General Motors’ OnStar division has been nothing short of a major success story over its 16 years of operation. But if there’s one major problem that has historically stood in the way of it becoming an automotive technology juggernaut, it’s that OnStar has always been limited to just GM vehicles. Until now.

@funkmasterflex

Coming to a Best Buy near you in the spring of 2011 will be a complete standalone OnStar package housed in one aftermarket mirror. For $299 (plus an estimated $75-$100 for installation and a service plan starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year), you’ll get the whole suite of features offered by OnStar, including:
Automatic Crash Response
Link to Emergency Services
Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance
Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Roadside Assistance
Hands-Free Calling
This standalone system includes everything needed to get your non-GM (or non-OnStar-equipped older GM) car or truck hooked up to the OnStar network. Installation involves removing the old rear-view mirror, installing the new one and running a power line – which supposedly takes less than an hour and will be handled by trained technicians from Best Buy, though other retail locations seem likely in the future.
AB