Feedback to Toyota about Nav and Phone Lockout - GreenHybrid

mayall · #1 (**permalink**) 03-30-2007, 09:36 AM

I really like my new Camry and Prius. I really hate the lockout of major areas of the nav and phone system.

The disabling of core features while the car is in motion creates a worse hazard than the features themselves.

I sent the following to Toyota via their website:

Quote:

I own both a 2007 Camry and Prius. Although they are terrific cars, the lockout of key features of the navigation and phone systems while the vehicle is in motion is arbitrary and dangerous.

I assume that the rational for locking out the features is that they are distracting. This is absurd. Everything in the navigation system is a distraction.

The voice recognition system is technically impressive but horrible in actual use and becomes the worst distraction of all.

Finally, let me give you a real life example of how distracting you have made the system. Before you can use the system, you force the acceptance of a ridiculous agreement. If you accidentally press another language, you are stuck listening to someone talk to you in that language. Good luck figuring out how to fix that while you are driving.

I could go on and on about your poor decision to listen to your lawyers instead of your customers. You have, in fact, created a more dangerous system that negatively impacts my opinion of Toyota.

Yours,

Will Mayall

If you feel the same way, please send your feedback to Toyota. You can send Toyota feedback at:

Send Toyota Feedback via Email

wilsons66604 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-30-2007, 11:07 AM

Good Idea! I just submitted my plea.

schmidtj · #3 (**permalink**) 03-30-2007, 11:51 AM

Here here. Now let me put down my 3 shot latte and fire off an email with my Blackberry while I'm tooling down the interstate as I type this. But I'm not distracted. No not me. Oops, someone just text messaged me. Gotta go.

mikieboyblue · #4 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 09:29 AM

I just sent them this:

"To whom it may concern:

I have to say, upon purchasing a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid, after waiting nearly three months for it to be custom built, it is by far the best car I have ever owned and it amazes me so much! Excellent work and please pass along a thank you to the entire engineering team.

Despite all of the positives in the car I feel the navigation system is lacking a few small adjustments. First, the agreement screen when you initially start the car. I do not find this needed at all. As a licensed driver I understand the rules of the road and how to handle a car. I will provide a possible suggestion to the agreement screen below.

My second area of concern in the navigation system is the lockout feature while driving. The inability to input new destinations while driving is an annoyance. I personally would never try to do something I could not while driving and I understand the rationale behind creating the lockout; however, the car can handle passengers and there should be no reason why the passenger cannot take care of the destination input.

My suggestions are as follows and I hope they can be made available to everyone without a hefty price.

1. With respect to the agreement screen, perhaps the screen can be displayed once every 25 or more starts/stop of the system or maybe at certain mileage intervals. Alternatively, we can do away with the screen by putting a sticker or tag on the navigation system that explains the safety aspects and limit any legal risk.

2. With respect to the navigation lockout, again, perhaps a sticker or notice can be placed on the navigation system that explains the safety aspects of the system and how you should not use the system when you are the driver of the car. Or, it might be possible to tie the override into the weight sensor of the passenger seat to determine if there is a passenger just like the seatbelt warning. After all, the hand-held devices do not lock you out when you are "driving."

I would like to close with again saying this is an amazing car and I hope the opinions of the faithful owners will be received with an open mind.

Thank you for your time and I hope to continue to have the privilege of driving such quality Toyota automobiles in the future.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Forte"

kris · #5 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 01:53 PM

This will never happen. They don't want to be liable for somebody's reckless actions. And we all know how people are willing to admit it when they are at fault. If that means pissing off a few customers, then so what, Toyota would rather than that lose millions over accidents.

wilsons66604 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris

This will never happen. They don't want to be liable for somebody's reckless actions. And we all know how people are willing to admit it when they are at fault. If that means pissing off a few customers, then so what, Toyota would rather than that lose millions over accidents.

There are other options than totally locking the consumer out. My TomTom nav device gives a warning that I have to agree to. That is good enough to let me use the system while I drive. TomTom is cleared of all liability when I click OK.
Shouldn't the I AGREE screen on the TCH clear Toyota of all liability????

kris · #7 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 02:05 PM

It does, but that's why you have to push it every time. The other options are totally unnecessary to use when you are driving. Over the last three months, I havne't had to change my destination while driving, I always did it as a stop.

mayall · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 02:08 PM

Quote:

This will never happen. They don't want to be liable for somebody's reckless actions. And we all know how people are willing to admit it when they are at fault. If that means pissing off a few customers, then so what, Toyota would rather than that lose millions over accidents.

Giving Toyota feedback that I am unsatisfied with their nav/phone system seems like a simple step especially considering it is an easy process via the web site. Perhaps they will not change or improve their product as a result but it seems worth a try.

Will Mayall

kris · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 02:11 PM

If it's such a problem, why not make a V5/6 disk like others have done.

wilsons66604 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris

It does, but that's why you have to push it every time. The other options are totally unnecessary to use when you are driving. Over the last three months, I havne't had to change my destination while driving, I always did it as a stop.

OK Kris. Then it's not an issue with you.
I'm not a kid any more and I don't like being told I can't do something.
I did fix the lockout (kinda) by creating a new Navigation DVD. I shouldn't have to do that though.