Infotainment Woes Persist for Vehicle Owners, but CarPlay Shines

Survey: Infotainment Still a Sore Spot for Vehicle Owners, but CarPlay Remains on Top

A recent J.D. Power survey of new vehicle owners highlights that while overall satisfaction has improved in 2024, infotainment systems continue to be a significant pain point. Despite a 5-point increase to an average satisfaction score of 823, infotainment remains one of the lowest-scoring categories.

Key Points:

• Overall Satisfaction: 2024 has seen a reversal in decline, with overall vehicle satisfaction improving.
• Infotainment Issues: Infotainment systems are among the worst-performing categories, averaging a score of 805.
• Phone-Based Systems: Users prefer phone-based infotainment solutions. Apple CarPlay (840) and Android Auto (832) have higher satisfaction scores compared to manufacturer-provided systems.
• CarPlay Adoption Decline: There is a trend of decreasing CarPlay adoption among vehicle makers, with companies like GM, Rivian, and Tesla opting for their own infotainment solutions.
• Customer Preferences: The survey, involving nearly 100,000 new vehicle owners in the U.S., clearly indicates that users want seamless integration between their smartphones and vehicles.

Despite these challenges, user feedback strongly favors systems that work similarly to their phones.