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Factory sat-navs continue to frustrate motorists: study

The 2011 J.D. Power Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study in the US has shown motorists continue to be frustrated by their factory-fitted satellite navigation systems. Users recorded up to 3.5 problems per device this year.


The study, which involved collecting data from 18,303 motorists, showed users continue to be annoyed by factory sat-nav systems based on six key factors: usability of the navigation display screen, routing, speed of the system, voice directions and voice recognition.

J.D. Power found that drivers experienced an average of 351 problems per 100 devices (PP100), with the top annoyance being the device could not find the street or desired location (33 PP100). Users also found difficulties inputting the destination (32 PP100), as well as problems with the device not prompting the most direct route (24 PP100). The other top categories are listed below:

  • Difficulty using voice recognition controls (23 PP100)
  • Map doesn’t show enough street names (21 PP100)
  • Couldn’t find desired menu/screen (19 PP100)
  • Map or point of interest search was missing points of interest (16 PP100)
  • Inability to view screen due to glare (14 PP100)

The study was only for motorists who had bought a 2011 Model Year vehicle fitted with a factory device. Even though the systems were new and made using the latest technology, users are not happy with the rate the technology is advancing. J.D. Power and Associates director Andy Bernhard spoke about the results, saying,

"Routing - the primary function of a navigation system - is obviously an issue and will continue to be. However, for nearly 10 years, the importance of ease of use has been emphasised by owners, and the continued high level of problems in this area begs the question: is the industry listening to how owners want to interact with their system?"

Click on the image below for the full list, including the best and worst systems and manufacturers, as rated by the survey.

Do you have a factory-fitted satellite navigation system? Are you happy with the way it works? Feel free to vent your complaints below.

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