I got a great deal on the SmartStart and security system at Best Buy. As far as I can tell they did a great job installing it into my Ford Fusion. There was one hang-up on the doors needing an extra part to invert the door sensors, but other than that things went well. The install was about 8 hours for a very knowledgeable seasoned installer.

Trouble begins when we try to activate the smartstart system. First the webform crashes when testing the system. Apparently the actual module never got signal due to the Viper SmartStart system being down. I signed up for the service, paid with my credit card. The installer and I figured the system would be up sometime tomorrow. So I waited.

I waited overnight to see if the system would work in the morning.

The morning came; the system did not start working....

The next day I called customer support (four times), once in the morning and was told the system was down and would be up "soon". The... Read more

This SOUNDED like such an awesome idea. No keyfob to carry, unlimited range...price was a bit more than a traditional remote start, and annual service fees, but that seemed ok for the benefits.

Except that it only works about 25% of the time. It's not that you think the car is started, but it's not, it's very good about telling you when the start command is received by the car or not...it's just that it fails to send the command. My experience is no amount of retrying is going to make it work either, I've spent 30+ minutes hitting the button over and over (takes about a minute to timeout) and never had success. Either it works, or it's not going to work. The installer shop suggested I add on an antenna and keyfob remote since the cellphone interface is so unreliable. So I can pay MORE, and get less functionality...awesome.

I've seen other reports of people claiming they were told they've oversold capacity and can't keep up...but last I checked, they're... Read more

Have had this installed on my 99 Jeep Cherokee for about 6 months now. I am not gonna write a 6 paragraph review about all the little details but I will just give ya the Pros and Cons.

Pros:

*Start your car, lock the doors, or pop the trunk from anywhere in the USA.
*2-way communication with your ride (No more wondering "Gee, did the signal reach my car?", it will tell you "command received at vehicle.") *Getting texts/app notifications when your alarm is triggered.
*Built-in turbo timer: Have your car idle 1,2,3, or 5 minutes after you turn off your car (installer has to set time, so make sure you mention it or you will just get one minute like I did, tho on the jeep it don't matter). This feature alone will cost you $150-200 for a dedicated turbo timer. This is very useful for turbocharged vehicles, allowing the car to idle and cool turbo before shutting off. Google it.
*Pretty bright blinking light to deter thieves at night... Read more