But as some complimentary subscriptions for Remote Connect come to an end, Toyota owners are getting an unexpected surprise —they can no longer use their key fob to remote-start their vehicles.

To the consternation of unaware owners, Toyota's remote start key fob functionality requires a paid $8 per month subscription service.

Your fob uses radio waves to communicate with the car, and no connection back to Toyota’s servers is needed. But the function will not work without a larger Remote Connect subscription.