Infotainment systems now account for 25% of all new vehicle problems, according to a new JD Power Component Quality Report. JD Power said infotainment is the only vehicle category that got worse year over year, even as overall new vehicle quality improved.
The finding comes from JD Power’s 2026 U.S. Multimedia Quality and Satisfaction Study, part of the larger Component Quality Report portfolio. JD Power surveyed 78,514 buyers and lessees of new 2026 model year vehicles after 90 days of ownership.
Multimedia problems held steady at 42.4 problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power said. Because other vehicle systems improved while infotainment did not, multimedia’s share of total reported problems climbed to 25%. JD Power said infotainment issues now make up the five most commonly reported vehicle problems industry wide.
Andrew P. Collins, executive editor at The Drive, wrote that JD Power’s choice of the word worsen slightly overstates the shift. The bigger story, he said, is that every other system got better while infotainment stood still.
Collins backed up the data with his own experience testing new vehicles. He said the GMC Sierra EV and Hummer EV both repeatedly triggered distracted driver warnings while he tried to perform routine tasks on the main screen. He said the BMW M5 Touring turns its large center display into a black screen during phone calls, showing only the caller’s number. He singled out high trim Toyota trucks as the worst example he has tested, saying the main display is large enough to block the driver’s forward view and that switching drive modes triggers a seven second animation on the gauge cluster.
Collins said the underlying cause is cost. Screen based controls are cheaper for automakers to build than mechanical knobs and switches, he said, which is why screens keep replacing physical controls despite the reliability complaints.
JD Power’s full data set is intended for automakers and suppliers and requires an enterprise level subscription to access in full.
Source: Andrew P. Collins, “You’re Not Imagining It: Infotainment Systems Are Tanking Vehicle Quality,” The Drive, September 10, 2026. https://www.thedrive.com/news/youre-not-imagining-it-infotainment-systems-are-tanking-vehicle-quality
I’ve rented my share of new vehicles to prove, I will never buy a new car. The level of driver distraction within the touch screens and control systems alone, far surpasses any safety standards. And now they’re going to add a flock camera to the interior to monitor my every swear word when the windows fog up because I changed the radio staion.