Products · Pattern or everyday thing
Car touchscreens
Raised as a usability problem by 1,854 people on Hacker News over 18 years (2009–2026), in 674 threads.
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- 25Can't set CarPlay to open automaticallyUnreviewed
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- 26Can't set CarPlay to open automaticallyUnreviewed
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- 43Volume knob is hard to find in the darkUnreviewed
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Every issue, all time, most people first
- Something wrong here?
Can't operate controls by feel, must look away from roadReviewed
20092026 - Something wrong here?
Touchscreen responds slowly, inputs lag or queue upReviewed
20092026 - Something wrong here?
Can't tell whether a touch registered without lookingReviewed
20092026 - Something wrong here?
Temperature and fan only adjustable on the touchscreenReviewed
20092026 Volume control is hard to reach on touchscreen while drivingUnreviewed
20092026- Front passengers can't adjust volume; must slide screen to find a laterally dragged volume button2026-09-24
- Tapping navigation and switching songs on screens while driving is distracting and unsafe2026-05-13
- Touch buttons are mediocre and volume slider feels awkward compared to a rotary knob2026-02-10
Radio controls on touchscreen are nearly impossible while drivingUnreviewed
20092026- Touchscreen car systems nag and make listening to the radio require jumping through hoops2026-10-01
- Settings reset unexpectedly, radio cycles through AM every time, touchscreen responds slowly2026-05-12
- Capacitive buttons near the radio are barely better than touchscreens to use2025-01-31
- Something wrong here?
Brushing or resting a finger triggers unintended actionsReviewed
20092026 Voice control unusable during music, touchscreens dangerous while drivingUnreviewed
20092026- Voice recognition is hard to use safely while driving2025-09-21
- Voice controls often fail to understand commands, leaving the driver guessing which phrase to use2024-03-05
- Voice control sometimes misunderstands commands, forcing drivers to watch the screen2023-04-27
Touchscreen is hard to use and glows annoyingly at nightUnreviewed
20092026- Default night brightness too bright, hurting nighttime visibility until manually lowered2025-11-30
- Brightness can't be lowered easily; buried in menus and resets every restart2025-11-19
- Display always too dim or too bright, with poor contrast and hard brightness adjustment2025-11-18
Volume knob ignores input for seconds after startupUnreviewed
20092026- Volume knob doesn't respond for seconds while system is loading2026-07-06
- Volume knob lags seconds on startup, so loud audio blasts before it responds2023-04-27
- Knob is laggy and misreads input, changing volume in the wrong direction2023-04-27
Bluetooth takes 30-60 seconds to detect phone and needs re-pairingUnreviewed
20092026- Car Bluetooth UI locked up and pairing took extra effort, so they gave up2024-07-21
- Bluetooth bug stops media playback with new phone; crashes need full reset and re-pairing2023-12-13
- Infotainment is very poor and Bluetooth pairing to phone takes over five minutes2023-05-08
Wiper settings buried in touchscreen require looking away from roadUnreviewed
20092026- Wipers require a swipe gesture or three taps on the touch screen2025-02-01
- Wiper settings need extra steps, a short timeout, and a screen check to know current setting2024-03-05
- Wiper speed menu pops up on button press, hard to adjust wipers intuitively2023-12-18
- Something wrong here?
Screen features locked while moving, even for the passengerReviewed
20092026 Radio turns on at every start with no way to disable itUnreviewed
20092026- Radio unresponsive for a minute after start; warning popups stay up 30 seconds2024-03-08
- Radio automatically turns on about 30 seconds after driving starts, startling the driver2023-05-23
- Radio cannot be turned off for 10 seconds at startup due to forced warning2022-11-28
Screen-only controls are unintuitive and lagUnreviewed
20092026- Buttonless controls are laggy, buggy and hard to use in cars2026-05-04
- Screen-only car controls are not intuitive and feel laggy2026-05-03
- In-car system feels laggy and dated, with unsupported apps2025-12-12
Glove box open control is away from the glove boxUnreviewed
20092026- Opening the garage door requires fumbling with the touchscreen2026-05-03
- Glove box is locked behind a touch screen, making it hard to open2026-04-25
- No physical button to open glove box; it relies on the car's computer2023-04-27
Defrost control on touchscreen is hard to reach quicklyUnreviewed
20092026- Defroster controls disabled by software update, so the person can't clear the windshield2023-11-14
- Hard to figure out how to activate hot air defrost while driving2023-03-22
- Defrost buttons are hidden in touchscreen-style climate designs, making them hard to find2023-01-10
Can't set CarPlay to open automaticallyUnreviewed
20092026- Car software is awful to interact with, so buyers insist on CarPlay2025-12-12
- Built-in Hyundai rental navigation was so unusable the commenter preferred fixing CarPlay2025-10-03
- CarPlay can't be touched; must spin and select controls, taking more time looking at screen2023-12-18
Gestures are invisible, so users can't tell what they doUnreviewed
20092026- Complicated, unintuitive gestures are hard for people to remember2025-09-20
