Certain model of Toyota cars can now be controlled by a remote, and they are called Toyota Remote Connect Compatible Vehicles. These are vehicles that allow drivers to access several features and parts of their Toyota cars through a click on their smartphones.
Is Remote Connect Available in All Toyota Cars?
No, the remote connection is not available in all Toyota cars. Therefore, not all Toyota cars can be accessed by remote control.
Toyota cars have been in existence for several decades, and Toyota cars with remote connect are only new inventions that are now installed in the latest cars that are manufactured by the Toyota group.
There are specific cars in which remote connections are enabled, and to know if your car is remote connect compatible, you can either ask your dealer or check the manual of the Toyota car that you purchased
Toyota Remote Connect Compatible Vehicles
The Toyota Remote Connect Compatible Vehicles are:
- Toyota Mirai (2018)
- Toyota Sienna (2018)
- Toyota Camry (2018)
- Toyota Corolla Hatchback (2019)
- Toyota Sienna (2019)
- Toyota Camry (2019)
- Toyota RAV4 (2019)
- Toyota C-HR (2019)
- Toyota Prius (2019)
- Toyota Avalon (2019)
- Toyota Corolla (2020)
- Toyota Sienna (2020)
- Toyota Tundra TRD Sport (2020)
- Toyota Sequoia
- Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro (2020)
- Toyota Highlander (2020)
- Toyota 4Runner (2020)
Most Toyota cars from 2020 comes with remote connect.
What are the Benefits of Remote Connect on Toyota Cars?
Benefits of remote connection on Toyota cars are:
1. Locking and Unlocking your Car at your Convenience
With Remote connect, you can lock your car from anywhere, no matter how far away you are. Once you realize you mistakenly left your car unlocked, you can simply get on the app on your phone and lock it, without even having your car on site.
Usually, there’s a confirmation once the process has been taken successfully.
2. Helps You Find your Vehicle Easily
This is usually helpful in very large parking lots, or when your car has been taken by someone else. You can find your car using the remote connect app installed on your phone.
It simply uses the GPS tool installed on your car, connected to your phone to discover your Toyota car’s location.
3. You Can Start or Stop Your Engine Remotely
With the remote connect, you can also start and stop the engine of your car with just a single click on the app. Using remote start makes driving life easier.
You might want to warm up your car even before you get to it or you get into it to drive. The remote connect is handy in situations like this.
4. Alerts You of the Condition of your Vehicle
This means hardware conditions, whether the windows or doors or even the trunk of the car are properly locked. You can see it displayed on the app and then you can choose the necessary actions.
5. Monitoring and Driving Information
Another benefit is that when you aren’t the one driving, or when you’re not in the vehicle and someone else is driving your car, you can monitor what the person is doing per time, the miles per hour (MPH) the person is driving, where your vehicle is, whether it is parking at the moment, or on reverse, etc.
This benefit is made possible with the Guest Monitor function of the car. With this function, you can register up to five guests who are authorized to drive your car.
Can Toyota Remote Connect be Added After Purchase?
Yes, the Toyota remote connect can be added after purchase as long as your Toyota car is equipped to be remote connect compatible. If you are using a remote connect Toyota, then you can add it after purchasing it, if it hasn’t been added or activated beforehand.
However, if your Toyota car is not equipped to be remotely connectable, then you cannot add it after purchase or at any time at all.
It simply isn’t made for the remote connect function. If you want a remote connect function so bad, then you have to purchase a Toyota car that is equipped for the function.
Do I Have to Pay for Toyota Remote Connect?
Yes, you do have to pay Toyota for remote connect.
Although new users and buyers can get free trials of the remote connect function for about several years (between three and ten years, depending on the car you are purchasing), at the end of the trial period, if you want to continue enjoying the Toyota Remote Connect function, then you have to pay for it.
How Much is Toyota Remote Connect?
To enjoy the Toyota Remote Connect function after free trials are over, you need to either pay eight dollars ($8) monthly or eighty dollars ($80) annually, whichever works for you. If you can afford to pay $80 at a go, it is better, as it is more cost-efficient than paying $8 every month.
Final Thoughts
In case you are wondering, not all new models (2021 or 2022) Toyota cars have the remote connect function. To get the remote connect function, you have to be particular about which car you are buying and whether it has the remote function.
You can always find out by checking online or better still, reading this article again, to discover which Toyota cars have the remote connect function.
