Auto-C-Car News weekly update: iOS 8/iPhone Bluetooth blues with car audio systems

AUTOconnectedweeklyThe week of October 19 -26 was hopeful and then disappointing for many of our readers at AUTO Connected Car News. News included iOS 8.1 Bluetooth fixes/snafus, a new Apple car-controlling patent,  new connected car concept cockpit, new Freescale chips with Wi-Fi and  more connected Lexus S models.

AUTO Connected Car News appears to be the only outlet continually covering iOS 8-8.1  Bluetooth bugs connecting for in car infotainment systems. We have received substantial comments from readers who report that after updating to iOS 8.1 or buying an iPhone 6-6+ their Bluetooth connection in their cars no longer works. The only pattern we see is that the iOS 8.1 seemed to be more effective on newer cars.

We did find a new fix not mentioned in our list of nuke it fixes, set up the iPhone as “internal audio”

“My Subaru dealer got iPhone 5S with iOS 8.1 paired in 10 minutes. She first deleted previous phones, then paired with internal audio option, not the pair phone option ( which would not work).”

Some individuals reported that the iOS 8.1 update with iPhone 4-6+ helped with the following vehicles:

  • 2015 Mazda CX5.
  • 2014 Dodge Durango.
  • 2015 Honda Fit.
  • 2103 Audi 3 SP.
  • Ford Focus.
  • 2012 Subaru Impreza.
  • 2014 Subaru Crosstrek

Makes, models and years reported with iOS 8.1 or iPhone 6 – 6+ problems:

  • 2015 Lexus IS 250
  • 2012 Honda CR-V – texting problem
  • 2014 Cadillac ATS (no CUE) calls made through Siri
  • 2011 Subaru Tribeca.
  • 2014 Honda Accord – phone works but audio controls don’t work.
  • 2013 Hyundai Sonata.
  • 2014 Toyota FJ Cruise
  • 2013 Subaru Outback.
  • 2012 Mazda 3 Sport.
  • 2011 Audi A5.
  • 2006 Acura.

Almost every car maker was affected including BMW, Audi, GM(Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, Buick), Mercedes-Benz, VW, Mazda, Lexus, Fiat, Hyundai and more.

Probably on of the most disappointed readers was D.S. who sated “I had an update $150 of car software today on 2009 Pontiac g8 GXP. No help. Dealer says GMC, Chevy, Buick all have issues. I had talked to Onstar who connected me to GM infotainment. The tech stated the problem as GM issue.”

While conducting an interview on another subject editor, Lynn Walford learned from an industry insider that Apple doesn’t let car makers know anything about updates for iPhones. On top of that Apple wants to literally control cars with iPhones by making a geo-fence using Bluetooth to control car functions such as door/trunk opening and remote starting. It might be a good idea to get Bluetooth working first before Apple uses to control cars.

 If you have updated to iOS 8.1 and it fixed or broke your Bluetooth issues with your in-car infotainment system, please let us know in the comments below, be sure to note your make, model and year of your vehicle.

Links to AUTO Connected News stories this week were.

166 thoughts on “Auto-C-Car News weekly update: iOS 8/iPhone Bluetooth blues with car audio systems”

  1. My Bluetooth connection is working fine but for one thing that is so frustrating. When I use voice recognition to make a phone call it connects for a second and then immediately disconnects. I have to go to my handset and use Siri – the handset dials the # and it will then connect to the car’s Bluetooth for hands free talking. (Murano 2011) Help!

  2. I have a 2014 Honda CR-V and my iPhone 6s Plus will connect via Bluetooth, but it is constantly dropping the call from the HandsFree Link and moving it to the phone itself. It then changes it back to HandsFree Link. It’s so irritating and I miss parts of the conversation. Also, I have an iPad2 and the Bluetooth with a USB connection inside my car and it will play a song that I have downloaded onto my iPad, but then all of a sudden, it stops. Also, it says that it is Pandora and not Bluetooth. I was not using Pandora at all.

  3. 2015 Accord won’t play music from IPhone 6s. Have to delete the blue tooth connection in the phone and the car. Then turn off the ignition and Iphone. Then restart and it works for one day. The next day I have the same problem.

  4. I have a 2013 Jeep Patriot. I just got an iPhone 6 and I cannot get the Bluetooth to work simultaneously with Siri and all other dictation functions on the phone. They only work if I turn off Bluetooth. This is so stupid. The whole point is to make things easier and safer in the car. I want Bluetooth for calls, music, etc, but I also want dictation for quick voice texting and searches. I can’t be typing while driving. Especially when the Swype options for iPhone are so terrible. I’m about ready to switch back to my Android.

