Earlier this week I asked you fine people to share the most annoying things about your cars, and boy did you deliver. As enthusiasts we hopefully all love the cars we drive, but that doesn’t stop us from absolutely hating some aspects of our rides. My example was the annoying door chime in my Mercedes CLS; your answers ran the gamut from infotainment woes to mechanical issues and all sorts of other quirks.
There were a lot of great answers here, so I either went for the most popular or funniest ones. Keep scrolling to see all of my favorite answers, and let us know in the comments which one would piss you off the most, too.
Steering Wheel Controls
I have a 2022 CT5 and the wheel controls for the infotainment and gauge cluster are in the wrong place. Both of these controls are on the right side of the wheel but the gauge cluster controls are very easy to reach with a nice scroll wheel to cycle through the options, the infotainment controls take a reach with the volume controls being a right/left layout and forward/back being an up/down layout.
I got my 2022 Toyota Tacoma brand new almost three years ago, and I still get aggravated by the radio control on the steering wheel - volume is left-right and channel/track is up-down. I’m pretty much used to it now, until I spend a little time driving a different car that has volume up-down as it should be (and has been in every other vehicle I’ve driven with steering wheel controls). Note: I’m old enough that my first truck had an actual dial so I still picture radio stations as left to right in my mind.
Submitted by: Cluck, Ours Blanc
Tailgate Buttons
2024 BMW X3 - This is so far beyond nitpicky it’s almost embarrassing. But, on the tailgate, you have two buttons to close the tailgate when open. One button is a lock and the other is a close tailgate. If the tailgate is open and the car is unlocked, you can press either one to shut the tailgate. If the car is locked, you can press the close tailgate button, but the lock button doesn’t close the tailgate. There have been so many times I have pressed the lock button only for the tailgate to just stay open. It makes way more sense (until proven otherwise) that the lock button would do the same as close tailgate button even if the car is already locked.
Submitted by: bmwx3tailgatehater
Bad Windshield Wipers/Sprayers
I drive a base model manual 2016 Nissan Versa Note. My one big gripe (aside from living in Canada and not having remote start) is that the washer fluid spray simply does not hit the windshield while travelling above 60km/h. They cannot be moved or adjusted in any way, and its annoying as anything to not be able to get a clean windshield in some situations on the highway without using half a bottle of washer fluid.
2008 Ford Escape Limited. Love everything about it except the wiper push to spray function. What it does is, you hit the button on the end of the stalk and it sprays the wiper fluid onto the windshield-great! It runs the wipers 3 or 4 times, I forget, but-also great!
...then when it’s all done, it runs them ONE MORE TIME and streaks up what was a clean windshield, especially now in winter with all the salt out there. If it wouldn’t do that last swipe, it would be perfect. And there’s no way to defeat that, so I just manually turn on the wipers, spray it as much as needed, then manually turn them off. Frustrating cause I can’t believe enough people asked for that extra swipe to be added to the routine to make it into production.
The Mk7 Golf is a great car but the way the wipers are designed, they throw all of the water (and whatever else is on the windshield) into a vertical position near the driver’s A pillar.
While that clears a good amount of space for visibility, it also means the airflow over the car grabs all that crap and sprays it all over the driver door. Did you wash a ton of bird crap off your windshield while driving? Enjoy it on your door handle next time you get in.
Submitted by: Stephinki, FiveLiters1, OnceInAMillenia
Touchscreen/Haptic Controls
Lack of buttons. I’m tired of everything being controlled by a touchscreen. Pouring through menus to access climate control and drive modes is irritating.
My 22' GTI’s haptic controls with the climate controls integrated in the screen is not an improvement over my 17'. Leave climate controls in cars where they are readily available without having to go through screens and loading delays just to turn your fan speed down.
Infotainment, particularly the radio interface. I really hate how I have to go into the screen menu to brows/seek the stations. I also hate how everything is done through the screen. I hate having a stupid starter button, what was wrong with the fucking key? I hate how big the key is, I hate proximity lock/unlock. I don’t need all the stupid info on the dash either, just speedo, tacho, coolant temp, fuel level, oil temp, oil pressure, and volt, that’s all I need, so why does it tell me how many MPG I’m doing at a given moment, that’s a completely irrelevant info. I hate auto headlights, I hate auto wiper, thank god I can turn those things off. It’s quicker to list the things I actually like about the car. And if it weren’t for how bloody good it is to drive, I’d probably get rid of it ASAP.
My 2022 Lexus GX has no AC button. So if I want to cool/heat the car, I have to go through a menu to uncover the AC button.
I am fully aware that this sounds like a superfluous complaint, but it’s not. It’s an ordeal, every time, if only because I am 45 years old and cars I’ve owned dating back to my teens had that simple AC On/Off button.
Submitted by: Ermahgerd!, a a, jb21, Justin Celko
Thin Paint
Thin paint. Both my Maverick and my Miata seem to get new little paint chips if the wind hits them too hard.Back in the day you had worry about rust fighting its way through from behind the paint; now it seems every little thing on the road is a frontal assault on paint jobs.
