20 Annoying Car Features That Leave Drivers Frustrated

Many car owners love the latest in gizmos and gadgets in autos. However, the newest technology, or what passes for improvements, can leave some motorists bewildered and exasperated.

Lights that don’t shut off, keyless vehicles in which you’ve left the key in the car, and vehicles lacking a full spare tire — sometimes, it feels like the auto industry is taking one step forward and one step back with each new model year.

We have assembled a list of car features that irritate drivers the most. We compiled our compendium from sources such as AutoGuru, Carbuyerco.uk., and Forbes. We focused on car features from vehicles made by American and foreign buyers that are particular to the U.S. market. Our list does not rank these features by irritation.

Jarring Auto Stop-Start Systems

Auto stop-start systems automatically turn off the car’s engine whenever you come to a complete stop to save on fuel. However, these systems can be jarring, particularly in stop-and-go urban traffic.

Some motorists surveyed by Carbuyerco.uk feared that they couldn’t restart the car once it turned off at a stop. Others were concerned about the toll the constant stopping and starting might take on the engine.

Voice Control With Little Control

Few features are as exasperating as voice control. How many times have you requested directions, tried changing a radio station, or attempted to adjust the vehicle’s temperature from the voice command, and it misunderstood your requests?

Trying to make yourself understood while driving is a distraction you don’t need. If you have an accent, you can forget about fulfilling your request.

Back Door Windows That Go Halfway Down

Passengers riding in the back seat of many cars are frustrated with windows that only roll down halfway. This can be aggravating, especially if you draw the short straw and get the middle seat on a summer day when the car’s air conditioning is not working.

The bright side is seeing dogs stick their heads out the window and enjoy the onrushing wind while the car motors past.

Keyless Entry

Keyless entry was supposed to alleviate the problem of opening a car door if you are carrying something with both hands. You can forget that you left the key in the car’s console because you don’t need to start the car with a key, just push a button.

Car thieves have learned how to intercept signals from keys to your vehicle.

Bulky Key Fobs

Goodbye keys, hello key fobs. These large devices also perform functions such as providing information about your vehicle.

They are bigger and bulkier, don’t fit well in your pocket (if they fit in at all), and they can still be misplaced. If you care about fashion, well, they’re not a great look.

Diminished Console Storage

Apparently, carmakers have reduced a car’s console in the interest of saving space. We get that many cars don’t provide ashtray space anymore, however, you do need space for a cupholder, your sunglasses, your cell phone, and other things.

You want those items at your fingertips, not in the glove compartment, where the car owner’s manual and old maps (remember them?) are.

Aggravating Side-View Mirrors

How often do you adjust the side view mirrors in a car to get the angle and pitch just right, and the mirror control speeds up the direction and angle more than you desire?

Adding to this problem is the fact that some side mirrors are too small for adequate viewing by a motorist. Adjusting the mirrors while in traffic can be dangerous.

Can You Spare a Spare?

In the name of space-saving, many new cars don’t provide drivers with a full spare. Some don’t even have a donut, which is the smaller spare.

The donut tire can’t get you very far, though it can get you to a service station to replace your flat. The only donut most drivers are getting is at Dunkin or Krispy Kreme.

Controls Dependent on Touch Screens

Touch screens are pleasing to the eye, are convenient, and provide a tactile experience for drivers and passengers. However, with all those menus and submenus to choose from, touch screens can be distracting while driving.

Be sure to bring the glass cleaner and a cloth to get rid of those fingermarks. Many motorists would rather make adjustments with knobs over touch screens.

Gesture Controls

Some luxury cars feature gesture control in which the vehicle’s driver ostentatiously waves their hand or finger in front of a touchscreen to request a change of car temperature or to raise the volume on the car radio.

For the showoff in you, such a feature would be fine. The problem is, like navigation, these gesture controls don’t always work.

Grainy Reversing Cameras

Reversing cameras have been a boon and a bane for drivers. Though they’ve undoubtedly cut down on fender-benders, the cameras make drivers too dependent on the technology and may provide a false sense of safety.

Also, many images are grainy, making it challenging to determine images and distance. Drivers shouldn’t depend on the beeping sound if they’re too close to an object.

Confusing Gear Shifters

Automatic transmission is not necessarily automatic for many motorists because of how specific gear shifts have been installed. Some car manufacturers have gone back to the future with a stalk gear shift that can be confusing.

The stick can be shifted in the same direction for drive and reverse, and you get into the park by touching the top of the stalk. Not intuitive for drivers.

Dodgy Navigation

Few things are more frustrating than a car’s GPS that fails to get you to your destination. Voiced directions can be especially aggravating when you ask for directions and the navigation system fails to provide the right information.

Sometimes this is because the information in the satellite navigation platform is out of date. Sometimes, you can’t pull up the navigation system and have to resort to the data-gorging GPS on your phone.

Staying in Your Lane

Lane-keeping control is a feature in autos that’s been embraced by safety experts. The steering aid for your vehicle is great when it issues warning beeps or a light indicator on your side view mirror to indicate that you haven’t stayed in your lane.

However, it does not always work well in practice. Too much reliance on this feature can be dangerous.

Stop With the Warning Sounds

The warning sounds emanating from your vehicle are the car’s version of a hectoring family member: Wear your seatbelt; the car lights are on; the door’s ajar.

Even those annoying beeping sounds that tell us when the car is unlocked or locked get to be unnerving. We get it; we’ll do as you demand. These shrill sounds are enough to drive a man mad.

Car Alarms

Most people have become inured to the horrid sound of car alarms in daily living. Even so, the alarm becomes most aggravating if not turned off after 10 seconds.

There are few things worse than living in a city when a cacophonous chorus of car alarms pierce the night and the car owners don’t seem to be anywhere in sight.

Non-Adjustable Steering Wheels

We’re all built differently, and steering wheels that are not adjustable are a constant source of annoyance. They also complicate finding the proper position for driving, which is a fundamental aspect of driving.

That can make driving long distances more than just annoying; it can be dangerous. With so much technology found in vehicles today, one would think that steering wheels would be adjustable in all cars.

Tracking Down USB Ports

Yes, you shouldn’t be on your cell phone while driving. However, you might want to charge your device from a port in your vehicle. Finding the USB port might require a detective unless you’ve been shown where they are when you buy the vehicle.

They could be in consoles or armrests, and finding them can be as maddening as finding an airplane’s port for your earbuds.

Tuning Out

Streaming services such as Spotify and regular FM and AM stations on your car radio have dramatically increased your choices for entertainment and information. Finding a station on the radio, however, has become more complicated.

Instead of a knob or button that you hold down to set a station, car buttons now move up in specific increments, making it more difficult than necessary to find and set your station.

Bright Lights, Big Headaches

Whether they are headlights, brake lights, or daytime running lights, carmakers have shifted to using LED lights for environmental reasons and because the lights last longer than the venerable halogen bulbs.

Some drivers feel these lights are too bright and too blinding. Ease off on the brake lights and stops or traffic jams because the brightness can distract motorists behind you.