  5. I have a 2015 KIA and new Iphone 6s Plus. Bluetooth for phone works fine however, any time i use voice, siri or even voice dictation – it dials my phone number and shuts off what music is playing

  6. Renault espace 2016 +iPhone 6+ ios9.1
    iPhone over Bluetooth works, but no audio(Spotify).
    My daughters iphone5s(ios9.1) works fine, as do my wife’s Sony Z5 Compact.

  7. I have a 2015 Mini Cooper. Since installing Sirius XM radio, Siri no longer responds to voice commands while I am connected to the car. The wavy line is straight. I also cannot make a call that requires me to select an option (I.e. Press 2 for English). I press the number key but the call does not recognize the choice.

  8. I have a Mercedes C class with a nice Comand Online screen. After updating my iPhone 5 to ios 9, I can no longer open MB Apps to get for instance weather information or access internet maps, neiher can I connect to Internet Radio (“Unable to establish a connection”). I suppose I could rollback to ios 8 because everything was fine before upgrading. But Internet works, audio Bluetooth works e.g. Spotify, and I can use my phone through the car speaker and microphone, so this is a minor nuisance. MB dealer could not fix my problem but suggested updating Comand online software which they did not have at that time. Strange that Apple makes changes without testing with car producers.

  9. After the iOS 9 update my iPhone 4s stopped pairing with my GMC Acadia. I tried disconnecting both car and phone with no luck.

  10. Nissan Altima Coupe 2009. iPhone 6. Spent hours on phone with Nissan Canada. Re-paired, reset network settings, deleted phone. No luck. I can call out, incoming calls show on car display, but no ringtone. It has improved somewhat since initial problem started. At least my calls aren’t being dropped now. This is an issue where all concerned have dropped the ball and are saying “not my fault”

  11. My iPhone 5s worked on my 2013 Toyota Rav 4 but is unable to “connect” since last IOS upgrade. Funny thing is the phone still works just fine on my 2012 Toyota 4Runner. I had to resort to dedicating an old Samsung cell to the Rav to use the hands free phone feature.

  12. hi there,

    Can you please tell me how I can connect my I phone 6 Audio to my Dodge Charger 2007 Bluetooth ?

    My phone is connected but I cant use the Audio!

    Can you please help?

    Thanks

  13. 2011 VW Toureg Hybrid – phone was communicating fine until recently. Now the car has forgotten everything it learned about voice recognition. I say, “Call Jane Smith” It offers Rumplestiltskin and Joe’s Dry Cleaner instead.
    When I attempt to find a contact in my directory via the hands-free, the directory only goes to M and stops at ‘My Number’, an entry that is not in my directory. I am left with the option of trying to find a contact in my phone while driving (as bad as texting while driving) and initiating the call from my phone, or pulling over to initiate a call.
    I’m not a techie. It’s possible I upgraded my iPhone 5. But can’t swear that there is a correlation. Dealership was no help.

  14. Ls460 will not play tunes thru Bluetooth w/ my iPhone6+..phone works but not tunes!! Pissed! Please help!!!

  15. With the Hynundai Iload 2013 Van and Porsche Macan 2014 IOS 8.3 bluetooth does not work.

    After spending hours with Apple on the phone and doing a back up & restore, which they require you to do, it does not fix the issue.

    The images Imessage function is also rubbish. Yes at this stage an expensive paper weight and emerging ‘rampant hatred’ as discussed above sound about correct, despite being a long time Apple user this is an epic fail. The back up and restore is in effect a way of Apple logging that there is a problem with Apple engineers as the friendly Apple Tech support admitted. It does not fix the issue which has been ongoing since IOS 8.

    Only fix at this stage is getting your old phone out or not using an iPhone with I0S 8.

  16. Just wanted to share my experience (it is now working) in the hopes that it will help someone else. I have a VW Jetta sportwagon 2012. Upgraded to iPhone6 and iOS8 from iPhone5 and immediately lost all bluetooth connectivity in car for my phone and my wife’s (same phone/iOS). Phone just spins and never recognizes car.

    Spent time in store w/Apple reps (phones connect to other bluetooth devices), and phone calls with VW. Tried factory resets of phones and car, but nothing worked and both parties stumped. Updates through iOS8.3 no change.