- Hidden gestures like drag or long-press are hard to discover in cars2023-12-19
- Must memorize weird gestures on touch screen to operate controls2014-02-18
Volume knob doubles as play/pause, pausing media accidentallyUnreviewed
20092026- Music randomly speeds up, skips, and cuts out; volume must be manually readjusted after navigation prompts2025-11-05
- Volume knob doubles as play/pause, so pressing it unexpectedly pauses media2025-09-05
- Music auto-plays on phone connection and restarts when volume is adjusted after pausing2023-12-24
Voice commands misunderstand destinations, so users must repeatUnreviewed
20092026- Voice commands repeatedly fail to understand band and song names2026-08-24
- Has to use a fake accent to get voice commands to work2022-08-17
- Voice commands misunderstand destinations, routing to wrong places or failing outright2022-08-17
USB shows no song unless default Music app has contentUnreviewed
20092026- Music library changes unpredictably, so drivers can't find artists while driving2024-03-29
- Plugging in the phone plays the whole library alphabetically when Music app wasn't open, and Spotify playback is unreliable2023-01-20
- Without Spotify, can't pick music on the car screen and must use the phone instead2021-02-02
Less often used options are hard to learn on touch screenUnreviewed
20092026- Weeks needed to learn touchscreen buttons, a problem for frequent renters2023-01-07
- Impossible to learn where to press without physical buttons to learn by2020-03-22
- Can never learn where to tap without looking at the screen, unlike the radial2019-06-17
Clearing fogged windows requires looking at a screenUnreviewed
20092026- Defogging is buried in touchscreen controls when drivers need it immediately in bad weather2026-01-06
- Must look at a screen to clear fogged windows, adding friction to safety controls2023-11-02
- Defogging windscreen requires several separate control adjustments, and fogging can be missed.2023-04-27
Air conditioning adjustment through touch screen is awkwardUnreviewed
20092026- Simple AC changes require navigating popups or ads on touchscreens2023-03-22
- Changing air conditioning requires going through menus, which is distracting2022-08-17
- Air conditioning must be adjusted through touch screen, which is awkward to use2022-08-17
Backup camera screen is barely visible in daylightUnreviewed
20092026- Tiny backup camera screen is barely visible in daylight, and the OS has few functions2026-10-12
- Backup camera is on a separate infotainment screen from the dashboard display2026-01-25
- Backup camera and maps use only part of the screen, wasting space2024-11-04
Car switches to another phone and reconnecting fails repeatedlyUnreviewed
20092026- Car disconnects repeatedly, fails to auto-connect, and needs manual triggering or a reboot2024-01-17
- Phone connects late or fails, forcing a stop to forget and re-add the phone2023-11-01
- Car keeps switching to wife's phone and reconnecting to iPhone takes repeated failed attempts2022-07-13
Buzzer sounds when starting without seatbelt, even while parkedUnreviewed
20092026- Car beeps randomly; occupancy detection triggered by a baby seat touching the middle seat2026-07-07
- Seat-belt warnings sound while parked, which is annoying and distracting2023-12-18
- Loud buzzer sounds when starting car without seatbelt, even while warming up parked2021-11-11
Dozens of unlabeled controls with no clear useUnreviewed
20092026- Controls require memorizing where things are in the software2023-09-06
- Dozens of unlabeled controls with no clear use; overwhelming, hard to operate2022-09-24
- Controls hard to find, guess their meanings, laggy and sometimes unresponsive2021-06-10
USB folder structure flattened, so albums can't play in sequenceUnreviewed
20092026- USB drive folder structure flattened, so albums can't be played in sequence2025-10-17
- USB files play in FAT order, not sorted, and resume point is randomly forgotten2023-10-23
- Couldn't figure out how to play all USB files; it only plays grouped artist or genre2022-08-17
Volume knob is hard to find in the darkUnreviewed
20092026- Three identical knobs side by side; hard to tell which controls volume, fan, or gears2023-09-10
- Volume, radio and temperature need looking at the screen; no physical knobs or buttons2020-04-01
- Hard to find the volume knob in the dark2012-07-23
Auto climate fails to stay comfortable, so drivers keep adjusting itUnreviewed
20092026- Must constantly readjust climate settings to stay comfortable without auto climate2024-11-04
- Auto climate mode blasts hot air in face when set to 22°C2023-03-22
- Auto climate can't keep comfortable, so the driver keeps adjusting it2022-08-17
Fog light controls differ across car makersUnreviewed
20092026- Rear fog light must be fiddled with on the touchscreen while driving, with no auto or voice option2024-11-04
- Setting fan controls to clear fog means looking away from the road2024-03-05
- Fog light controls differ across car makers, so drivers can't tell which knob to turn2021-01-14
Head units are too integrated to swap for preferred onesUnreviewed
20092026- Head units are so tightly integrated into the car that users can't swap in one they prefer2023-06-23
- Built-in system has bad UX, making the owner consider replacing the head unit2023-05-24
- Removing the head unit means losing access to car setup functions2019-08-29
