Car owners' new gripe: lousy wireless service

JD Power's new study finds 1 in 4 problems cited by car buyers in the first 90 days of ownership involves infotainment. For the first time in a decade, voice recognition is not the top problem; instead, it's Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, which worsened significantly, especially for those trying to connect wirelessly. About one-third of new cars now come with a built-in WiFi hub, which may or may not be compatible with a phone's operating system. Consumers want their digital lives to follow them seamlessly in the car, but if the wireless connection is glitchy such features don't work, leaving car owners unhappy. According to the vice president of auto quality at JD Power, Dave Sargent, it's a lack of software coordination between automakers and the tech giants who are often at odds over controlling the in-car experience. Instead of pointing fingers, he says, the two industries must work more closely together to optimize car connectivity features.