    Finally took car to VW dealer where technician worked on problem. He found our old phone profiles in the system using the entertainment console (not the dashboard menus). They were there despite factory reset. He deleted them out and we tried again. Success!

    Now no problems. He tells me the car is only able to store 2 profiles, which seems stupid but OK. I will also say that both the phone and the car exhibited strange behavior during this process–it still seems that something was or is amiss, but it is now working and that’s all I care about at the moment.

    If you have not tried troubleshooting with your car dealer, may be worth a shot if you’re having my problem. Apparently some VWs need to have profiles deleted from the entertainment console rather than the dashboard menus. Hope this helps someone.

    • Craziness abounds. I just went out to the car, armed with the intel from this forum as well as a video I found online… And the phone connected to the car lickety split no issues at all. No idea what to attribute it to. I did nothing different than I had yesterday.

      I’m sorry that I (appear at present) have lucked into a situation which is working for me. I feel for everyone else who has posted here. Fingers crossed it works the next time I go out to the car.

      Thanks to everyone who took the time to post to help others out.

      • Perhaps when you shut off the car, the infotainment unit reset itself?

        Some people have found that disconnecting the battery helps. That’s what is so crazy about the problem. Some people have it and some people don’t.

  17. April 2nd, 2015 Just bought a new 2015 Subaru Crosstrek. My son’s SONY Experia-Z synced in a flash. Still unable to get my (admittedly old) iPhone 4S running OS 8.xx to connect. Will try internal audio option later on but…

  18. 2013 Acura RDX – When the bluetooth connection to my iPhone 4s started switching back and forth, I blamed it on the old phone, so I just upgraded to a new iPhone 6. It’s running 8.2 OS and I still have the same problem. I was ready to blame it on my car until I came across this site. So, add this combination to the problem list.

  19. Daniel
    I have a Mazda CX-5, 2013 and new Iphone 5s and 8.2 IOS and do not connect at all,
    but connect well with my old Iphone 5s wich was replaced by Aplle in january 2015.
    I will go to the Mazda dealer tomorrow and ask for information, and I will try it on 2016 CX-5.

  20. Attempted to listen to some downloaded podcasts in my 20113 Volvo S60 T5 via an iPhone 5s and, yup, no dice. Not thru bluetooth or direct plug-in to USB port. In fact, it took many tries just to get my car’s audio interface to find the previously connected phone. My love affair with Apple is very over. A big comedown from when I converted over from Microsoft several years ago and was thrilled with how well Apple products worked. No more!!!

  21. My 2013 Ford Tarus SYNC has not been able to Bluetooth Sync with the Ford’s Microsoft (garbage) System since it was updated by Apple (Thieves)

  22. Audi A5 2010 MMI issue – Since upgrading my iPhone 5S to iOS 8 I have lost the ability to sync contacts/call stats – received/made etc – It works and starts to populate as I use the device, but just get a spinning timer top middle of the MMI display and never actually syncs.

  23. Acura ILX 2013 problems: since updated to ios8 on 5s, all sound notifications are blocked and SMS messages are no longer read aloud.

  24. 2011 GMC Sierra….iOS 8.2 did not fix bluetooth call audio issue. Siri over BT works, listening to visual VM messages over BT works, FaceTime audio calls over BT works, but cellular call audio will not work. Reset network settings, all other “nuke” fixes, none of them have worked to fix this.

    • Thank you for the update. We will be visiting the “Bluetooth Blues” again today. It looks like 8.2 helps a few car owners with some “issues.”

  25. I have a 2014 Nissan Altima with the tech package. My iPhone 5s pairs but I can’t hear phone calls and they can’t hear me. I can stream and hear my Spotify and listen to my iTunes though… SO annoying! It worked when I first got the car in November 2014… But it’s been not working for about a month and a half now. Any fixes out there?

  26. 2013 Lexus GX 460,iPhone 6, I can pair to the car and get/receive calls but can’t connect to iTunes/Pandora-keeps failing. I tried resetting network, erasing previous connections, nothing has worked

  27. I have iPhone 6 plus with IOS 8.1.3 with a 2015 Toyota RAV4. Phone connects no problem, I have lost Bluetooth connectivity when starting the car. My biggest issue is if playing music from phone thru car and I make a call, the music doesn’t restart. I have to disconnect cable and reconnect for it to resume. If I receive a call, there isn’t a problem. I have a iPhone 5 previously with a PriusV and didn’t have these issues,

  28. 2013 Mazda 3 worked great yesterday with my iPhone 5s and iOS 8. Won’t connect at all with my iPhone 6, iOS 8.1. Goes to an ERR screen. Very frustrating.

