Vic Motorist Sues Toyota Australia for Car Navi's 'Silly' Routes

Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 29/10/2021 - 13:37

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/vic-motorist-sues-toyota-aust…

Posting coz I thought this was amusing, and that they took it to VCAT…

(Sorry about the popup ads etc on that site - ugh)

A Victorian motorist has unsuccessfully tried to claim "around $3000" in damages from Toyota over the quality of the navigation system in its Koba SUVs and the software’s predilection for “silly”, circuitous or non-existent routes.

The motorist lodged a small claims case against Toyota Motor Corporation Australia, alleging his Koba was not of “acceptable quality” or fit for all purposes due to the in-built navigation system.

He said his purchase of the vehicle was made in part on assurances from the dealer that the built-in navigation system was “very similar to Google Maps”.

However, he suggested the on-road experience was very different, and that the navigation system’s routing had led to missed flights and streets that no longer existed.

…

VCAT also sided with Toyota that the satellite navigation system shouldn't be "the only information that a driver should use when taking a trip”.

“A driver who solely relied on a map displayed on a satellite navigation system, ignoring all signs to Avalon Airport, could not establish that his loss in arriving at the airport late was caused by the satellite navigation system,” Lulham wrote.

The Koba owner said at the conclusion of the hearing that he now runs Google Maps at the same time as the built-in navigation system when travelling with his wife.

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Comments

  • Hithere on 29/10/2021 - 13:43

    Even Google maps is full of errors and is out of date.

    Good luck trying to sue Google also.

    • EightImmortals on 29/10/2021 - 15:15

      Yeah I'll bet Apple breathed a sigh of relief too. :)

      • SlartiBartFozz on 31/10/2021 - 11:35

        Doesn't Apple say their Maps app is purely for entertainment purposes only.

  • Drakesy on 29/10/2021 - 13:45
    +2

    Thank god for common sense.
    Imagine the precedence if this won…

    • Jugganautx on 29/10/2021 - 13:49
      +3

      Trump became president

      • Drakesy on 29/10/2021 - 13:50
        +1

        Fair point

  • SF3 on 29/10/2021 - 13:49

    People's brains are getting smoother by the day when they fully trusting a Sat Nav only!

    Wait until that plaintiff relies on self driving vehicles fully.

    • Tricon on 29/10/2021 - 14:01
      +2

      Wait until that plaintiff relies on self driving vehicles fully.

      You could always roll back to a version that works or hurts fewer people or call all releases a beta. (https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1452345284483235841)

    • pharkurnell on 29/10/2021 - 16:27

      So many people rely on "quickest route" - and dont actually look at it… numerous stories on new feeds over time - people ending up in the desert n shit like that.

      Quickest route - is why so many people ended up going up Mt Skene to get from north to south in Vic.. which is also why theres a permit scheme to drive skene in Winter now…

  • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 29/10/2021 - 13:53
    +8

    Aww man I can't even upvote comments any more when marked associated

    Boo-urns!

    • Muzeeb on 29/10/2021 - 14:11
      +4

      I'll upvote them on your behalf - which ones do you like?

      • pegaxs on 29/10/2021 - 18:20
        +2

        Reported - upvote solicitation…

    • dust on 29/10/2021 - 14:38

      Wait what are you associated to? ITnews? Toyota?

  • Bid Sniper on 29/10/2021 - 14:24
    +1

    This is why we have warning labels on everything

  • burningrage on 29/10/2021 - 15:28
    +12

    Although I think it's okay the lawsuit was dismissed, it is not answering one element of the issues.

    If the feature is made NOT to be relied on, then why the feature exists? I mean Sat Nav is there to be used. There should be some acknowledgment that a product is there to be used and should be able to be used reliably.

    Otherwise, now they can just chuck in sub-par Sat Nav that doesn't do its job with no incentive to deliver a "merchandisable" product of reasonable degree of quality.

    I think it's all depend on how "essential" Sat Nav is. I doubt the court will be on Toyota's side if for example, you bought a car with airbag and an accident happened and the airbag failed to deploy.

    • TheOtherLeft on 30/10/2021 - 07:43
      +1

      Agree with this. You can't really advertise Toyota's as reliable if they're not. So which systems are 100% reliable and which are not? Or in this day and age is close enough good enough?

  • cuteseal on 29/10/2021 - 15:29
    +2

    Install waze… hang on to your hats baby! We're taking the back roads with a million twists and turns so we can save 90 seconds!!!

    • Stevek1960 on 30/10/2021 - 07:50

      Agree Waze is the only way to go

  • Euphemistic on 29/10/2021 - 15:54

    My satnav often tries weird and wonderful routes. Mostly I ignore what seem like silly detours - it’s obvious the driver knows better, occasionally I have to admit defeat and the silly satnav actually does know what its doing.

  • pharkurnell on 29/10/2021 - 16:32

    Why we need all these "aids" .. blindly following maps? lane assist? cars that park themselves? etc what happens when it stops working? its comical watching people try and reverse park in Box Hill….
    are people that much shit drivers now?

    • Muzeeb on 29/10/2021 - 17:22
      +1

      Yep, and it's only going to get worse with tech de-skilling drivers.

      • p1 ama on 29/10/2021 - 18:16
        +1

        Until we get self-driving cars and they will no longer have to drive

        • pharkurnell on 29/10/2021 - 18:55

          Gee that sounds like fun

    • dukeGR4 on 07/11/2021 - 16:18
      -1

      Box Hill is heaps better than Springvale. Boxhill isn't even that bad.

  • pegaxs on 29/10/2021 - 18:21
    +1

    This reminds me of all the idiots each year that drive into rivers and so forth because their GPS told them too.

  • knobbs on 29/10/2021 - 20:12
    +1

    While I can agree that Toyota's nav system is dog **** I don't think taking them to court over it is a great avenue to go down.

  • randomusername2017 on 29/10/2021 - 21:54

    great avenue to go down

    Ask Alexa instead?

  • Hithere on 30/10/2021 - 08:34

    a great avenue to go down.

    Then turn left at Smith street and go through the roundabout.

  • OzHunterNSW on 30/10/2021 - 10:26

    This is why you "test drive". This is why you research, before you buy.

    The only "SILLY" is this individual, themself.

    Just download Google Maps.

    • Euphemistic on 30/10/2021 - 15:47
      +1

      How exactly can you test the satnav properly during a test drive?

  • Roney on 30/10/2021 - 17:54
    +1

    By inference, VCAT is suggesting for us to use mobile phone more often in? Counterintuitive?

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