04:18 02-06-2026

Infotainment is the new pain point: why screens annoy drivers more than engines

A Vertu Motors survey of aftersales staff shows multimedia has overtaken mechanical issues as the top source of customer complaints in new cars.

Modern cars annoy their owners less and less with the engine and more and more with the screen. According to a Vertu Motors survey of technicians and aftersales managers, 64% of specialists named multimedia as the most frequent source of customer complaints.

The complaints will sound familiar: a sluggish screen, illogical menus, a phone that won’t pair on the first try, built-in navigation that performs worse than a regular app. Gesture controls were singled out by 46% of respondents, while another 35% pointed to the factory navigation system.

This is especially frustrating for buyers. The engine, gearbox and suspension may be in perfect order, but if you have to fight with the screen every day, the impression of the car wears thin quickly. Multimedia has become one of the most frequently used features in a vehicle: it’s where the driver plays music, plans routes, takes calls and tweaks settings.

Vertu Motors recommends not limiting yourself to a quick walk-around in the showroom. One in five technicians believes a test drive should include at least five minutes spent connecting a phone and testing the system. A touchscreen and gestures may feel convenient when parked, but it’s a different story on the move.

The second most common source of frustration is driving behaviour. 26% of specialists mentioned a wide turning radius, large blind spots and other quirks that only surface in real-world use.

A new car today is worth checking like a gadget. If the interface already annoys you on the test drive, it won’t get any nicer after the purchase.