SUBARU STARLINK Reviews

by Eckythump72

I traded up to a 2020 Forester a few weeks ago, and installed SUBARUSTARLINK. It causes a "Speed Limit Exceeded" verbal alert to be played over the car speakers every 30 seconds, even if you're only 1mph over, based on the local speed limit of the road you're on. It interrupts the car radio to do this, and the radio stays off after the alert is complete. Super annoying! It wasn't obvious where the alert was coming from. My Subaru dealership had no idea. Googling the issue revealed it to be a common problem that many Subaru owners have been experiencing recently, not just in Foresters. The only fix seems to be uninstalling the Subaru Starlink app. There's no setting for it in SUBARUSTARLINK that you can turn off. I finally found on one of the Subaru owners forums that Subaru of America have acknowledged this as a known issue that popped up after a recent app update, and that they're working on a fix. Until then, the only solution seems to be uninstalling SUBARUSTARLINK . No problem. I can't see what value SUBARUSTARLINK added anyway.

by JimJimYo

SUBARUSTARLINK is actually a black eye for this company. I love my car but SUBARUSTARLINK lacks any usefulness what so ever. It actually shows the lack of technology this company is willing to add for a user experience rather then improving on current functions. I had high hopes for this. Then I realized it was such an epic fail. SUBARUSTARLINK soils the bed for Subaru. What would we want? Something to expand the cars functions or entertainment value. It’s great we have that big old screen in the dash that’s basically a glorified radio. The only app that is semi useful is SUBARUSTARLINK to get the car to unlock but you guys don’t even give any trial to that software. It cost me 100$ just to get functions my wife’s Chevy offers for 1 year free! Granted I get it can’t be free forever but my god if the car wasn’t a reliable mode of transportation I would have drove it back on the lot and bought a different vehicle. Please do something useful with SUBARUSTARLINK or just remove it from SUBARUSTARLINK Store. The ratings don’t lie! It’s a pile of burning trash.

by Nvnsiajwvxkaiav

SUBARUSTARLINK is the biggest waste of literally all things. Won’t even connect to my phone unless USB and then still doesn’t work. The actual system is a joke too. Won’t update itself because it doesn’t have “space” when there is literally nothing on it. It can’t even play the current song via Bluetooth -_- just the song that it starts with. I downloaded SUBARUSTARLINK in hopes I would be able to update it for better usage. Clearly that was wishing too much. Why Subaru, why?? Just don’t even put a system in and let your users buy separately- seriously. That’s how big of a load of crap this system is. How did they even get in with Subaru??

by Danheb

The new version is even worst, such a shame from subaru, you shouldn't even provide your car with radio infotainment leave them blank so we could chose a real one, you should stick to motor. Shame shame shame.
Really poor UI
Really poor designed, really complicate to get or find what we want. There are options that we can see but can't access or use.
And to add less attractivity, it requires a gmail account to be configured, yeap from Google the same company sued all over the world for not following any data privacy rules.
Subaru should only let us use our smartphone with mirrorlink. Subaru doesn't have the knowledge or expertise to try to decide for us.
They should let us use our smartphone that has way more cpu speed, memory...to handle what could be a nice infotainment system. Instead they chose to impose on us another device for which we have no use. SUBARUSTARLINK needs to be rethink from the ground, it is completelly useless. Subaru should be ashame to present this as an entertainment solution to its customers, maybe if we were still in 2007 but were not....

by CookieandBob

I got my 19 crosstrek last October. Remote start worked one time. I called Starlink and was told that they are having trouble with SUBARUSTARLINK and it would be at least mid February before it was fixed. Repairs have never happened. I have called repeatedly and they finally refunded my special deal of $75 for three years for this service. But the real problem is that we are moving back to Arizona and I wanted the remote start for those crazy hot days when you are shopping and you exit the store and would like your car called off before you get into it.
Now it costs close to $1000 to get this remote done. Local dealer that I bought the car from has said that they will do it for me for $550. So I got lucky there.

by Chrystal2

SUBARUSTARLINK is insistent on running when the car is connected. Listening to Apple Music and SUBARUSTARLINK decides on it’s own to open pandora and start playing that. Try to close pandora on the phone and SUBARUSTARLINK simply open it back up. You can’t close pandora, or other apps the car decides are needed until you disconnect it.
Doesn’t play nice with google maps. Will periodically freeze gps location, or crash SUBARUSTARLINK , or decide you need to be using a different app. Has no ability to set default apps, doesn’t allow configuration, must have to use vehicles already installed app. vehicle entertainment system is useless for anything beyond simple listening without it.