This is also my primary gripe about my 2014 Civic. The outside paint is too thin same as yours, but the inside of the trunk is basically pink as the paint is so thin it can’t convey the true color (rally red). My 2002 Civic made in England had much better paint.
Submitted by: ReluctantFloridaMan, Pinkerton
No Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
I drive a 2024 Chevy Equinox EV. 2 things really bother me. No Apple CarPlay. Terrible glare from the dashboard while driving with the sun above and in front of the car.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV-ooooo boy, get ready for it. Essentially the entire car. The infotainment with it’s lack of Android Auto is a HUGE misstep. The audio system loves to jump between Spotify and Bluetooth audio at random, the HUD just randomly stops working, the passenger side right turn signal has an intermittent error where it will act as if the LED is burned out at random, the wireless charge pad rarely works with any phone, the physical HVAC control panel stopped working at week three(this was remedied with a software update), the MyChevrolet app on my phone loves to disconnect itself from the care which disables the remote start feature......this list just keeps going. It’s been in the shop numerous times for software updates which will fix the problems for a while but they always return. My kid put it best. Everything that’s on the car that works, works great. Everything that’s on the car that doesn’t, makes you want to punch it.
Thank fuck it’s a lease and I don’t have to deal with it after another year.
Submitted by: Daveedo1, TheCoryJihad
Gauge Cluster Displays
I’ve got two:
#1 My heated/cooled seat “switches” are on the infotainment screen. While I’d prefer actual buttons, this is not the end of the world, they’re at least front and center. What pisses me off to no end is that every time the car is shut off, so are the heaters/coolers which don’t come back on. FFS.
#2 The nav displays current street info in gauge cluster. But the absolute idiots who developed the UI would rather show a useless giant compass filling 2/3 of the screen area instead of allowing multiple lines of text. So multi-name streets/routes are often truncated which can be quite frustrating.
I really like our Opel Insignia (Buick Regal TourX for you) wagon. But I’d like it even more if
1) I could change the small digital gauge to something more useful than battery voltage, because the manual states I can, but the software isn’t there.
2) the kick-open sensor for the trunk lid actually worked. As it is, it is less of a hassle to set down the groceries and open the trunk manually than balancing on one leg trying to hit the sweet spot with the other foot.
19' fusion. dashboard. tons of options in the view on the dash, but can’t see a lot of them at the same time. if I use the paddle shifters to down shift or upshift on a big hill whatever view I currently have set changes to the tach, then I have to go back and change it again. also temp gauge and tach can’t be shown at the same time. instead I have 3 screens one of which shows the compass,radio station or phone call. the radio already shows what I’m listening to why do I need it again. compass could just be the little letters N S E W and let me see my tach etc.
Also the inability to disconnect a bluetooth paired phone to swap for another. I have to do it from the phone unstead of there being a disconnect feature on the dash.
Also the driver seat started cracking at <2 years old. I’m not a huge guy,just junk material.
Worst traction control ever. 1/4 of snow on an uphill and the car won’t put any power to the wheels. theres no button to turn it off, I have to go through various menus to get out of my driveway. pretty dumb.
Honda Insight - it has an analog speedometer and 7" LCD gauge cluster. The speedometer only shows MPH. So when switching to metric, instead of moving the needle to the KPH value, it stays on MPH and shows the KPH on the screen right beside the analog gauge. Annoying, but i never use metric. The real dig is it ONLY shows the digital speed in KPH. When you switch to US customary units, the digital speed display disappears and stops showing the current speed (it does show was ACC is set on).
WHY? I have had primarily or exclusively digital speed since 2009, using the analog display is annoying and unnecessary
2013 Mazdaspeed3. I’ve owned the car for 11 years, and I absolutely love the thing. Its still so much fun to drive and I still stare back at it every time I get out. But dammit I hate the digital gas gauge. Four segments of three blocks. So when you’re down to that last block it really is guess work how much you have left. Yes, it has a ‘range’ option on the upper display, but that thing has been lying to me since I got it. Pretty sure its setup for a regular Mazda3 as on a full tank it often claims I’ve got over 400 miles of range, and even without driving like a jackass I’m lucky to get 300 miles without highway driving. Newer models have broken the last segment down into 6 smaller blocks instead of the same 3 blocks as the others, but the second gen was apparently the beta test, because it sucks.
Submitted by: Jason Rocker, Aracan1, Chris Drives old Paint, Levi1922, Maxis47
Configurable Drive Modes
Honestly, very little. I have a 2023 BMW M3 Competition, and it’s damn near perfect (yes, people are going to respond that it’s ugly. I’m not going to disagree. I just personally don’t care about looks. I’ve driven far uglier, believe me).
It’s loaded with technology, which is typically a recipe for disaster, but it’s all done really, really well (aside from my complaint below).
