Dear General Motors,
Seven months ago, I purchased a Chevy Equinox EV. Overall, I am happy. The car has exceeded expectations in all but one area. Something is wrong with the OnStar/ GPS.
I did try to reach out to OnStar for help. I pressed the little button affixed to the rear view mirror, but nothing happened. "Nothing" is not an exaggeration. The LED stayed green. The trademarked buzz or hum from OnStar never sounded, and more to the point, an OnStar operator did not connect.
I did try to call on my cellular phone, and I can report that something happened. A digital voice politely told me that technical support was unavailable and I would need to call back later in the day.
Alas, I had to go to work. I needed to go to work to earn money. Money is the stuff I need to buy GM cars. I need money for other things too, but that is not the point I am trying to make. When I went to work, I was working. I am trying to say that I forgot to call back later in the day to talk to the polite digital voice at OnStar.
On a side note. There are other features of the excellent entertainment system that are not working. My entertainment apps, which I downloaded from My Chevy for use with the radio, are not syncing. I can’t listen to my audiobooks, my podcasts, or my National Public Radio App.
I am rambling. Here is the point. I was unable to tell the OnStar operator that something was wrong with the GPS system. For 14 days, the map has shown a little warning related to the GPS system, and the map displays my car 14 miles from its actual location. I should note that I typically don’t look at the map when I am driving. I did glance down because I had a hard time believing that Google Voice really wanted me to drive off a bridge into the Susquehanna River. I looked down at the screen to confirm the inaccuracy.
Yep. The voice was telling me to drive off the bridge and into the river. I didn’t.
Instead, I scheduled an appointment with my local dealer. I had to call because the OnStar button would not work. The car was with the dealer for the better part of a morning. When returned, the mechanic said that “they were unable to fix the problem, and an OnStar module has been ordered.”
At this point, you are probably thinking that I am complaining that the OnStar module went bad less than six months after I purchased the car. You would be wrong. I am also not writing to complain that it has been 24 days since the OnStar module worked, and the part still hasn’t arrived.
I am writing to explain to you that you made a design mistake. A mistake that will undoubtedly be costly for GM, because I’ve looked, and I am not alone. Many of your 2025 models (EV and otherwise) are experiencing the same issue.
It is a mistake that can be corrected without a new OnStar module. A mistake that can be corrected without adding OnStar modules to future vehicles. After all, most of us have the equivalent of an OnStar Module in our pockets. My smartphone has GPS. My smartphone has entertainment applications, and my smartphone has an OnStar App.
Imagine. If I could only connect my smartphone to the large screen in my GM vehicle. I could run my applications. I could mirror my navigation software, I could… wait. This sounds like technology from the past. Don’t Apple CarPlay and Android Auto do the same thing?
Oh GM. Your mistake was eliminating the option for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Seven months ago, I purchased a Chevy Equinox EV. Overall, I am happy. The car has exceeded expectations in all but one area. Something is wrong with the OnStar/ GPS.
I did try to reach out to OnStar for help. I pressed the little button affixed to the rear view mirror, but nothing happened. "Nothing" is not an exaggeration. The LED stayed green. The trademarked buzz or hum from OnStar never sounded, and more to the point, an OnStar operator did not connect.
I did try to call on my cellular phone, and I can report that something happened. A digital voice politely told me that technical support was unavailable and I would need to call back later in the day.
Alas, I had to go to work. I needed to go to work to earn money. Money is the stuff I need to buy GM cars. I need money for other things too, but that is not the point I am trying to make. When I went to work, I was working. I am trying to say that I forgot to call back later in the day to talk to the polite digital voice at OnStar.
On a side note. There are other features of the excellent entertainment system that are not working. My entertainment apps, which I downloaded from My Chevy for use with the radio, are not syncing. I can’t listen to my audiobooks, my podcasts, or my National Public Radio App.
I am rambling. Here is the point. I was unable to tell the OnStar operator that something was wrong with the GPS system. For 14 days, the map has shown a little warning related to the GPS system, and the map displays my car 14 miles from its actual location. I should note that I typically don’t look at the map when I am driving. I did glance down because I had a hard time believing that Google Voice really wanted me to drive off a bridge into the Susquehanna River. I looked down at the screen to confirm the inaccuracy.
Yep. The voice was telling me to drive off the bridge and into the river. I didn’t.
Instead, I scheduled an appointment with my local dealer. I had to call because the OnStar button would not work. The car was with the dealer for the better part of a morning. When returned, the mechanic said that “they were unable to fix the problem, and an OnStar module has been ordered.”
At this point, you are probably thinking that I am complaining that the OnStar module went bad less than six months after I purchased the car. You would be wrong. I am also not writing to complain that it has been 24 days since the OnStar module worked, and the part still hasn’t arrived.
I am writing to explain to you that you made a design mistake. A mistake that will undoubtedly be costly for GM, because I’ve looked, and I am not alone. Many of your 2025 models (EV and otherwise) are experiencing the same issue.
It is a mistake that can be corrected without a new OnStar module. A mistake that can be corrected without adding OnStar modules to future vehicles. After all, most of us have the equivalent of an OnStar Module in our pockets. My smartphone has GPS. My smartphone has entertainment applications, and my smartphone has an OnStar App.
Imagine. If I could only connect my smartphone to the large screen in my GM vehicle. I could run my applications. I could mirror my navigation software, I could… wait. This sounds like technology from the past. Don’t Apple CarPlay and Android Auto do the same thing?
Oh GM. Your mistake was eliminating the option for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