by Navyguy

Seriously, SUBARUSTARLINK is useless and Subaru dealerships across the US should be ashamed for pitching vehicles that are flawed, which includes the dependency of SUBARUSTARLINK to access the most standard features. The service department at my dealership is clueless in resolving the error that is preventing me from using the MySubaru app (which is tied in with STARLINK). I had to show them several Subaru forums with complaints addressing app errors, and the solution was bringing in the vehicle to the dealership’s service area after they refused to believe this was not an isolated concern. So the service desk calls the Subaru customer support center as did I several iterations ago and they receive the same response. Duh. So now they are waiting on the fix to this error.

by UpdateSucks727394

I have a 2018 WRX base model. I have tried before several trips to launch navigation and it fails. I have sat in one spot for as long as 30 minuets trying to get the navigation to launch and it doesn’t. Only one time did I get it to launch and that was in the first week with the car. I knew where I was going, I just wanted to test it out. Within 5 miles the head unit said navigation failed and the map froze but it was still directing me verbally. I have an iPhone X and have tried several brand new Apple branded lightning cables. Roommate had a 2017 Legacy with the exact same experience.

Sad thing is that I expected STARLINK to be bad, but it’s actually unusable. Good thing I bought the car for the drive train and not the infotainment.

by O'Hippo

2022 outlook two days old doesn’t recognize SUBARUSTARLINK on the car or the phone, but since several raining fasteners holding undercarriage plastic shield fell out with less than 60 mile on it leaving the shield dangling loose from the car body, I’m not surprised. Even the setting to automatically adjust clock and time zone can’t be change from east coast setting (I’m in mountain zone) one must adjust time manually—apparently a known bug Subaru doesn’t have a fix for. That’s what happens when you build a car in America, I guess. I haven’t had the new Subaru three full days and I already miss my 2010 forester. Don’t buy Subaru I guess is the motto for the future.

by AlyxMsAlyx

I have never been so frustrated by an app and car. A car that relies on an app so incompetent causes real frustration. App constantly crashes (no updates I need to install), maps navigation is useless and horribly designed, car constantly disconnects unless I open up app on phone and then I’m using my phone unsafely while driving. It’s horrible. I’m leasing a car and I hope that within 3 years Subaru finds a better way to handle these “apps”. There are no “apps” you can use on the screen, like how it appears. Mirrorlink doesn’t work with iOS and its useless. They should get on board with a way to play Waze or my phone screen through the car panel. Starlink is useless and SUBARUSTARLINK is horrible. It’s just a bridge so the car can use it, but it works horribly.

by Gandanggarutay

I was all excited about this feature, but it never worked. I can never get the navigation work and so as all that is included in the starlink. This is exactly what my screen says each time i try to use it “Please disconnect mobile device and install the SUBARU STARLINK application in your mobile device and try it again. Bluetooth disconnected, please reconnect and try again. Smartphone data connection is poor, please try to connect again. Please turn off Wi-Fi and try again.” I have tried it many many many times while my data connection is very good and still never worked. The only thing that works is i can lock and unlock my car using SUBARUSTARLINK sometimes. Thats all. This feature that subaru is selling is a big let down. Apple Carplay is much much better without a doubt.

by Bincatt

My brand new car was totaled in a hit and run. I called a week after to get a refund on this subscription since I no longer have a car that is compatible with it. The first person to help me was very nice and canceled my subscription and issued me a paper check refund in the mail. However, 3 weeks later I have not received said check. I called back to find out about this, because I want my money back (obviously), and the woman who answered first transferred me to emergency support line and then when I called back put me on hold and without notice transferred me to the Subaru security line. Like why can’t you just give me my $80 back I don’t understand. I gave my VIN and verified my identity via my phone number but she has no idea what she’s doing apparently….. This is a scam.

by GJKratz

You know that one fart you’ve had in your life where you even ran out of the room because it smelt so bad? Well, SUBARUSTARLINK is much like that. It’s the worst fart you’ve ever smelt.

It’s the worst app I’ve ever seen created for any purpose of any activity ever in the history of mankind. It’s so awful that it HAD TO BE CREATED INTENTIONALLY THAT WAY. Even if you were just plain bad at app development, you’d build something much better than SUBARUSTARLINK. This is SUBARUSTARLINK you create when you are trying to make it awful. Motivation behind such a feat? I have no idea. Not for me to speculate.

