Subaru STARLINK is Subaru’s in-car connected services and infotainment system that bundles safety, security, remote-control, and multimedia features into one package for your Subaru vehicle.

What is Subaru STARLINK, in simple terms?

Think of STARLINK as Subaru’s version of GM’s OnStar or other OEM connected- car platforms. It combines:

  • In-car apps and multimedia (music, phone, navigation on equipped models).
  • Safety features like automatic crash notification and SOS assistance on supported plans.
  • Security and remote-control tools such as remote lock/unlock and, on some plans, remote start and vehicle locate via the MySubaru app.

Key pieces: Safety, Security, Multimedia

1. Safety & emergency

On many 2016+ Subarus, STARLINK offers a safety subscription that can include:

  • SOS button in the car to call for emergency help.
  • Automatic collision notification if airbags deploy.
  • Enhanced roadside assistance.
  • Vehicle health reports and maintenance/diagnostic alerts.

Owners on forums often refer to this as “Safety Plus” or “Starlink Safety,” typically the baseline paid tier.

2. Security & remote control

A higher tier (often called “Security Plus” or similar) adds app-based remote features:

  • Remote lock and unlock.
  • Remote engine start/stop and climate presets on equipped vehicles.
  • Vehicle locate, stolen-vehicle assistance, and security-alarm notifications.
  • Curfew, speed, and geofence-style alerts in some configurations.

These functions are used through the MySubaru smartphone app and require an active subscription plus compatible hardware in the car.

3. Multimedia, navigation, and Wi‑Fi

On the infotainment side, Subaru brands the head unit and app suite as STARLINK Multimedia:

  • Touchscreen interface with audio, Bluetooth phone, and apps.
  • Smartphone integration (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on many models).
  • Built‑in navigation on certain trims.
  • Optional 4G LTE Wi‑Fi hotspot in some newer models, typically via a cellular partner such as AT&T.

This is what you see on the center screen: audio, phone, apps, settings, and sometimes native navigation.

Plans, model years, and subscriptions

Subaru’s naming and plan structure has evolved, especially around 2025–2026.

  • Model years 2016–2025
    • Often use “STARLINK Safety & Security” plans with tiers like Safety Plus and Security Plus.
* These cover the emergency and remote features on compatible models such as Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, BRZ, and WRX.
  • Model year 2026 and newer
    • Subaru is shifting to “MySubaru Connected Services” with Companion and Companion+ plans, but the concept is similar: a base plan with safety and remote basics, plus an upgraded plan with more remote and convenience functions.

Dealers and owners often describe typical pricing numbers (for example, around a hundred dollars per year for a safety tier plus a bit more for the higher security tier), but you should always check Subaru’s current official pricing for your region and model because it can change.

How people talk about it on forums

On Subaru forums and Reddit, when someone asks “what is Subaru STARLINK,” the most common answers are:

“It’s Subaru’s version of OnStar – crash notification, roadside assistance, plus app-based remote start/lock if you pay for the higher tier.”

Owners also discuss:

  • Whether the subscription is “worth it” compared with using a separate remote start kit or phone tracking app.
  • That the service uses cellular connectivity (often citing AT&T as the underlying network in many areas).
  • Practical perks like sending navigation destinations from the app to the car, checking if doors are locked, or locating the vehicle in a big parking lot.

Quick HTML table: main idea

Here’s a compact view you can embed:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Aspect</th>
      <th>What it is</th>
      <th>Examples</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Safety</td>
      <td>Emergency and crash-related services via STARLINK/Connected Services.[web:1][web:6]</td>
      <td>SOS button, automatic collision notification, roadside assistance.[web:1][web:3][web:6]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Security</td>
      <td>Remote control and vehicle monitoring features.[web:1][web:3][web:6]</td>
      <td>Remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle locate, alerts, stolen-vehicle assistance.[web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Multimedia</td>
      <td>Infotainment and connectivity platform built into the head unit.[web:1][web:6][web:10]</td>
      <td>Music apps, Bluetooth, CarPlay/Android Auto, navigation on some trims.[web:1][web:6][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Connectivity</td>
      <td>Data link enabling apps and optional Wi‑Fi hotspot.[web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>4G LTE Wi‑Fi hotspot, app communication via cellular network.[web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.