Google's Android Auto is in the middle of a reliability crisis that has stretched for months, with the latest update forcing users to downgrade and the Gemini AI integration making things worse instead of better. The most recent blow arrived with Android Auto version 17.2, which introduced app crashes severe enough that users are reverting to earlier releases. Wireless connections, already the weaker link, have been hit hardest.
Some drivers report the system barely runs at all, with sessions collapsing after just a few minutes.
This follows a pattern that began in March, when a Pixel Drop update and concurrent Android Auto app update broke wired connections entirely for Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S26 owners. Galaxy S26 Ultra users described the failure as a loop: "AA will connect, then disconnect, then reconnect again moments later, then disconnect. The connection is not persistent," Tom's Guide reported.
Some owners considered returning their new phones before the 15-day return window closed. The wired crash wave spread across multiple Pixel generations, the Galaxy S23 through S26 lineup, and some Motorola devices. Google initially stayed silent on its own support forums while complaints piled up.
ZDNET and other outlets had to reach out directly before getting any engagement. An eventual fix arrived via a Play Store update in late March.
Google's decision to push Gemini as the default assistant on Android Auto has deepened the frustration. Users who received the AI upgrade are reporting app crashes triggered by hands-free commands, broken phone calls that return a "Something went wrong.
Please try again" error, and a chatbot that talks too much and delivers too little. One Reddit user called the Gemini transition "a dumpster fire." A user poll on Android Authority found that 40% of respondents found Gemini "too chatty and unreliable," while 18% had already switched back to Google Assistant.
The call bug was widespread enough that Google confirmed it in mid-June. "We are aware of an issue preventing some users from making calls with Gemini on Android Auto and mobile devices," a spokesperson told Android Authority.
"A fix is now available, and users can resolve this by updating their app to the latest version in the Google Play Store." But the fixes have been reactive, arriving after each wave of complaints rather than preventing them. In April, a bug in Android Auto version 16.7 caused Gemini to randomly revert to Google Assistant without user input.
9to5Google reported that the Android Auto team acknowledged the issue but offered no timeline for a permanent fix. The Gemini problems go beyond crashes. How-To Geek's Joe Fedewa, writing for Yahoo Autos, documented five persistent failures: slow response times that lag several seconds behind voice commands, inability to recognize basic contacts like "Mom" or "Dad," navigation errors that send drivers to wrong addresses, broken third-party app integration with Spotify and Waze, and verbose responses that talk over music playback instead of executing simple tasks.
Google has pushed emergency updates and server-side fixes throughout this period. Android Police reported in March that Google sent a direct email to a news outlet confirming a fix was rolling out, bypassing its own help pages where users had been waiting days for answers. A Gadget Hacks analysis noted that the next scheduled Pixel Drop in June was being watched as a potential vehicle for deeper OS-level fixes, a three-month wait from the initial March outbreak.
For now, affected drivers have a few workarounds. Clearing the Android Auto cache, replacing USB cables with USB-IF certified data cables under three feet, and disabling Advanced Protection Mode's USB restriction policy have helped some users.
Downgrading to Android Auto 17.1 is the most reliable fix for those hit by the 17.2 crashes. The option to switch back to Google Assistant remains available in Android Auto settings, though Google has signaled it will eventually remove that fallback.
