Does anyone have experience with the NFC card? I hate the key fob and was looking into this.
I’ve read horror stories about phone digital keys draining batteries and coming out to a dead car, so I haven’t used the digital key feature. I’m also worried about a malfunction leaving me stranded. Does the NFC card behave similarly to the digital keys, with the potential to drain the battery? Does it work within the same distances? I know the digital key uses Bluetooth, so is the NFC card different? Is it reliable? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Great, now I have something else to worry about. I hadn’t heard about the battery issue, but it makes sense since the car needs internet access to receive the signal from BlueLink. If you’re just using the digital key linked to your Apple Wallet or Android equivalent, though, I don’t think it’s much different than using the key fob since the digital key doesn’t require internet.
@Scout
It drains the battery if you have the ‘welcome on approach’ setting enabled, where the mirrors fold out and the welcome lights turn on. This tends to happen if you’re very close to your car frequently, like when your bedroom is near the garage.
What horror stories? I’ve had mine for 2 months, set up the digital key on day one, and haven’t had any battery drain issues. I drive my car only about 12 minutes a day on weekdays, so it’s minimal battery use, and I haven’t had any issues.
The digital key works fine. People drain batteries when their phone is within about 20 feet of the car all the time (like if their bedroom is right next to the garage wall). Your phone can use NFC just like the keycard, or it can also use UWB-BLE. This mode (if your phone has UWB) works like the key fob in that it can wake the car and allow you to open the door by touching the handle, then start the car with the phone in your pocket. The NFC card works fine — you unlock the car by holding the card to the door handle and start it by authenticating with the card on the NFC pad in the center console. I’ve never used the key fob and only use the digital key. I’ve had the car for 3 months.