2010 Prius Navigation System is really horrible

I drove the car all last winter with the factory tires on the Centerport hills with no trouble. I like the V because I'm a gadget nut, and it is the only model available with the Advanced Tech option. The 17" wheels seem to work very well, but I have nothing to compare it to (Prius wise). My '98 SAAB also made it through most winters here with no snow tires.

 

I am just getting used to the NAV system. Today while driving to work, I noticed that the map highlighted (on the right) Exits 7,8,10,16... WTH? My exit, EXIT 9, the main downtown Charlotte exit, which I know, was just ignored. This is the main exit for downtown Charlotte. Just not mentioned. It is not a "new" exit, and should not be missed on the NAV.

Is this something I have to set up or manage with proper control adjustments? Shouldn't be, but I am open to learn...

sandy

 

Probably the best advice is to keep using the NAV where you know the way, learning its quirks.

Is there anything odd about your exit 9, like comprising several exits (ie 9A, B, C), or only an exit in one direction? Were you using your NAV when the exit didn't come up? It's possible the system calculated a faster route (these "calculations" aren't always correct, though!).

 

I know how you are feeling. I gave up on mine after about 5 months of ownership. I now have a suction cup mount stuck on the window of the nav screen which holds a Garmin. The instruction book they give you would choke a horse. The Garmin is tiny and only 12 pages. Now even I can remember that amount. I still don't understand why they used TWO female voices with the second voice being very difficult to make out? My next Toyota WILL NOT include a nav system from Toyota!

 

They use two voices because the first part of the message is a canned common phrase recorded by a real person. The second part of the message is a computer synthesized voice using a speech algorithm because a real person couldn't possibly record all the street and location names in the world.

 

I wonder how it would do with my location? I live on the corner of Nagonaba and Swabwasung.

Tom

 

It would say "You have arrived home"

 

You can bet I'd turn it on in a hearbeat and start praying

 

Thanks for the question. In fact, Exit 9 is an A, B, C, exit. But in the short time I have owned this car, I have driven on a few highways which have exits with sub letters. These all showed correctly.

I was only using the map when I noticed this. I will try with the NAV set for my job location. I could understand, maybe, if it was a new road, or a new exit. But it has been here forever!!! And it is the main exit into Uptown Charlotte from which several other exits shoot off to various places. Because I am new to this area, I depend on this frequently to get me where I need to go.

Does anyone think that the updated version 10 point something will be any better? My version is 9 point something.

thanks
sandy

 

You guys are a tough crowd. Maybe my rural location allows it to work better than in an urban setting. While the 2010 nav system is less than perfect (isn't everything?), I absolutely LOVE the built-in system that is clean and out of the way and has a bigger screen than any of the add-on units. I hope I never have to go back to a &*#%$ stick-on nav unit getting in the way. Ugh.

 

I'm with you, but I don't need to use the nav all that much, so that may make a difference.

I hated my plug in nav on my last car, more trouble that it was worth keeping it charged and usable when i needed it. (It was a Garmin)

 

The new version would probably just add new roads and points of interest/name changes. There wouldn't be any change with the navigation logic. So, if that exit is old, it probably isn't changed in the database.

Keep fiddling with it. The system isn't as bad as some here make it out to be.

~Pete

 

Some new versions also contain new system software. It varies from release to release. I don't know about the current version.

Tom

 

Update on missing exit

I have now used the Nav by inputting my address off of Exit 9. (In my previous post, I was just viewing the map and Exit 9 was missing)

when I input a location off of exit 9, it showed up and directed me to my location. I promised to update this information once I had tried it.

So, my opinion of the Nav is higher, now that I know that exit 9 is actually there. Still not sure why it does not show on the map!!

sandy

 

Re: Update on missing exit

Sandy, when you use the + and - buttons across the bottom of the NAV, and zoom in on the screen, does the exit show then?

 

new 10.1 version...worth the $200??

IMO this nav system sucks but does the new version clean up any of the problems? For $200 it had better jump through hoops

nevermind...
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-installing-new-nav-software.html#post1220791

 

Re: Update on missing exit

Hi Dianne,

I have not yet tried the buttons you mention. I will do so and report back.

Another bit of information that might be relevant is that I found out that another major exit does not appear. It is Exit # 1, which merges onto another interstate #485. The Exit # 9 I discussed previously merged onto interstate #277. Perhaps this is a problem/issue with major intersections between two interstates?

