Review: Why you’ll want Hyundai Blue Link Connected Car Remote Services with Alerts

MenuHyundai Blue Link is one of the top app and web products from a vehicle manufacturer because not only does it offer smartphone connectivity (iPhone and Android) but smartwatch connections through Android Wear and Apple Watch. I recently tested Hyundai Blue Link on a Hyundai Sonata Limited Edition using an AT&T Samsung Galaxy 6 Android phone and a Verizon iPhone 6S. I found the apps to work well and are easy to use.

Hyundai Blue Link services are also available through a web portal, which makes it easy to set up features such as geofencing and read reports on a large screen.

Android and iPhone Apps

Blue Link apps installation is effortless. Download a Blue Link app from either the App Store/iTunes or Google Play. In order for you to use a Blue Link app, you must already have Hyundai Blue Link services which comes with the vehicle free for a trial period (see details below.)

File_001Features of Hyundai Blue Link include remote start to turn on climate control for a cooler/warmer car, remote unlock/lock, remote horn/lights, stop and vehicle location. The location of the car is sent through the antenna and the vehicles’ connection.

When using the remote start and vehicle, I found when I used it the first time after parking the Elantra, there was anywhere from a 20-45 second delay before the event occurred which in most cases is not a problem. In areas where there were weak signals, it took the longest. When I was closer to the vehicle it took the least amount of time to complete a command.

For iPhone and Android, you need to login into the app, tap locate, start or unlock and enter a passcode which is fine if you are freezing inside and want to warm up the car. You can pre-set the temperature and fan speed before turning off the car. If  the car has Fully Automatic Temperature Control, you can set the cabin air temperature Remote settingsdirectly from the web or mobile app.

It’s not a good idea to rely on the apps to start, beep the horn or open the doors in the case dangerous situations such as being followed when it is better to use the key fob to flash the lights to locate the car. Also sometimes the network was busy or I received another message that didn’t allow the app to work. The key fob just requires a quick tap while the apps require the passcode and have a time delay. However, if you lock your keys in the car and have your iPhone or Android phone out of the car, you’ll be glad you have the feature.

Alexa Start My Hyundai

Hyundai is planning to have Blue Link work with Amazon Echo which should make the remote start process easier. While you’re getting ready for work, on a cold day you say, “Alexa start my Hyundai.”

Geofencing & Curfew

The Blue Link feature that parents and relatives of older family members will love is geofencing. You can be notified when the car enters or leaves an area either by email or text messaging. A survey conducted by the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University revealed that parents want connected car controls.

In order for the teen monitoring feature to work, it must be installed on the infotainment system through system set up. Then you can set up alerts to when a vehicle enters or leaves areas such as school, the beach, city or the sports field.cour

geofencesforteenYou can create one inclusive boundary the vehicle must not leave, and five exclusive boundaries the vehicle must not enter. GEO Fence boundaries can be circular or rectangular, which are centered around a location found using search tools in the web portal.

You can also set up notifications according to time in Curfew Alert and set speed limits in Speed Alert. Parents say it gives them peace of mind. While driving the teenagers crazy, the alerts are a helpful tool because research has proven that teens drive better when coached by their parents.

However, sometimes if the alert is not carefully planned, you get so many alerts its is confusing. I set up an inclusive alert around a local high school. Once the car was returned to Hyundai corporate in another county, I continually received alert messages. I think it would help to think about where you usually drive or family members the car and the boundary you don’t want teens to leave. It is especially difficult in Los Angeles because it covers a great distance. I found the exclusive places such as the beach or Disneyland were easier to set up. So far the car caretakers at Hyundai haven’t gone to the beach or Disneyland in the press loaner car. Of course, you can cancel/delete an alert at any time through the web portal.

There is a great reporting feature within the web portal that enables the car owner to see all the alerts in one place. It also shows when there is a panic alert from the vehicle.Geofencepanic

You can also send a location you search online from the app or web portal to the car. Vehicle diagnosis interprets the diagnostic codes and any error messages.

VehiclestatusVehicle Status

Another good feature of Blue Link is the vehicle status if you aren’t sure if you locked the doors of the car or even shut off the ignition the app will show what’s going on.

The only quirk I noticed with the Hyundai Elantra Limited Edition is that the app didn’t show if the sunroof was open or the windows were open. It shows the engine is off, the climate control is off and if the doors are locked. By mistake, I left the sunroof ajar. I like the idea of being able the open the windows to air out the car on a hot day or to know when the windows are open or closed.