So, this is going to sound nitpicky, because it is. But my biggest complaint is that the car let’s you configure two custom drive configurations (throttle response, steering feel, brake response, traction control, stability, suspension, etc) and assign each configuration to M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel. Which, brilliant idea. I seriously wish every car did this and would honestly have trouble moving to a car that didn’t. Being able to pull up my own custom configuration with a single button push that doesn’t require me to take either hand off the wheel is fantastic. There’s been plenty of times when I’m merging on a busy highway and need a little extra juice to get to an open spot to merge in, so I push the M2 button and get it instantly. It sounds trivial, but trust me, it’s way more useful than you think.
The problem is that it doesn’t let you also map drivers screen (HUD and Gauge Cluster) settings to those buttons as well. That selection is done by a button on the center console. And the biggest problem with that is that the default HUD doesn’t show the RPMs. So when I decide to go into my M2 setup, which is configured for fun, I have to go down and press a button to change my screen to the performance setup as well.
That’s hardly a deal breaker. But it’s honestly the most annoying thing I’ve found with the car in almost two years of ownership.
Golf Clubs Don’t Fit
It’s so dumb but my golf clubs won’t fit in the trunk unless I take the driver and 3 wood out, which makes it a much bigger ordeal than just throwing them in the trunk. It’s so annoying to me that when I go car shopping next I’ll make sure my clubs fit comfortably in the trunk.
First World hardship alert. I love my Bolt EUV but it needs to be about 3-4 inches wider so I can fit my golf clubs fully in the trunk without having to fold down the rear seat.
On a more practical front its charging is slow AF but considering my driving is 90% local this has less of an impact.
Submitted by: Kuhat, HelloNewman
Kids Ruin Everything
I’ve been driving my car (2012 VW Passat SE 2.5l) for the past 11 years. It now has 278k miles and has been a rock steady vehicle with few issues outside routine maintenance. It has a touchscreen infotainment system, but still has physical buttons and knobs that also work. The steering wheel controls make sense and work great. Cruise control does a good job of maintaining a steady pace (unlike my 2011 Avalanche which seems to float +- 5mph from where it’s set). But with all of that love, there is one thing that has, over the years, soured a bit. And as much as I love them, it’s my kids...
You see, the main issues with my car can often be traced to the kids directly.The blown speakers? The kids keep setting the bass up to the max. The FOUR wrinkles in sills by the lift points? Various kids “helping” lowering the car off a floor jack by turning the release about as quickly as they turned up the bass. The blue latex house paint spattered all along the driver’s side? One of the kids was following a painter’s truck, when a heavy bounce tossed a can out the back, and the kid didn’t wash the car or tell me. The trash shoved in the back seat door pockets? The kids can only carry one thing from the car, and it isn’t going to be something they’ve already used. The dents on both rear quarter panels? Well, that’s on my wife, but still, in one of those cases, the kids were distracting her.
Submitted by: Go Padge (GoPadge)
So Many Things
2022 Camry w/ AWD. This cannot be boiled down to one annoying thing, but here goes, from most annoying to least:
1) AWD is engaged all the time when temperatures drop below 38 degrees F regardless of road conditions. Living in Wisconsin, this is a significant amount of time, and is a huge suck on gas mileage. In summer, usually get 35+ mpg; in winter, it is below 25 mpg. There is no reason for AWD to be engaged unless there is need for it. And yes, I have winter tires.
2) Remote start - two particular annoyances about this feature: a) shuts off when you open the door/trunk, meaning you have to re-start the car. I actually called Toyota customer care on this and was told this is a safety feature so the car cannot be stolen. Newsflash - it cannot be put into gear without the key fob; b) the heat/a/c function only kicks in at the last setting, e.g., in order to have my car toasty warm in winter or ice cold in summer, I have to set the HVAC functions/seat warmer/vented seats to max before I get out of the car. Since most of my driving is longer distance (I work remote; my driving mostly consists of dad taxi to kids sports and other errands), the interior of the car has gotten to temperature and such settings are low or off. Even my crappy 2008 Chevy Impala knew to kick the heat/a/c up to max and turn rear defrost on.
Now, a bit nitpicky:
3) radio shuts off when the car turns off; as I listen to a lot of either live sports, sports talk, or podcasts, it would be nice to not have to keep the car running to finish listening for a logical break;
4) no wireless android auto/CarPlay;
5) no remote-enabled “all windows down” function - loved that on my 2014 Fusion;
6) No rear middle seat access hole; to fit longer items I have to put down the “40" side of the rear seats when most of the items i need are small but long (insert “that’s what she said joke”), like hockey sticks and fishing poles; and
7) heated steering wheel only at 2:00 to 4:00 and 8:00 to 10:00.
Submitted by: jakuiper
Hater Comments
2001 Porsche 911.
The most annoying thing about my car is that it invites the most idiotic comments about how much I must have spent on it from people who are underwater on an 84-month loan for their massive SUV that will cost them more after just one third of their loan has elapsed than my car cost me.
The second most annoying thing is the fact that the first owner didn’t spec it with a rear wiper.
The third most annoying thing is the fact that tyre manufacturers no longer make the size of my donut spare, so I’ve just removed it from the car and put in a plug kit and inflator.
Submitted by: TheSchrat