Must wait for boot and dismiss a warning before adjusting heatUnreviewed
20092026- Must accept a warning message every time the entertainment system boots2025-09-21
- Slow to boot, forcing blind screen prodding to dismiss the warning2025-05-11
- Must wait for system to boot, then dismiss a warning screen before adjusting heat2023-12-20
CarPlay with rotary knob keeps eyes off road for long periodsUnreviewed
20092026- Using CarPlay with the physical rotary selector is frustrating and distracting while driving2024-03-05
- Rotary controller navigation is slower and more distracting than touch, causing overshooting and longer eyes-off-road time2023-10-23
- Using CarPlay with the rotary knob forces drivers to take eyes off the road for long periods2023-04-27
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 50 complaints
- Turning off engine start-stop now takes four touchscreen screens to find2026-11-03
- Display lags when changing tracks or radio stations and mixes up station data2026-11-03
- Turning on wipers or changing heat requires hunting through nested touchscreen menus while driving2026-10-29
- Redesigned pages print completely mangled, so users comparing cars on paper can't use them2026-10-26
- Terrible input lag and random hang-ups when interacting with the system2026-10-21
- UI is slow, and users can't remember which sub menu holds alert settings2026-10-21
- Infotainment displays lag, with each tap taking about a second to respond2026-10-21
- Hard to find things; icons and submenus with few labels make AC access confusing2026-10-21
- Infotainment system freezes and must be restarted, regardless of phone used2026-10-20
- Large dash touchscreens demand visual attention away from the road, as phones do2026-10-13
- Tiny backup camera screen is barely visible in daylight, and the OS has few functions2026-10-12
- Clock is hidden behind menus, needing two taps to find while driving2026-10-01
- UI controls only appear when a hand is held in front of the screen, hard to use while driving2026-10-01
- Android Auto and built-in navigation blocked until a Lexus account is created2026-10-01
- Cannot cancel guidance directly; pausing it resumes when car restarts2026-10-01
- Features expected while driving can only be reached through the touch screen2026-10-01
- Touchscreen car systems nag and make listening to the radio require jumping through hoops2026-10-01
- Touch screen controls need eyes on screen, distracting the driver while underway2026-10-01
- Touchscreen popups pull attention away from the road while driving2026-10-01
- Vague warning messages like "check EV system" give drivers no usable information about the problem2026-09-27
- Touch screens and capacitive buttons can't be operated by feel without taking eyes off the road2026-09-25
- Toyota car software and user experience described as atrocious, with no specific problem named2026-09-25
- Touch controls stop responding reliably when the user's hands are dry2026-09-24
- Front passengers can't adjust volume; must slide screen to find a laterally dragged volume button2026-09-24
- Needing to look at a screen to change driving controls while driving takes focus off the road2026-09-24
- Quoted complaint about a large central screen being distracting, though the commenter defends it2026-09-15
- Touchscreen controls need visual attention, unlike tactile buttons that can be found by feel2026-09-14
- Hunting through menus to find basic settings and tiny sliders, and laggy UI2026-09-14
- Infotainment software is slow, buggy and outdated, making it hard to use2026-09-06
- Touchscreens are distracting and less safe to use while driving than physical buttons2026-09-06
- Entire console is a touchscreen, forcing drivers to look away from the road2026-09-06
- Temperature and fan controls on touchscreen are laggy and unresponsive, and force eyes off the road2026-09-03
- Critical car controls hidden behind touchscreens can't be operated without looking2026-08-24
- Voice commands repeatedly fail to understand band and song names2026-08-24
- Built-in car infotainment systems are useless and hard to navigate compared to CarPlay2026-08-17
- Waiting several seconds for car air vents to adjust due to laggy software2026-08-13
- Touchscreen controls lag about a second between touches and are unreliable while driving2026-07-26
- Assistant wakes unexpectedly with no obvious way to turn it off2026-07-24
- Pressing the button to lower a window sometimes raises it instead2026-07-24
- Repeated pop-up reminder every time the car starts is unpleasant and unhelpful2026-07-23
- Infotainment has no physical buttons and is annoying to use2026-07-17
- Cluttered, confusing infotainment interface on a big screen that wastes space2026-07-17
- Must navigate several screens to find and dismiss a false-positive alert while driving2026-07-08
- Must turn off the speed beeper every time the car starts; it misreads signs2026-07-08
- Setting direction on a touchscreen requires looking away from the road during quick maneuvers2026-07-08
- Touch screens in cars are hard to use compared to physical buttons2026-07-08
- Car beeps randomly; occupancy detection triggered by a baby seat touching the middle seat2026-07-07
- Hard to hit buttons by touch while driving, needing constant visual focus2026-07-07
- Alerts cannot be permanently disabled, requiring repeated multi-step touchscreen corrections2026-07-07
- Many drivers fail to signal turns, so pedestrians can't tell where cars will go2026-07-07