The Blue Link app has a nice meter reminder feature that you can to set remind when the meter expires.

Hyundai Blue Link vs OnStar

OnStar Basic Plan with OnStar Remote Link now comes standard on 2014 model year and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles for five years from the date of new vehicle delivery. Plus, it is available to owners of eligible pre-owned, 2011 model year or newer vehicles for three years. OnStar Remote Link gives access to key fob, vehicle status, location on the map and offers. The location was not real-time when I last used the feature but it gave me idea of where the Chevy was on it route to be delivered.

OnStar includes remote features without alerts for five years for free. A new promotion for the Chevy Cruze, Chevrolet offers 24GB or 24 months of Wi-Fi hotspots for free along with as well  SiriusXM Satellite,  and OnStar Guidance for no charge for the first two years. Roadside assistance is free for five years or 60K miles. However, OnStar Family Link with geofences and locating is $3.99 a month extra. It gives subscribers the exact location of the vehicle. It requires an OnStar subscription but doesn’t state what kind. We have a call out to an OnStar rep to find out what kind of OnStar account you need for Family Link. The new 2016 Chevy Malibu and newer has teen training and monitoring included.

VehiclelocationBlue Link Vehicle locate currently only locates the vehicle when you are a mile from the car. This is not helpful in the case you have an elderly relative with memory loss, you would have to contact the police or contact the relative. For lost or stolen vehicles the Hyundai owner has to file a police report and then the police can contact Hyundai to enable. The Blue Link Customer Care agent will need a report number to help police find the location the vehicle. Once the vehicle is located, local authorities will be dispatched to the scene and if still in motion, the agent will trigger a series of remote commands to ensure the vehicle comes to a complete stop and the engine becomes immobilized to ensure your vehicle is recovered safely.

The Elantra is one Hyundai’s most popular models. Prices for the Hyundai Elantra from TrueCar start at $19,708 and $19,260 at Edmunds.com.

For the most part, the apps worked seamlessly on an iPhone 6S provided by Verizon  and an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 6.

All features work and are helpful. Geofence and Speed Alerts especially helpful for parents of teen drivers or family members of elderly drivers.
Cons of Hyundai Blue Link: You can only locate the vehicle when it is within a mile of your location. There is a slight time delay for remote features.

Apple Watch and Android Wear allow users to

  • Remotely start the engine.
  • Remotely lock or unlock the doors.
  • Remotely flash the lights and honk the horn in an emergency or to find your car in crowded parking lot.
  • Call roadside assistance.
  • Call Blue Link Customer Care.

Android wear adds the ability to find the car using Google Maps.

Annual subscriptions to Hyundai Blue Link Remote is $99 a year.

There are three Hyundai Blue Link plans Connected Care, Remote and Guidance. After the trial period is over, each package is available for $99/year. The Connected Care Package comes with a complimentary one year trial for all new Blue Link equipped vehicles. A three-month trial for Remote and Guidance is available when you sign up using your credit card.

Connected Care is a comprehensive safety and car care package that offers peace of mind no matter where you are. Call Center agents are standing by 365 days, 24 hours a day to summon help or provide emergency assistance.

The Remote package gives you convenient access to features via the web or smartphone app. You can Remote Start your car, use Remote Climate Control (if equipped), unlock/lock your doors or locate your car when you forget where you parked it. The Guidance Package provides more than just the quickest route to your destination.

13 thoughts on “Review: Why you’ll want Hyundai Blue Link Connected Car Remote Services with Alerts”

  1. Blue Link is great in theory. In practice, the service has not worked in my car at all. I have spoken with the BL customer service folks at least 6 or 7 times and each time they apologize for the “inconvenience” and say they will issue a ticket and someone will call me in 7-14 days. In 7-14 days someone calls and says “Is your service working?” It never has worked. The BL folks seem to be totally unable to troubleshoot effectively. Today when I spoke with them AGAIN I found out my case had been closed. Thank goodness I am still in my trial period. I immediately cancelled the service and have no intention of trying to reactivate. Do you not waste your money.

  2. I have a 2012 Hyundai sonata limited and everything works on my blue link app but my remote start does not work and it is pissing me off that Hyundai corp or any of the offices can tell me what is wrong and is trying to tell me my car does not come with it but I know it does. As everything else on the app works but Remote start. They seem to not know what the hell to do and any advise please let me know as I want to remote start my car.

    please help.

