J.D. Power’s 2012 Auto Quality study released Wednesday says that consumers are frustrated with their OEM infotainment systems.
And their biggest complaint is that voice commands are not recognized.
For the first time in the 26-year history of the study, J.D. Power found that the infotainment/navigation system was the biggest source of problems in new cars—not engines, transmissions—but the radio.
It noted that 80 percent of those surveyed said their new vehicle had some form of hands-free technology. But, “Hands-free devices not recognizing commands has become the most-often-reported problem in the industry,” said the research firm.
“Until recently, this type of sophisticated technology was found primarily on high-end models,” said David Sargent, VP of Global Automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. “However, over the past few years it has rapidly found its way into the automotive mainstream.” He added, “the most innovative technology in the world will quickly create dissatisfaction if owners can’t get it to work.”
The study measures vehicle quality at 90 days of ownership.
The study also found the Lexus was the highest ranked brand in the industry for quality for a second year in a row, followed by Jaguar and Porsche (tied at second) and then Cadillac and Honda.
Ford said its software upgrade to the MyFord Touch came too late to improve its quality scores in the J.D. Power study, according to Businessweek. In March, Ford sent a software upgrade to 377,000 customers.
Source: J.D. Power, Bloomberg Businessweek
