The telecoms giant is launching Verizon Vehicle, a service that can make any car built since 1996 into a "connected car." Using a module that plugs into the car's on-board diagnostics (OBD) port and a Bluetooth-enabled speaker that clips onto the visor, Verizon Vehicle connects drivers with a ASE-certified mechanic when the check engine light comes on. They'll help diagnose the problem and even provide an estimate of how much it should cost to repair.

Duplicitous mechanics, you will scam us no more!

The service also can contact roadside assistance or emergency services in the event of a breakdown or accident, and locate your car it it's been stolen (or you forgot where you parked it).

Verizon Vehicle will cost $14.99 a month, and the hardware comes free. "Our strategy here is to deliver this to as many people as possible … at a price point that works," says Erik Goldman, president of Verizon Telematics. In this case, those people are young enough to want the technology, but too poor or thrifty to have bought a relatively new car with these features.

Verizon has been working with the auto industry for a decade and provides similar services for new cars sold by Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen in the US, China, and Europe, as well as for fleets operated by Enterprise.