As usual, the OEMs’ failure may be the aftermarket’s gain.
Factory infotainment touchscreens have a general lifespan between 5 and 10 years, and screens on older vehicles may have a shorter lifespan, according to BGR.com.
This was confirmed by members of the aftermarket (one of whom said the lifespan is closer to 5 to 7 years).
Additionally, head units can be the source of glitches such as a Tesla issue in 2021, when most of its touchscreens failed after only a few years because of a memory chip flaw.
And as more and more features are controlled via the infotainment screen, screen glitches become a larger problem. NHTSA required a recall in Tesla’s case, as the screen displayed the backup camera and controlled the defogger and signal chimes.
Matt Delgado of BOSS said the aftermarket can benefit where the OEMs leave off. “The [BGR] article is right that most factory car touchscreens last about 5 to 10 years on average (shorter for older models, longer for newer ones with better tech). Since cars in the USA are now averaging around 12 to 15 yrs, lots of people end up with glitchy or outdated screens in that 5 to 10 year range. That means a steady business for car audio dealers replacing them with aftermarket head units that add modern features like better touchscreens, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, and more reliable performance cheaper and cooler than fixing the factory one.”
Given the 5-10 year lifespan, and the 290 million vehicles on the road, ChatGPT estimates about 20 million touchscreens will fail each year (with the average age of vehicles on the road increasing annually, and now at 12.8 years).
Older LCD screens have a shorter lifespan due to poorer construction. OEMs formerly produced screens with a gap between the LCD and glass touchscreen. Water infiltrated the screen from condensation and degraded the screen over time. Manufacturers then used a gel bonding in the 2010s, but the gel dried out over time, which created bubbles or “cracks” behind the glass. Newer cars use a clear adhesive to “bond the LCD and the digitizer (touch-sensitive layer) in what is called optical bonding,” said BGR.
Today, high end cars also use OLED displays for their touchscreens with better blacks for improved contrast, but these do not have great longevity. So many mid-to-high end vehicles after 2021 tend to use optical bonding, BGR said.
The heat and vibration in a vehicle remains a harsh environment for touchscreens. Also of note, the digitizer tends to fail before the screen.
Source: BGR, CueScreens
YES – Happily this is a big problem – we keep a LOT of the common ones in stock Cadillac Cue – C/D/J/R – Subaru – Toyota – and even the Vertical Volvo Tablet. They call it DELAMINATING – when the glue is pulling away – the unit will start changing stations – or sources or bands by itself – and/or there will be no reaction to the touchpanel. The car dealers are quoting most customer that they need to REPLACE the unit at CRAZY amount of money. We offer most between $595 – 1295.00