What Is Subaru Starlink?

Subaru Starlink takes its name from the brand's star-cluster logo and refers to a few different things

Jim Koscs | 

Sep 18, 2025 | 3 min read

Subaru

Subaru Starlink Multimedia is a suite of infotainment-based features including Bluetooth and smartphone-mirroring connectivity. The subscription-based Starlink offerings consist of Starlink Safety Plus, Starlink Safety and Security Plus, and Starlink Safety and Security Concierge Plus. These all connect the vehicle to emergency services with the press of a button, similar to General Motors' OnStar.

Modern Subarus Have Starlink Multimedia Systems

All new Subarus, apart from the Toyota-based Solterra EV, come with a Starlink Multimedia system, which includes Apple CarPlay or Android Auto functionality, Bluetooth audio streaming, an AM/FM stereo with HD Radio, and voice control. Subaru provides four-month trials of SiriusXM satellite radio to new-car buyers, too. Certain models also have built-in navigation, with free map updates through TomTom and a SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link subscription for three years.

Moreover, owners can purchase an AT&T plan (or add their vehicle to an existing one) to enable their Subie's Wi-Fi hot spot. Then, riders can stream movies, play games, shop, or do other web-based activity on their devices while on the road.

Subaru

Subaru Offers Three Subscription-Based Starlink Packages

Subaru's cellular-based Starlink safety features fall into three packages: Safety Plus, Safety and Security Plus, and Concierge.

The Subaru Starlink Safety Plus suite includes features such as automatic collision notification, which alerts a customer-care representative when the airbag deploys. There's also SOS emergency assistance, which refers to the red button in the overhead console that the driver can push when they need help.

Similarly, in non-emergency situations where you need roadside assistance, you can press on the blue "i" button to summon help. The car will also send you rear-seat-reminder notifications if you leave a little one in the back seat and diagnostic alerts when a warning light illuminates on the dash. Owners also can run a vehicle-condition check via the app.

Subaru provides these features for free to new-car owners and lessees for three years, after which the service costs about $100 per year or $10 per month.

For an additional $4.95 per month (following a six-month free-trial period), you can add the Starlink Safety and Security Plus package, which builds on the Safety Plus suite. This package allows owners to use the MySubaru app to remotely locate their vehicle, lock or unlock it, and start the engine and climate control.

There's also the option to have the car send text notifications for a variety of situations, including a teen driver exceeding a predetermined boundary, speed, and curfew limits. If your Subaru is stolen, a customer service rep can track it and potentially immobilize it remotely.

Upgrading to the Concierge package costs another $4.95 per month beyond the Safety and Security Plus package. With this package, you gain access to a booking agent who can make restaurant and hotel reservations, find points of interest and tickets to events, or just answer questions about the vehicle.

You Can Control Certain Starlink Features Through Your Smartphone

Owners of most Subaru models must use the MySubaru app to access the phone-based features of the Starlink packages. The electric Solterra is the exception: It has its own app for connected features, as it was built in collaboration with Toyota and uses that brand's multimedia systems and connected services.

Jim Koscs

Jim began writing about cars in the late 1980s and has covered automotive topics including business, car culture, collecting, design, history, racing, profiles, and technology. He was a managing editor for Vette, MuscleCars, High-Performance Pontiac, and High-Performance Mopar magazines. He wrote and managed business newsletters for auto retailers and car-rental companies, and made an appearance on CNN as a car-rental industry "expert." He's covered automotive public relations for an agency serving BMW North America and directly for Mercedes-Benz USA, writing press kits and speeches. His business provides expert product writing for more than a dozen automakers, and he has written features for the Greenwich, Amelia Island, and Cincinnati Concours d'Elegance official programs. His byline has appeared in The New York Times, Hagerty Media, Hemmings.com, Performance Racing Industry magazine, AIADA Auto Dealer magazine, the BBC Autos page, History.com, and Porsche Panorama magazine.