Products · Broad category
Cars
Raised as a usability problem by 130 people on Hacker News over 18 years (2009–2026), in 113 threads.
This is a broad category rather than one product, so its issues aren't ranked on the home page.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Every issue, all time, most people first
Touchscreens replacing physical controls are hard to operateUnreviewed
20092026- Touchscreen and capacitive controls are hard to use and frustrating, a poorly designed interface2026-10-13
- Too many useless functions and touchscreen controls distract drivers from the road2026-07-03
- Software misses the point; touchscreen controls are frustrating to use2026-04-09
Dashboard controls no longer work without lookingUnreviewed
20092026- Climate controls on a touchscreen can't be adjusted without taking eyes off the road2026-08-04
- Digital buttons and confusing dashboards make cars hard to operate2024-09-29
- Steering wheel controls are disorganized, so critical driving controls aren't easy to spot at a glance2024-08-11
Overly bright headlights blind oncoming drivers for secondsUnreviewed
20092026- Lights switch off unexpectedly, leaving driver driving in the dark without lights2026-05-29
- Overly bright headlights blind oncoming drivers for several seconds2025-11-18
- Bright headlights on high vehicles blind drivers behind them, forcing them to shield their mirrors2022-10-31
Lane assist steers toward oncoming traffic on bendsUnreviewed
20092026- Assist keeps misreading speed limits and pulling the driver out of the correct lane2025-12-01
- Lane assist steers toward oncoming traffic or off embankments on bends, forcing driver correction2022-07-06
- Lane assist steers car toward barrier in construction zone; hard to turn off2019-07-03
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
- Locating the car requires many steps: phone, GPS fix, data, tiny map2026-11-03
- Touch buttons are hard to activate, so turning rear heating off is a pain2026-10-29
- Touchscreen and capacitive controls are hard to use and frustrating, a poorly designed interface2026-10-13
- Climate controls on a touchscreen can't be adjusted without taking eyes off the road2026-08-04
- Constant beeping alerts for trivial reasons and safety features that nearly caused collisions2026-07-08
- Can't figure out how to defrost because the controls use confusing icons2026-07-08
- Brakes suddenly in narrow driveways and intersections when no real danger exists2026-07-07
- Cruise control misreads speed signs and slows to 50 km/h for no reason2026-07-07
- Too many useless functions and touchscreen controls distract drivers from the road2026-07-03
- Lights switch off unexpectedly, leaving driver driving in the dark without lights2026-05-29
- Software misses the point; touchscreen controls are frustrating to use2026-04-09
- Hydrogen stations are rare and unreliable, causing range anxiety2026-03-21
- Constant beeping alerts for road signs, lanes, tyres and service on new cars2026-02-17
- Console phone spot is placed so phone can't be seen for navigation, pushing use of built-in nav2025-12-26
- New cars packed with tech features will be unusable, leaving buyers stuck with a lemon2025-12-22
- Oversized vehicles make parking garages hard to navigate when two park opposite each other2025-12-03
- Assist keeps misreading speed limits and pulling the driver out of the correct lane2025-12-01
- Overly bright headlights blind oncoming drivers for several seconds2025-11-18
- Dark rear tint blocks view of traffic beyond neighboring vehicles at intersections2025-10-09
- Modern cars have over-complicated touch screens and poor visibility compared to simple cars2025-10-06
- Electric windows and child locks stop a child from escaping a car that is locked or shut2025-09-28
- Driving experience feels horrible, cars feel like iPods with wheels2025-06-30
- Large touch screens replace physical controls and glitchy safety alerts beep constantly2025-06-30
- Infotainment screens are slow to change views and finicky in touch response, which is dangerous2025-04-25
- Physical buttons don't do what their labels say when using CarPlay2025-03-19
- Car interfaces are poorly designed, full of dark patterns and proprietary features2025-03-18
- Modern cars have terrible UX that patronises and tracks drivers2025-02-20
- Cannot reliably turn off the turn signal once it is on2025-02-12
- Car navigation systems are extremely slow and unusable2024-12-19
- Accidentally activates other controls while driving; can't feel which button is which2024-11-03
- Digital buttons and confusing dashboards make cars hard to operate2024-09-29
- Steering wheel controls are disorganized, so critical driving controls aren't easy to spot at a glance2024-08-11
- Cars force touch screen use, and features act on their own or override the driver's input2024-08-07
- Everything must be done through a touchscreen, which is dangerous to operate while driving2024-07-10
- Alerts use the same sound as other warnings and repeat, and the setting must be turned off each trip2024-07-09
- Shade must be taken down and stored, so people forget or stuff it in the trunk2024-06-02
- Built-in screen apps crash, run slowly, and GPS/LTE frequently disconnects2024-05-06
- Touch screen controls distract drivers from driving2024-04-30
- No visible switch to turn auto headlights off; must toggle dome switch ten times2024-04-13
- Must reopen app, relogin, and wait through slow loading before unlocking2024-03-14
- New cars have terrible UX and can't be worked on by owners2024-03-14
- Hard to find climate settings UI while driving with eyes on road2024-03-10
- Critical controls are only on the center touchscreen, with no dedicated buttons2024-02-19
- Controls moved into apps and touchscreens, making basic functions hard to find and use2024-02-09
- Car defaults to hybrid mode, so owner must manually select EV mode every start2024-02-07
- Car refuses to release charging cable, thinks it is already disconnected, needing 30 minutes to fix2024-01-24
- Car controls and openers are awkward and unfamiliar on a new car, requiring lookup2024-01-15
- Rear blinking brake light is hard to tell apart from braking2024-01-03
- Car interfaces are a poor user experience, with controls buried in touchscreens2023-12-28
- Cars no longer include a spare tire, so a flat leaves you stranded2023-11-02