The State of Infotainment in 2025

But what's really going wrong, and more importantly, how can the industry fix it?

At Profilence, we’ve spent years helping OEMs and Tier1s turn software chaos into stability. To share what we’ve learned, we’ve created a 6-part article series that breaks down:

This isn’t just about bug-hunting. It’s about changing the mindset around software quality: from a cost center to a strategic asset.

The #1 reason customers complain about new vehicles? Infotainment systems.

In the first article of our 6-part series, we explore how infotainment has evolved from a convenience feature into a critical failure point — and why the industry's software quality challenges are only accelerating.

🔍 Read:
👉 Why software is now the most common cause of recalls
👉 How Android Auto & Apple CarPlay top the complaint charts
👉 What OEMs must do to close the innovation vs. quality gap

What happens when a digital glitch turns into a safety hazard?

From blank rearview cameras to cluster blackouts, infotainment software bugs are now among the top safety-related recall causes. And regulators are treating them just as seriously as failing brakes or airbags.

In Chapter 2 of our article series, we break down:
🚨 Real-world recall cases from Ford, Polestar, Audi, and more
⚠️ How Tier1 integration failures are escalating into systemic problems
🧠 Why validation methods aren’t keeping up with complexity

What starts as a frozen screen can end up in federal court.

Infotainment defects have now led to multi-million-dollar class-action lawsuits at Stellantis, Honda, Mazda, and Subaru, among others.

In Chapter 3 of our article series, we explore:
⚖️ The legal risks OEMs face for persistent software issues
💰 The real costs of settlements, warranty extensions, and lost loyalty
📉 Why “ignoring the problem” is the most expensive strategy of all

Not every software bug makes headlines. But they still damage your brand.
💬 Ford was fined $165M for slow action.
📉 GM continues to face growing customer frustration over unresolved bugs — even with an in-house AI QA system in place.

In Chapter 4, we discuss:
⏳ The real cost of slow fixes and vague promises
👎 How customer perception is shaped by response time, not just defect rate
💡 Why software bugs now hit harder than hardware recalls

After all the recalls, lawsuits, penalties, and reputation loss… why are OEMs still struggling to fix software quality?

In Chapter 5 of our article series, we dig into the structural reasons:
1️⃣ Quality assurance is still too reactive
2️⃣ Functional quality ≠ long-term stability
3️⃣ OEM-Tier1 dynamics are misaligned and outdated
4️⃣ In-house QA tools lack the domain expertise to catch real-world issues

🔍 Read how this plays out at leading OEMs, and what needs to change:

Here’s the twist: Software quality isn’t just about avoiding recalls anymore — it’s a competitive advantage.
🔧 Faster development
🚗 Stronger brand loyalty
💼 Better talent retention
📈 Higher ROI

In the software-defined vehicle era, quality = leadership.

Read how forward-thinking OEMs are flipping the script:

We hope this article series sparks ideas and conversations that help move the industry forward.

If you have thoughts or challenges you’d like to share, just get in touch with our experts. We’d love to hear from you.