All I know is that you can’t download SUBARUSTARLINK or the Pandora app on your phone. If you do so, beware! As soon as you plug your phone into your brand new Subaru with the Pandora app you just download, Pandora overrides all actions of your phone and starts the forced U2 album they bought from Apple a few years ago. They still don’t want your free forced U2 album apple 🙄(inside joke).

Future humans: The year is 2021. This is the year you want to study in great detail not 2020. This is where the end of our species began and SUBARUSTARLINK represents all that is wrong with us as a race.

Over and out.

by Chaunceman

So , I was very disappointed a year ago when I first tried STARLINK. I actually thought I was doing something wrong at first. I couldn’t believe how much stuff didn’t work. It’s like nobody tested it before it was released. On top of that there really wasn’t anything of substance to begin with. Fast forward a year later and I ended up giving it another shot. It’s somehow exactly the same experience. How can a legit auto manufacturer of quality cars be responsible for creating and releasing something like this? And not even fix it but still act like it’s some advanced app to connect your car to your iPhone. Just forget about it or fix it. Like RE-do the whole thing. You owe us that much. The least you could do is allow my WRX to have APPLE CAR PLAY !! Please....?!?! Hurry. Next year I’m gonna get a new car and I see the others. AWD Turbo and apple CarPlay is what I want

by Rgharrison

When it works it seems to work well which is to say you never know it’s there. BUT. Out of the blue it hijacks my iPhone. I close SUBARUSTARLINK ; it reopens itself and subordinates everything else that’s open and running. It refuses to load CarPlay. All I can do is delete the thing and start over. Usually have to go through several cycles of this before, as mysteriously as it had gone awry, it corrects itself. Frankly, since the media centre sports so many bugs, I’m not sure if it’s just SUBARUSTARLINK that’s the problem. The media system, which I rely on for navigation, has quit so many times I’ve been tempted to just return the car. Digital technology being what it is today there is simply no excuse for this sort of product non-performance. It’s more than annoying to have paid a premium for the best system available on my 2019 Crosstrek only to discover it’s more or less crap.

by Sdegthjgiikjj

SUBARUSTARLINK is unreliable. Subaru can do better. Very disappointing. I was not able to use to reach roadside assistance, as after completing their form, I received continued error messages. Also, no confirmations were received when scheduling service with the dealer. As a result of the roadside assistance, they sent a survey and I sent them feedback. Next day, went back to SUBARUSTARLINK to look at the date I had scheduled a service appointment for manufacturers recall and they shut me down. Just an error messa ge saying to call Subaru help desk, but of course, no phone number. The access to everything else in SUBARUSTARLINK was completely unavailable, so could not see time for my appointment at the dealer, couldn’t access information on how to reach Subaru via phone - nothing. What a joke - whomever is running this has a kit of work to do. I expect more from Subaru!

by GWD4

SUBARUSTARLINK is the exact opposite of what you expect from Subaru. The cars are magnificent, not so SUBARUSTARLINK . If you are older, things like putting up error messages in small red print on a black background with the inability to zoom disregards basic visual physiology: contrast sensitivity and acuity are related, and low contrast print effectively lowers font size. Not everyone is 30, and this makes SUBARUSTARLINK unusable for those with less than perfect vision.
From what I can see so far, SUBARUSTARLINK misses the mark. For example, I input the VIN of my new car and what shows up is the vehicle I traded in. Also, some potentially REALLY useful features are not there. An example would be the ability to store, add and move GPS Favorite addresses between vehicles.

by DonFelipe82

Subaru team, I have a 17 WRX Limited and I’m without CarPlay. SUBARUSTARLINK is not even close to being a comparable substitute. With a mediocre design and below average usability it’s not a suitable replacement. Why should other owners and I less fortunate to have picked a model not supporting CarPlay be forced to purchase an aftermarket headunit? If the Japanese engineers read the numerous concerns voiced by other owners, we would see a change.  can only do so much and it’s almost like SOA isn’t concerned with these headaches. Quite disappointing but it is what it is... 👎🏼

by Sgtsdad

I feel the application has been improved over the 1.5 years that I have been using it. Service work is updated faster than before also. Contract info is now in SUBARUSTARLINK . No complaints with SUBARUSTARLINK . The only issue I have had a beef with in the past is the remote start. Many times it wouldn’t connect with the server. Now that winter is coming - I will get a chance to test it again.

by KDEKernel

SUBARUSTARLINK interfaces with the infotainment to give you updates to maps on certain modes, and has the quick reference guide for the car functions.

It also has a slew of apps that while limited compared to modern apps, they offer a secure manner of installing apps (like an App Store) and using them on your car.

Stay away from the navigation app in here, but all others work fine for each niche.