Can I File A Toyota Entune App Defect Lawsuit?
As a Toyota car owner, you expect all features, including its apps, to work efficiently for your travels. Unfortunately, you may have encountered issues using Toyota’s Entune app suite on your new vehicle purchase. Several consumers who paid extra for Toyota’s app have found the software defective, with common complaints that Entune features, like remote climate control and GPS navigation, are unreliable.
A defective app in a top-selling car can leave you feeling betrayed as a consumer, especially when you paid extra for its services. A defective app can also endanger lives if a malfunction, like automatic door locking or the back-up camera doesn’t work.
The Entune app lawyers at Berberian Ain, LLP can help you understand your rights as a consumer and pursue legal action against Toyota and other liable parties to ensure you receive financial damages you may be owed.
Common Issues with Toyota’s Entune App Suite
The Entune app suite should allow drivers to access mobile apps and related functions in a Toyota vehicle console display. This suite includes the status of your car, navigation, entertainment, and remote connections for features like locking doors and remote engine start.
If the app doesn’t work, then a driver has no way to access other features to drive on the road safely. Drivers have experienced several challenges when trying to use the Entune app, including:
- Slow loading time
- Works only for a short period
- Authentication failure
- Issues with remote lock and unlock
- Unresponsive tire pressure monitor
- Inability to access basic settings
- No connection with the Navigation “Scout” GPS
- Frequent crashes on the Odometer page
- Frozen app on the number verification screen
- iheartRadio app does not work
Why Are There Issues with the Entune App Suite?
The release of the 2012 Toyota Prius introduced the Entune infotainment system that would become common throughout the manufacturer’s lineup of cars. The original Entune system was based on the Blackberry QNX Car Application Platform. In 2018, Toyota chose to drop Blackberry QNX in favor of the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) platform for Entune 3.0.
The car manufacturer stated that open platforms, such as Linux, make it easier to reuse code and streamline the development process for developers and suppliers. This process would cut development costs and reduce the time for new cars to enter the market for potential buyers. The open-source platform should also make it easier for Toyota drivers to connect with third-party apps such as iHeartRadio quickly.
However, Linux is based on millions of lines of code, requiring developers to create new code for every release. As of January 2022, Linux has over 30 million lines of code. It is not uncommon for a Linux app to need 25 patches daily, with some patches addressing potential security issues. As a result of these patches, Toyota vehicle owners experience software and connectivity issues with the Entune app suite.
Is There a Monthly Fee for the Toyota App?
The Toyota app is free to use. However, additional features such as Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Destination Assist require a fee. A driver can choose between paying an annual fee of $80 or a monthly subscription fee of $8. Pursuing a Toyota app lawsuit may be able to compensate you for the unusable features you paid for as part of your purchase.
Can You Sue an App Developer?
Customer dissatisfaction about the Entune app goes beyond complaints, with some taking Toyota to court. An Illinois man filed a class action lawsuit against the car manufacturer with other consumers. According to their lawsuit, they paid a significant sum to have Entune installed in their vehicles so they could use Pandora and Facebook Places. However, after the plaintiffs paid the extra fees, Toyota ceased support for the applications.
If Toyota refuses to update defective software, it can be liable for financial losses from a flawed system. In California, there are two circumstances in which a product is defective in design:
- The product did not function as safely as a consumer would expect during its reasonable use or as anticipated.
- There is no benefit in the product’s design that outweighs the danger it poses.
California law also imposes strict liability in product liability cases, including design defects.
You may also pursue your case under California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act for falsely advertising the Entune app and violating your consumer rights. Having a defective app lawyer at Berberian Ain, LLP on your side can help you understand your legal options for filing your Toyota app lawsuit.
Call a Defective App Lawyer
If you need legal guidance for a defective Toyota app in your car, work with the defective product lawyers from Berberian Ain, LLP. We are investigating complaints regarding the Toyota app so we can bring legal action against the manufacturer and other liable parties for monetary damages owed to consumers like you.
Contact our law firm today to schedule a free consultation with an Entune app lawyer to discuss your case.