    • I would check my antenna on the vehicle to make sure it is working. When I tested the Hyundai Elantra, there was a time delay for remote start. Is your car parked in an underground garage? The signal is cellular and won’t get to your garage. I have an above ground garage and the signal in the garage is limited. You also have to be a paid Blue Link subscriber for the service. Some areas have limited cellular coverage depending on where the car is parked could be a problem. Please let me know if this helps.

      • There is also a chance that the 2012 model is not remote start compatible depending on the exact trim level and the date of manufacture. Do you still have the Monoray sticker? You can look up exact specs using the VIN number. Sometimes when people buy a car, the salesman tells it has a feature that it doesn’t.

      • I found the original news release for the 2012 Sonata. It only has remote lock/unlock. The problem is that the updated app shows remote start, but the vehicle according to oringal specs can not do that. There are aftermarket solutions for remote start, such as VIPER, if you really need the function when it is too hot or too cold in your region.

        It states this:

        “Hyundai has made Blue Link® standard for the 2012 Sonata. Blue Link® provides a host of scalable features accessible through multiple applications whether it be in the car, on your smartphone, or over the web. It provides a level of Assurance, safety, and diagnostics including features such as; automatic crash notification, SOS emergency notification, and enhanced roadside assistance. Blue Link® will be able to provide a list of Essential features for owners creating the ability to access, monitor, and communicate through the vehicle. These features include remote access (lock/unlock), voice-to-text messaging, location sharing, vehicle self diagnostics, theft protection, and parental controls. Finally, Blue Link® will offer Guidance to vehicle users including turn-by-turn navigation, traffic, weather, and an eco-coach system which advises on how to improve driving to meet set goals. With over 30 features, it turns every Hyundai Sonata into the smartest Hyundai ever built.”

  3. I love the remote start and ability to use my Android phone but I feel ripped off by the price. Nowhere on the website or in the sales literature does it say that after 1 year you MUST purchase the Customer Connect package if you want the remote start option. So it’s $99/per package ($198 total) instead of the $99 I was expecting to pay for the Remote start option. No way around that according to the customer service rep I spoke to. Very unhappy!

    • With new Hyundai cars, you now get 3 years of remote start.You may ask them why new car owners get it for 3 years and you have pay by year. In the past Hyundai owners have successfully brought class action lawsuits.

  4. I found The blue link product good for me but customer service is horrendous. I received a free trial and when that trial ended I purchsed a 1 year service for excluding navigation and paid for it immediately. One month latter I was billed for what seemed to be 1/4 of navigation, which I did not renew. I called 3 or 4 times to get a refund and each time was another customer person who I had to explain what happened over and over. I spoke to a manager who seemed to think the only problem was my expection of things happening in which I consider timely fashion. She was detached and ready for a fight and offered me no customer consideration.There was no follow up so I called only to find out they had no record of the last deduction/ transaction taken from account my without authorization. I had to email in proof of deduction from my account twice, with the advised case ID number. I received an email today advising me that I would need to send all information in as if I was attempting to purchase a car and what dealership I was dealing with. I called today to cancel my service. Blue link offers good product but no care about customer satisfaction. I talked to one woman ( Melissa) that was great, I actually wished I would have got one of the others that Intalked to in prior calls. Only the manager was nasty, the others just had no clue what they were doing, including the email department that also did not have a clue with the way that was responded to. I miss the services but NOT the aggravation.

    • Since Hyundai is now offering 3 years Blue Link for free, I think you may have a case to call and ask for 3 years. There have also been class action lawsuits in the past for the way Hyundai bills Blue Link.

  5. I sat for over 20 minutes after using blueLink’s SOS feature awaiting an ambulance after being rear-ended. I will be asking blueLink why it took so long and if in the future it is better if I just call 911 myself. I’ve already asked the P.D., which was a block away, what time they got the call and it took 20 minutes for them to be dispatched by blueLink.

  6. Blue Link is a farce! It is a waste of money and does not work as advertised. If you try to remote start your car after 4 days of sitting (like when you are on vacation) it will not work. It goes into “sleep mode” and will not respond. No fix for this. They claim it is a safety feature. Blue Link is a rip off!! Do not subscribe!!!

Comments are closed.