J.D. Power survey: automakers pack too much tech into vehicles

Automakers are rushing to pack vehicles with the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), but according to market research firm J.D. Power, U.S. drivers may just be overwhelmed with glitzy features that don’t solve a problem, don’t work, are difficult to use, or are too limited in functionality.

The Troy, Michigan-based firm’s “J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study” found that car owners offer praise for some advanced features, but find others to be lackluster.

For example, new AI-based technologies like smart climate control have quickly won popularity with those owners who have used it. But recognition technologies such as facial recognition, fingerprint reader, and interior gesture controls fall out of favor as they unsuccessfully try to solve a problem that owners didn’t know they had. The study found that not only do owners say that interior gesture controls can be problematic (43.4 problems per 100 vehicles), but 21% of these owners also say this technology lacks functionality.

To help automakers solve the problem, J.D. Power says it has developed a return on investment (ROI) analysis as part of its TXI findings to cluster individual technologies into three categories: must have, nice to have, and not necessary. In turn, carmakers can use those ranking to see which technologies deserve the most attention, versus which can be dropped to ease the escalating costs of new vehicles.

“A strong advanced tech strategy is crucial for all vehicle manufacturers, and many innovative technologies are answering customer needs,” Kathleen Rizk, senior director of user experience benchmarking and technology at J.D. Power, said in a release. “At the same time, this year’s study makes it clear that owners find some technologies of little use and/or are continually annoying.”

In additional examples, the TXI survey found that:

• despite the increasing availability of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), many owners remain indifferent to their value. Most owners appreciate features that directly address specific concerns, such as visual blind spots while backing up. But many owners say they’re perfectly capable of handling tasks without other features like active driving assistance.
• automakers are expanding their offering of vehicles containing a second infotainment control screen in the vehicle, despite the feature being classified as “not necessary” by vehicle owners, who say they seldom carry front-seat passengers and that the interfaces are difficult to learn.
• as Tesla's customer base expands beyond the tech-hungry early adopters who drove its early growth, the broader range of users now report lower satisfaction across certain problematic techs that its early fans had excused, such as direct driver monitoring. 

The 2024 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study is based on responses from 81,926 owners of new 2024 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from July 2023 through May 2024 based on vehicles registered from April 2023 through February 2024.