Aug. 25--Automakers are investing billions in new technology and features, half of which are not being used by most vehicle owners, according to a J.D. Power survey released today.
At least 20% of new vehicle owners have never used 16 of the 33 technology features measured in the J.D. Power 2015 Driver Interactive Vehicle Experience (DrIVE) Report, which evaluates the owner's experience with the features in the first 90 days of ownership of a new car or truck.
Automakers tout advances in their vehicles designed to improve everything from safety to seamless connectivity of smartphones and iPods to semi-autonomous driving with sensors and controllers in driver-assist technologies that steer, brake and accelerate to avoid a collision if the driver fails to act.
Some of the creature comfort technologies are not being used, the J.D. Power report found. In-vehicle concierge services are never used by 43% of owners; 38% never use mobile routers; 35% never use automatic parking systems, 33% never use head-up displays and 32% said they never use built-in apps.
Responses from more than 4,200 vehicle owners and lessees after 90 days of ownership revealed 14 high-tech features that one in five owners do not even want in their next vehicle, including Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto, in-vehicle concierge services and in-vehicle voice texting.
Millennials are even more resistant. One in five say there are 23 features they don't want in their new car, most of them related to entertainment and connectivity systems. The results are surprising given that automakers often cite the need to attract younger buyers as a reason for pursuing these features. Ford, for example, says its Sync infotainment system is one of the reasons buyers chose its vehicles over the competition.
"In many cases, owners simply prefer to use their smartphone or tablet because it meets their needs; they're familiar with the device and it's accurate," said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & HMI research at J.D. Power. "In-vehicle connectivity technology that's not used results in millions of dollars of lost value for both consumers and the manufacturers."
The reasoning is not complex. Most of those surveyed said they did not need the feature, therefore they did not want it. Many complained the technology was part of a package that came with the vehicle.
Owners said if the dealer did not explain a feature, they were more likely to never use it. And if a feature was not already activated, the owner usually did not know they had the capability in the first place.
But owners do not want automakers to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Kolodge said owners want their car to be equipped with technology that improves safety and performance. They like health diagnostics, blind-spot warning and detection, and adaptive cruise control, according to the 2015 report.
But she cautions automakers that owners have little patience if a feature does not work right.
"The first 30 days are critical," Kolodge said. "That first-time experience with the technology is the make-it-or-break-it stage. Automakers need to get it right the first time, or owners will simply use their own mobile device instead of the in-vehicle technology."
That puts pressure on dealers to make sure buyers understand how to work the features on their new car before they drive off the lot, but the onus is on automakers to design intuitive, easy-to-use systems in the first place.
Insurance companies have a stake in this as well, as they want to avoid accidents caused by distracted driving. And expensive technology can translate to expensive repairs.
"While some technologies, such as lane-departure warning, are making vehicles safer, the insurance industry is very concerned about the driver-distraction hazards caused by some of the other technologies," said Chip Lackey, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power. "In addition, technology drives up the repair and replacement costs. A slight bumper scrape that would normally cost a few hundred dollars to repair can catapult a claim into thousands of dollars when a park assist camera or other sensors are damaged."
Contact Alisa Priddle: 313-222-5394 or apriddle@freepress.com. Follow her on twitter at @AlisaPriddle
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