J.D. Power: Consumers find smart technologies are reducing issues they have with digital systems

Smart technologies, such as smart ignition, climate control, and driver preferences, rank high with consumers for both low problems experienced and high customer satisfaction, according to J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study. 

“Smart technologies appear to not only anticipate the driver’s needs but also reduce the cognitive workload and some of the difficulties that drivers face with digital systems,” said Kathleen Rizk, senior director of user experience benchmarking and technology at J.D. Power, in a news release. “Ultimately, what matters most to vehicle owners — and therefore to automakers and suppliers — is how useful the technology is and whether it enhances their driving experience. While smart technologies are not without issues, they represent a meaningful step forward. Continued development will be essential to address current challenges and maximize their effectiveness.”

Smart climate control systems, for example, can automatically adjust the vehicle’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to improve comfort and efficiency, the release says. 

These systems have seen a notable improvement year-over-year in user experience with consumers, with a reported drop of 6.3 problems per 200 vehicles, according to the study. It says the reduction of issues has driven higher satisfaction. 

“This offers a much-needed workaround to address the increasing complexity of climate controls being migrated into the infotainment system,” according to the release. 

However, not every feature receives positive responses from consumers. 

A new feature tracked in the TXI study this year, car wash mode, automatically prepares a vehicle to go through a car wash. It closes windows, disables windshield wipers, and does other tasks once initiated, the release says. 

“It is a feature that sounds good in theory, but is often buried within the infotainment system, making it difficult to find, which causes delays and frustration, especially when in line at a car wash,” the release says. 

More than one-third, or 38% of owners, said they need better instructions to use it, and another 15% said the feature is too slow to perform the necessary tasks to prepare the vehicle for a wash. 

“Ultimately, despite its potential benefits, the complicated accessibility of the car wash mode and lack of user guidance are preventing it from becoming a widely adopted feature,” the release says. 

In-vehicle payment methods have seen low adoption due to limited app offerings, complex interfaces, and lengthy purchasing processes, but are gaining consumer interest. 

Sixty-two percent of owners express a desire for this feature, according to the release. Currently, the most common uses for the feature are for paying for charging, fuel, parking, and tolls. 

“The next generation of in-vehicle shopping and payment systems has the potential to succeed if automakers focus on convenience purchases that directly enhance the vehicle experience, such as parking and fuel, and design access within the infotainment system to be simple and user-friendly,” Rizk said.

The study found that owners’ perceptions of vehicle quality have shifted from broken components to usability issues. 

“Currently, problems increasingly focus on technology requiring connectivity. In the future, according to findings in the TXI Study, the next evolution of vehicle quality problems owners will likely face will be related to inconsistent performance of recognition and authentication technologies,” the release said. 

This includes biometric authentication, touchless or hidden controls, and direct driver monitoring. Each of these technologies has received the highest number of problems reported in the TXI Study, the release says. 

“As automakers navigate challenges with recognition technologies, the focus must remain on ensuring that advancements enhance—rather than hinder—the overall driving experience,” the release says. 

The must-have technology for consumers is a blind spot camera, the release said. Ninety-three percent of customers use the blind spot camera most of the time, and 74% said they would like to have the feature in a future vehicle. 

“Notably, vehicles that include this feature also spend less time on dealer lots compared with those that lack it,” the release says. 

Genesis ranks highest overall and highest among premium brands for innovation for the fifth consecutive year, according to the study. It received a score of 538 on a 1,000-point scale. Cadillac ranks second (526) and Lincoln third (523). 

Hyundai ranks highest among mass-market brands for innovation for a sixth consecutive year with a score of 493. Kia ranks second (474) and Mitsubishi ranks third (471). 

The TXI study analyzed 40 automotive technologies in five categories: comfort and convenience, connected vehicle, driver assist, electric vehicle, and smart vehicle. The smart vehicle category is new this year and not award-eligible yet. 

Comfort and Convenience Award

• • The Land Rover Defender won in the premium model segment for its advanced air purification system
  • The Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Sequoia tied in the mass-market models segment for their camera rear-view mirror technology. 

Connected Vehicle Award 

• • The Genesis GV80 won in the premium model segment for its phone-based digital key 
  • The Hyundai Santa Fe won in the mass-market model segment for its phone-based digital key 

Driver Assist Award

• • The GMC Hummer EV SUV won in the premium model segment for its active lane change assist 
  • The Hyundai Santa Fe won in the mass-market segment for its blind spot camera

Electric Vehicle Award 

• • The Kia EV9 won in the mass-market segment for its one-pedal driving feature.
  • There was no premium segment award this year. 

For a rank chart of each segment, click here. 

The 2025 TXI study is based on responses from 76,230 owners of new 2025 model year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. It was conducted between June 2024 and May 2025. 

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