Survey: Owners frustrated when linking phones to vehicles

By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — A large U.S. survey of new-vehicle owners found that automobile quality rose last year, but glitches in pairing smartphones with infotainment systems frustrated owners more than anything. The annual survey by J.D. Power found that the Ram truck brand had the fewest problems per 100 vehicles. Another Stellantis brand, Dodge, finished second. Lexus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Kia, Genesis, Hyundai, Jeep and Chevrolet rounded out the top 10. Smartphone connections, mainly linking Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to automobiles, was this year’s top problem. It beat voice recognition as the survey’s No. 1 gremlin for the first time since 2011.