Drivers are happiest with car technology they barely notice, while headline-grabbing gadgets such as passenger screens are going unused, according to a major new study of new-vehicle owners. The findings challenge automakers who continue to pack cabins with ever larger displays and more sophisticated electronics.
JD Power's 2026 US Tech Experience Index surveyed 68,084 owners of new 2026 model-year vehicles after 90 days of ownership. The study examined 40 technologies spanning comfort and convenience, connectivity, driver assistance, electric vehicle features and smart vehicle systems.
Simple features performed best. Smart ignition, which starts and stops the vehicle automatically without the driver searching for a key, delivered the highest overall satisfaction and recorded just 2.4 problems per 100 vehicles. Smart climate control also scored strongly while generating relatively few complaints.
«The technology customers value most is often the technology they barely notice because it simply works,» said Doron Hikry of JD Power.
Passenger screens, the increasingly common optional displays fitted ahead of the front passenger seat, fared particularly badly. They recorded 21.3 problems per 100 vehicles, while 35 percent of owners with one said they had never even tried using it. Just 6 percent reported using the passenger display every time they drove.
More advanced driver assistance did not automatically mean happier owners either. Conventional Level 2 systems requiring hands on the wheel beat more advanced Level 2+ hands-free systems for execution and overall experience, despite the latter recording slightly fewer reported problems.
There were winners despite the grumbling. Cadillac topped the premium innovation rankings with 641 points from a possible 1,000, ahead of Genesis at 559 and BMW at 524. Hyundai scored 524 to win the mass-market category for an impressive seventh consecutive year, with GMC and Kia tied behind it at 470.
The individual awards reinforced the theme. Camera mirrors won for the Cadillac Escalade and Toyota Tundra, while blind-spot cameras, digital keys, one-pedal driving and an EV charging scheduler also collected trophies. None sounds especially futuristic, and perhaps that is precisely the point.
Drivers seemingly do not hate technology. They just prefer the kind that quietly makes life easier instead of demanding attention every time they start the car. That creates a challenge for automaker product planners and marketing teams, who must convince customers to upgrade to new models without relying on the flashiest new gadgets as the primary selling point.