who cares about the wireless industry knows will happen. So, how can OnStar and Enform executives be so blind?

The plans of automakers, OnStar and wireless carriers are terrible. This problem is completely avoidable and completely unacceptable to customers.

What is the old saying... Lie to me once, you are shameful, you lied to me twice, I am shameful. Customers hope that navigation services in the automotive industry can learn lessons in the first place. Now customers ask, why don’t they?

The commercial aspect of the industry provides navigation services to companies with trucks and delivery fleets. These companies have been granted extensions for several years. Unfortunately, this is not the case on the consumer side.

Lexus has begun to warn customers that their Enform service will end in 2022.

OnStar may not have started to notify their customers. However, if Lexus is losing their service, it is logical to assume that OnStar customers will also lose service, because I was told Enform to use OnStar.

OnStar is the service behind many cars, including most (if not all) General Motors, including Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, etc. OnStar is a General Motors company.

Therefore, all vehicles and brands with these functions are in the same boat.

I don’t know which services each car manufacturer uses and whether this will affect all cars or only some of them.

Some people may escape this bullet. Others may not.

However, no matter how you slice, there is no excuse. This should be prepared. There is no excuse for valued customers to experience this hell again.

The automotive industry hopes that users can trust them because they will make progress in self-driving cars and autonomous driving. Although this technology will be a huge leap, the industry will only hurt itself because of the trust of its customers.

You see, to convince drivers that their cars can drive autonomously, they must trust the car manufacturer. The loss of OnStar and Enform services short-circuited the establishment of such trust.

This will only undermine the efforts of the auto industry to move forward. This means that they are shooting themselves with their feet and at the same time losing their competitive advantage.

This is not the first time the auto industry has been surprised. Ten years ago, these services used wireless 2G networks. When the 2G network is shut down, this service will also shut down.

This is bad enough, but with the rapid development of technology, we have allowed the auto industry to relax. But this shouldn't happen again.

The problem is that it is preparing.

What the automotive industry that cooperates with wireless networks should do is to make the next version upgradable. Knowing that 3G will not last forever, they should create scalable navigation and emergency services.

Will the auto industry learn to upgrade technology?

However, even if they are ready next time, this will not help customers who already have a vehicle with this feature, which will soon be unavailable.

This is a very disappointing performance in the automotive industry.

This is serious for a considerable number of users. Many people rely on these services. This is why they make sure that they have it on their cars. No matter how long they have owned the vehicle, they should have it.

Many users simply use their smartphones with Google Maps or Apple Maps. Therefore, there is at least a partial solution that does not exist when 2G is shut down.

But this means connecting the phone to the windshield and not using it while driving. In any case, this is not the same experience. No one asked for directions. Even if you cannot, there is no emergency service to ask for help.

Some buyers keep cars for ten years or more. Especially luxury cars. Some people buy these used cars and expect to have the same functions. In fact, they paid extra for these features.

However, by the middle of 2022, owners of many different luxury car brands that rely on this valuable feature will be out of luck.

Apple Play and Android Auto are two features that some automakers add to their new cars. This is a good addition, but it cannot replace the good navigation and emergency services of OnStar, Lexus Enform and other companies.

Maybe OnStar will disappear. Maybe the future is services like Apple Play and Android Auto. If this is the case, the automotive industry will put the market in the dark. All their customers are ready to shut down their services and have no choice.

Perhaps the future shift to Apple Play and Android Auto will be the direction of development of this industry.

But what about all customers who owned cars before installing these services?

Obviously, they were out of luck.

I stopped at a dealer and talked with a manager who knew the problem well. Most importantly, they said that either the service will be shut down or the automaker will come up with a solution. However, he really didn't know.

So, this is where we are today. We can only hope that automakers and the wireless industry can work together to solve this problem for a long time. It should be as simple as replacing a 4G or 5G connector.

If automakers want to invest, they can keep their services active and keep customers happy. I suggest that they maintain their trust in their customers, and they should do so.

Otherwise, the damage to its brand will be huge. So, what we can do now is to wait to see if they do it right. Every month without a solution will make their customers worry, which will reduce the influence of their brand. We will pay close attention.

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