Woman Learns She Has to Pay to Remote Start 2017 Volvo XC90. Then Mechanic Husband FInds Cheaper Fix

Netflix. Spotify. Now, your car?

One Volvo owner shared on TikTok that she was stunned to learn she had to pay a subscription to use her SUV’s remote start, a feature that used to come standard on much cheaper vehicles. Her husband’s fix turned into a viral moment, exposing how far the “pay-to-play” trend has crept into modern cars.

The clip from The Vegan Mom (@theveganmom), which has been viewed more than 201,000 times, digs deep into the trend toward subscription services for anything digital. As a mom of young kids needing to hustle them into the vehicle during cold winters, she explained that remote starting is a must-have that car companies are capitalizing on to earn more revenue.

“I love this car. Wintertime comes last year. "OK, how do I remote start the car?" [My husband is] looking into it … and he's like, ‘Oh, we have to pay,’" she said. “I would be paying them money every single month for a car that we already own and is paid off.”

Volvo’s Remote Start Subscription Model

According to official documentation from Volvo, the Volvo Cars App is free to download, but “some digital services carry an extra cost.” For US vehicles equipped with Volvo’s Sensus Connect telematics module, a renewal term for the connected services costs approximately $200 for 12 months. In other words, after purchase, you own the car, but certain remote features continue to require a recurring payment.

On user forums, many owners express frustration. “$200 a year is the standard price in the US…” writes one owner on Reddit. Others ask, “Does everyone think it’s worth it?” when the feature used is only remote-start or lock/unlock.

Volvo itself states that new vehicles may include a complimentary period of the service, but once that ends, the renewal cost applies, and the agreement is non-refundable and non-transferable.

A Possible Remote Start Workaround

The TikToker’s husband, a mechanic, refused to accept paying for the subscription. Instead, he installed an aftermarket remote-start kit that bypasses the app-subscription entirely, turning the owner’s key fob or a smartphone app into a one-time paid solution rather than a monthly fee. 

The device the TikToker referenced, believed to be the DroneMobile X1 LTE Module or something similar, allows remote start/lock/unlock via smartphone, with no ongoing subscription required beyond the one-time hardware purchase. Official aftermarket vendors list compatible kits for the XC90 and other Volvo models.

Meanwhile, the official Volvo renewal route remains active. For owners who opt to stay within the manufacturer’s ecosystem, the convenience and possible remote support may still justify the annual fee.

Gallery: 2017 Volvo XC90

What This Means for Drivers

What’s happening here is emblematic of a shifting trend: Automakers are increasingly treating features like remote-start, pre-conditioning, lock/unlock, location tracking, and telematics as services, rather than purely hardware options. That raises issues around ownership, resale value, and consumer perception.

For this owner with a paid-off SUV, young kids, and handling seasonal weather, the idea of paying month after month simply to start the car felt unreasonable. She captured that frustration: “For a car we already own … to be able to use one feature on it, I have to pay a subscription?” At the same time, her husband’s workaround highlights the DIY/aftermarket path many are exploring to avoid recurring fees.

From the manufacturer's side, the business case is clear: Telematics services cost money for cellular data, server infrastructure, and cybersecurity, support, and recurring revenue is more attractive than one-time upgrades. Still, consumers may balk when legacy features like remote-start via key-fob that were once included no longer are, or are locked behind subscriptions.

If you own (or plan to buy) a Volvo equipped with remote start via the Volvo Cars App, check these things:

• Does your vehicle still have a complimentary subscription period, or has it expired?
• What is the renewal cost for your model year and region (typically ~$200/year in the U.S.)?
• What features remain enabled without the subscription? For example, emergency SOS and crash notification, versus what features are disabled, like remote start, lock, and unlock.
• Are aftermarket solutions compatible with your vehicle and telematics module? As forums indicate, some owners have successfully installed modules like the SKSXC for the XC90 with key-fob activation.
• Consider the installation cost, warranty implications, and whether the aftermarket solution meets your functional needs.

What began as a TikTok rant about unexpected subscription fees on a 2017 Volvo XC90 reveals a broader story, one of automakers monetizing once-free or one-time features, and drivers pushing back with ingenuity. As cars become ever more connected and software-defined, the question for buyers is increasingly not just what car they own, but what ongoing costs are hiding behind it.

Motor1 reached out to the creator via direct message and post comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.