Already reported as a hazard on roadways, vehicle infotainment systems are still struggling to be more of an aid to motorists than a glitch-ridden distraction, according to a new report.
In its Talking with Cars series, Consumer Reports details the problems created by infotainment consoles and reports on how the issues bring down the overall reliability of vehicles equipped with such systems.
"Infotainment problems usually don't exist in a vacuum," says Jake Fisher, Consumer Report's director of automotive testing. "A closer look at the results suggests that cars with a lot of in-car electronic problems usually have plenty of other issues, too."
Infotainment systems, like most other tech, struggled badly in their first year on the market.
Some of the manufacturers who have released problematic infotainment systems in their first runs include Cadillac, Ford, Fiat, Infiniti and Jeep. Infiniti's new In Touch system for its Q50 sedan was ranked worst of any model fitted with an infotainment system in its first run out in the wild.
While infotainment systems have risen to be a vital part of a vehicle's reliability, they are just part of a convoluted metric for gauging the steadfastness of automobiles, according to Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com
"Measuring reliability is also not a straightforward process, because for some it means how many unexpected problems arise while for others it means satisfaction with the cupholders," says Brauer. "Car shoppers should keep all of these factors in mind, rather than fixating on a single factor, when considering their next purchase."
A few weeks before Consumer Reports detailed the struggles of infotainment systems, AAA published a study on the digital driver aids. With few surprises, the study detailed how even properly functioning infotainment systems can lure drivers into missing critical events on roadways.
"We already know that drivers can miss stop signs, pedestrians and other cars while using voice technologies because their minds are not fully focused on the road ahead," says Bob Darbelnet, chief executive officer of AAA. "We now understand that current shortcomings in these products, intended as safety features, may unintentionally cause greater levels of cognitive distraction."
While AAA's study found infotainment systems to be flawed, especially Apple's Siri, the automotive group stated that better and more reliable software and hardware could help the products realize their goal of making roadways safer. For now, the systems still have a ways to go in order to fully realize that goal.
