the rejection of drivers upsets manufacturers

With the publication. Therefore. Meanwhile, on June 30, 2025, of its initial annual study Quality Study, the American institute JD Power confirms a significant tilting: on -board screens, previously major marketing assets, are now identified as The leading cause of dissatisfaction in motorists. Therefore, The shock for industrial strategists is all the stronger since this trend coincides with a European regulatory hardening on. Consequently, the interfaces. Moreover. Consequently, This disenchantment of the end user now forces manufacturers to review their technical choices and to reposition their investment priorities. Furthermore,

The touch screen. Consequently. Therefore, a high -end standardization strategy called into question – Rejection drivers upsets manufacturers – Rejection drivers upsets manufacturers new

For a decade, on -board screens have imposed themselves as industrial rationalization tool. Meanwhile, Put -up between models. However, configurable by software, they allowed brands to smooth their rejection drivers upsets manufacturers new development costs while strengthening the perception of on -board technology. Therefore, This logic was pushed rejection drivers upsets manufacturers to its paroxysm: some manufacturers. Nevertheless, such as Tesla, have deleted almost any physical command, including for defrosting or opening a glove box.

But the 2025 edition of the JD Power study, based on more than 92,000 feedback, questions this strategy. For example, With 192 incidents for 100 vehiclesthe complaint rate remains high. And infotainment systems alone concentrate more than 22 % of the problems identifiedor the first dysfunction post. The conductors’ reaction becomes a low signal that has become brutally central: The all-tactile is no longer a factor. of differentiation. but a rejection lever.

Direct consequences on the automotive value chain – Rejection drivers upsets manufacturers – Rejection drivers upsets manufacturers new

The functional rejection of touch interfaces. affects the entire value chain. from design to after-sales service. On the R&D level, several on -board rejection drivers upsets manufacturers new digital platforms developed at high costs will have to be reviewed. On the supplier side. companies specializing in 100 % tactile HMI (HMI-Machine Interface) modules see rejection drivers upsets manufacturers their vulnerable growth prospects.

The forced destandardization Imposed by customer feedback also obliges manufacturers to revalue the design of physical commands – more. expensive mechanical components. Additionally, on lower margins and higher logistical complexity. The all-screen was synonymous with economy of scale; The return to the button implies a return to the unit cost.

Touch failure is also read in software performance figures

The JD Power study does not just point the. screens as a source of dissatisfaction: it details the nature of the reported dysfunctions. Next to 18 % of complaints related to infotainment concern the Slow of screens at start -up or out of standby. This problem is aggravated by the growing tendency to centralize critical functions rejection drivers upsets manufacturers new (wipers, lights, air conditioning) on ​​these touch screens. A discrepancy of a few seconds can thus become a aggravating factor in emergency. Moreover. 13 % of users evoke tactile detection rejection drivers upsets manufacturers errors or graphic bugs (invisible icons, frozen menus), making the interface partially unusable.

These instabilities are often linked to type architectures Linux on board. Android Automotivewhich do not always benefit from optimal hardware calibration or a homogeneous update cycle. In several manufacturers, OTA (Over-the-Air) updates have not made it possible to solve these flaws permanently, which strengthens customer distrust. Ultimately. this structural instability of the screens could slow down the ambitions of software monetization that manufacturers hoped to deploy. via these interfaces.

Change of CAP Regulatory. strategic anticipation

The official report of Ministry of Ecological Transitionpublished on December 19. 2024, formalized the new European requirement carried by Euro ncap : from July 2026critical functions must rejection drivers upsets manufacturers new imperatively have accessible physical commands. Without this, the vehicles concerned will no longer be able to claim maximum safety rating. For premium manufacturers in particular. this constraint could directly impact the product perception and rejection drivers upsets manufacturers sales in fleet or business.

Certain groups, such as Volkswagen, Nissan or Stellantis, are already initiating a reintegration of physical pimples in their future generations. Among equipment manufacturers, the actors capable of offering hybrid solutions (combined interfaces, capacitive buttons, redundancy systems) become strategic partners. The entire sector is urgently reconfiguring its priorities produced.

The rejection of all-screen. far from being a simple ergonomic fad. upsets an entire part of the automotive economic model: that of high margin rationalized digitization. This reversal of the utility/perception ratio on vehicle interfaces demonstrates the fragility of industrial choices based exclusively on the. logic of optimization. reduction of components.