Thanks for all of your help, and I will post again once I push the + and - signs.
sandy

 

I havnt seen this thread before to my knowledge. My 2010 Prius nav system is the most inaccurate thing i have seen when looking for street numbers. Just got my car back from toyota for the last time, now it is time to go to getting them to buy it back. Its a usability as well as safety issue. Call California (toyota) and get them to send you the paperwork to start a dispute. its done by a third party. If that fails then you can go to the attorney generals office. Just so you know it isnt a "location" problem, its either data or firmware. Tom Tom pess releases show them as at least partial makers of the new systems and TeleAtlas as the map makers. Ver 9.01 and up. It shows me exactly where I am anywhere I have been in the US. Just cant tell me where I am address wise accurately. My system checks out to be within toyota specs. If you want some interesting reading, get your dealer to print you a copy of what they call specs. 300 ft or more off at any time? I have been off by 1/4 mile to a final location. I do know one thing, wouldnt want my wife or daughter to rely on this thing. It has put me in some sorted places to say the least. But hay, it did tell me i had arrived.....
Same defective system is sold on 2011 toyotas. If you are a perspective buyer, read their fine print. Try to find a well known location to you with their system. Like your home address. Mine is in a canal at the end of my street and the address i am at in my driveway doesnt even exist. I should of realized that there might be a problem when the boot screen says the data may not be accurate. toyota isnt addressing this as a problem to my knowledge. They certainly arent available to comment. Upgrading to ver 10.1 wont fix your address or data issue. Just gives you more roads and POI's you wont be able to find. I have put 23000 miles on this Prius. From upper Mi, to upper NY and as far south as Fl where i call home. The numbering hasnt been on the button or even in the ball park anywhere I HAVE GONE. Have seen some posts about magical adjustments that make it work well. So far when asked, not one of there folks have been able to pass any info along. The dealer has had his three shots at fixing it, so if you know how to get it to work correctly, share your info or go home! If you can find home that is.

 

My 2 cents.

Just bought our Prius's this past week. My experience with Nav systems includes 2 different model portable Garmin systems, my Droid Incredible cell phone nav, the factory Honda Nav system for the 2009 Accord, and an aftermarket Kenwood double-din in-dash nav system.

For accuracy of maps, the Toyota nav doesn't seem that bad. Comparing all of the above, I'd say it is 2nd only to my Droid nav. Fine-tuned address locations are not 100%, but they never are. I've yet to find a single nav system anywhere, even internet mapping, that can locate my house to its proper location.

The turn by turn guidance is not good. I say this with particular regard to my neighborhood. Within a 1-mile radius of my house, it absolutely refuses to provide turn by turn navigation. The Honda we had would do it, but I had to change a setting to authorize navigation in "unverified areas". Don't know why Toyota couldn't add a setting like this.... the maps clearly show all the roads in and around my neighborhood. All the other nav systems I referenced above had no problem providing directions in my neighborhood. Any time I have a destination to Go Home, the navigation flat out stops by the time I am a mile from home.

The lockout while moving is particularly bothersome, and has numerous complaints on this forum. Can't add anything to the complaints here, just wish there was a setting that I could get to to change it.

Routing. I've had the best routing on my Garmin systems (including the Kenwood, which had a garmin-based nav system). On side by side comparisons, the Honda nav would give routes that went out of the way to avoid shortcuts, sometimes significantly lengthening the driving time. The Prius nav seems to do the same thing. I haven't found any useful setttings in the nav that let me adjust it to anything useful. I'll keep looking for something though, I don't really need to take interstate highways if a secondary highway will save me an hour drive.

Integration. The Prius system is tightly integrated together and provides a lot of useful functions. But Toyota would have done well to contract this out to Garmin or another reputable nav company for a really efficient nav package. Knowing what I know now, if I had to choose a car again I would have chosen one without the nav package, and installed a third party in-dash system. I really miss the Kenwood that I had, the Prius nav is superior in a few aspects but overall the Kenwood was much more user friendly with a high degree of accuracy on the nav.

Vic

 

How about we start our own "denial of service attack" on Toyota about the Nav system. Let's all use the NAV system and everytime we get a wrong address or POI we email Toyota and let them know about it. There are several ways to contact Toyota on Toyota Help including email. If they get one email, no big deal, if they get hundreds, different story. Also wouldn't hurt to pummel the Prius site on Facebook with the same info. I'm going to start right now...and I'm going to mention that 200 bucks for the disk is outrageous.