According to J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study, infotainment remains the most problematic vehicle category, even after modest improvement, and many of the industry’s top reported problems still relate to infotainment and touchscreens. The same J.D. Power release notes drivers are reporting more touchscreen-related problems as more non-audio functions (like climate controls and other basic functions) move into screens. On a road trip, those “small frictions” matter more than on a commute because the trip piles on more tasks: reroutes, charging cables, passenger requests, unfamiliar roads, and longer hours behind the wheel.

Quick takeaways

Infotainment keeps showing up as a top pain point in major owner surveys, and that friction compounds on road trips.
Road trips multiply screen tasks: navigation changes, audio, phone pairing, passenger control requests, and driver-assist settings.
Touchscreen-only controls can raise distraction risk when basic functions are buried in menus.
The best “trip car” infotainment is often not the most advanced—it’s the one that stays predictable with fewer taps.
A short pre-trip setup routine can prevent most of the common headaches.

Infotainment Is Still the Biggest Car Headache—Why Trips Suffer

What changed: screens now control more “basic” stuff

Infotainment used to be mostly audio and navigation. Now it often runs:

climate and defrost
seat heating/ventilation
drive modes and regen settings (on electrified cars)
driver-assist preferences and alerts
cameras and parking settings

J.D. Power’s 2025 IQS release specifically calls out that touchscreen problems are increasing as more non-audio-related features move into screens. That shift is why “infotainment” feels like a bigger headache than it did a decade ago: it’s not optional anymore.

Why it matters more on a road trip than a commute

A commute is repetitive. A road trip is variable. Infotainment friction costs more when the drive is long, unfamiliar, and stop-heavy.

1) The trip creates more “inputs”

Road trips add tasks that don’t exist on a normal weekday:

reroutes around traffic or weather
switching between downloaded maps and live guidance
sharing audio control with passengers
finding charging cables and power ports
entering a new hotel address while moving

More inputs mean more chances the system does something annoying: drops phone pairing, changes audio sources, hides a control, or requires re-accepting prompts.

2) Distraction risk rises with speed and novelty

The same interaction that feels harmless at 25 mph in town can become a real safety problem at 70 mph on an unfamiliar highway. IIHS research summarizes a consistent finding: manipulating a cellphone while driving is linked to increased crash risk—an important parallel for any task that pulls eyes and attention off the road.

Consumer Reports has also tested infotainment systems and ranked them by distraction level, reinforcing that the design of controls changes how demanding the task becomes.

3) Fatigue and irritation compound

On hour three, “one extra beep” can feel like ten. A system that nags, mishears, or forces repeated taps can raise cognitive workload, even if the vehicle is comfortable.

That’s why road-trip buyers often end up prioritizing “easy to live with” over “more advanced.”

The three infotainment pain points that most often ruin weekends

1) Too many taps for basic functions

If defrost, fan speed, or seat heat takes multiple steps, the system turns routine comfort into a distraction.

2) Unreliable phone pairing and audio handoffs

A road trip is where phones matter most: music, podcasts, navigation, calls. When pairing drops or audio sources switch unpredictably, the driver ends up troubleshooting at the worst time.

3) Alerts and driver-assist settings that don’t match the driver

Some systems are excellent, but only after setup. If lane alerts, speed warnings, or attention prompts are overly aggressive, they can make the cabin feel tense.

What this means in the U.S.

U.S. weekend travel often means:

long interstate legs at 70–80 mph
heavy merging and lane changes
crowded service areas
mixed weather and glare

That environment amplifies infotainment friction. A clean interface, reliable phone pairing, and easy access to climate controls can matter more than advanced features you rarely use.

What you can do: the 10-minute “infotainment road-trip reset”

This is a quick routine that reduces most trip headaches:

Update apps and maps (before leaving the driveway).
Set favorites: one navigation favorite (hotel), two audio favorites, one emergency contact shortcut.
Lock in climate basics: know the one-step path to defrost and fan speed.
Quiet the cabin: reduce nonessential alerts for the trip, if settings allow.
Passenger job: assign one person to handle destination edits and audio searches while moving.
Cable plan: confirm power ports and a backup cable so the phone doesn’t die mid-route.

Bottom line

Infotainment remains a major owner pain point, and road trips amplify that friction because the drive demands more tasks at higher speed and for longer hours. The weekend-friendly choice is the vehicle that keeps core controls simple—navigation, audio, climate, and alerts—so the cabin stays calm and attention stays on the road.

Infotainment Is Still the Biggest Car Headache—Why Trips Suffer