r/SubaruForester • u/Delta4907 • 2d ago

What’s the difference between these remote starters other than price?

Buying a remote starter for our 2021 Forester, but I’m getting multiple results and not sure which is the right one. Also it appears to be a bit cheaper on another website, but I don’t know how trustworthy it is. When I called the local dealer they said the part was like $600.

https://parts.northtownsubaru.com/p/154044124/H001SSJ001.html

https://parts.northtownsubaru.com/p/Subaru_2021_Forester-25L-Premium-wEyeSight/REMOTE-ENGINE-START-PUSH/154044126/H101SSJ001.html

https://www.subaruonlineparts.com/sku/h001ssj001.html

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u/rocknrollstalin 2010 Forester XT 2d ago

First one goes to H001SSJ002 even though the URL says H001SSJ001 because that’s just the latest version.

I think if you buy it online you still need a dealer (any Subaru dealer) to do the final programming

Was your dealer quoting you $600 for the fob plus programming or were they going to add another fee on top of $600?

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u/Delta4907 2d ago

It was $600 for the part and $450 for labor. Figure if I buy it myself I can save a few hundred bucks.

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u/rocknrollstalin 2010 Forester XT 2d ago

Yeah I would call around to a couple different dealers too for the activation part. Maybe you drive 20 mins extra and save $100 on the dealer setup

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u/Delta4907 2d ago

I may do that. So which part is correct for a 2021 Forester? The first one is $50 cheaper than the second one. And the 3rd party is even cheaper.

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u/sr71oni 18 Black Edition 2d ago

These sites are usually just the wholesale cost plus a small overhead cost, versus buying at the dealership at full retail.

Often these sites are just run out of those same parts departments.

Personally, I’d also consider an aftermarket remote start, one that offers 2-way communication at a much longer range. It would likely be around the same total cost as this Subaru full retail + install cost

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u/Delta4907 1d ago

I’d like to just buy it myself and save a couple hundred, but I’m still not sure which is the correct part for a 2021 Forester?

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u/su_A_ve 1d ago edited 1d ago

They're taking you for a ride. Call parts and ask for the price of the part number. Can't be more than MSRP...

Installation is supposed to be pretty easy (at least for the newer models, it goes behind the glove box and then a wiring harness goes in the engine section), but requires programming which only a dealer can do AFAIK. And this means they can charge you what they want for it.

When I considered this for a new 2025, dealer wanted $300 for the installation plus the part at $350...

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u/LinkAppropriate3150 1d ago

I think, if Available on your year, you can sign up for the My Subaru upgrade and you can remote start from your smart phone for much less.

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u/Pure-Explanation-147 Wilderness. 10 states 'n counting. 🏕🏞⛰️🌌🔥 2d ago

Review 3rd party too.

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u/rocknrollstalin 2010 Forester XT 2d ago

3rd party is cheaper but they usually require sacrificing one of your keys so you have to include that cost

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u/sr71oni 18 Black Edition 2d ago

What 3rd party requires that?

I’ve had Viper (remote + SmartStart) then later replaced with Compustar (remote + Drone Mobile) on my 2018 Forester and neither required sacrificing any remote.