  29. My old iPhone 4S worked fine in my 2014 VW Passat, installing a new phone in this car is a breeze, but the new iPhone 6 does not connect, not resetting the phone, not erasing all other phones in the car, not installing update or praying to a higher power.
    Very VERY disappointing.

  30. I have a new 2015 BMW X6, a 2014 BMW 640ix Gran Coupe, and a 2012 Ram 1500 truck. I’m not having any of the problems with Bluetooth being reported here. All functions work fine and no pairing issues at all. I was using an iPhone 5s running iOS 8 until late December when I upgraded to a new iPhone 6+. I keep the phone updated with new iOS releases (including iOS 8.1.3) and haven’t had any issues at all.

    • Great. It seems like newer cars, have fewer problems. There are so many iPhones out there it’s hard for us to tell what the problem is.

  31. iPhone 6+ and 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Phone pairs with Bluetooth but with IOS 8.1.2, I can no longer make outgoing calls. Siri flashes on and disconnects immediately. I can place call using phone, then call connects to speaker and receive incoming calls. Very frustrating!

  32. My iphone5 pairs fine with the bluetooth in my 2008 Mercedes CLS 550…the problem happens when an outgoing call is placed…can’t hear the call ringing…dead silence…can’t hear anything until the phone is picked up on the other end (either person or voicemail)…very annoying!! Thankfully it pairs with the bluetooth and calls can be placed…but it would be nice to hear the called phone ringing. like it used to do!

  33. My Hyundai Veloster 2013 never worked with my iphone 6. I did a factory reset and that got it to work for over a month, and then this week it stopped working again. I just updated to 8.1.3, hoping it will work… going out to my car now, and…..it still doesn’t work. I’m going to try the factory reset (which is making me really annoyed – I can’t believe I have a brand new phone and an almost brand new car and they aren’t playing well together.) ARGH.

    Update: I had to factory reset my phone, turn off the bluetooth on my phone, start the car, turn bluetooth back on, and find the device. It’s working. For now. But OMG!

  34. My VW Passat 2012 worked with music in car until latest update and now won’t play music. Phone works fine.

  35. I have a Toyota V 2012. Ever since I updated my iPhone 5S to 8.1.3 I have had trouble with car recognizing my voice for many of my files in my address book. The only workaround is to manually add the names and numbers into the Toyota telephone book. It’s really annoying. Toyota updated my software and that did not help. I don’t know if it’s my iPhone or my carrier, Verizon, that can fix this problem. This issue can create a real hazard if I try to use my phone to call while driving, so I don’t do that. Hope my information is of help to someone. Thanks!

  36. Hi,
    I bought a (used) 2013 Honda Civic EX back in July 2014. I had an iPhone 4s, Bluetooth worked fine, and with my commute, it was great to stream music…not to mention talk on the phone hands-free.
    I got an iPhone 5s in Novemeber 2014. Since then, I haven’t been able to connect to bluetooth. I can plug in through USB, but I can only play ITUNES PURCHASES!!! My music library is LARGE, and I don’t understand why items I *legally* downloaded won’t play in my car.
    But that’s only the minor issue…. I want to be able to make phone calls and stream music. Speaker doesn’t work so well & is illegal in my state.
    I’ve searched for solutions but haven’t found any.
    Help?!!!????
    Thanks!

  37. I have a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander. Here are my issues:
    1. When calling, the phone will say it’s connected to the car Bluetooth but will switch to the phone when the call connects. The only choice is to wait until the call connects and then select the car Bluetooth.
    2. When on a call, the Bluetooth randomly drops and switches back to the phone for 1-2 seconds before switching back to the car on it’s own.

    Deleting and re-adding the Bluetooth did not help.
    iOS updates did not help.
    This started when I got my iPhone 6.

  38. About 1 month ago, when I try and play Pandora through the Bluetooth connection on my 2015 Mazda CX-5 there is no sound. I can see that the song is playing, because the timing shows on the audio display. iPhone 5 running 8.1.2

  39. Since Upgrading my iPhone 4s to 8.1.2. any outgoing calls I make in my 2013 mazda 3 drop from the car kit back to phone when answered. Incoming calls are fine but it’s pointless trying to make an outgoing call as you have to manually switch the phone back to the cars hand free after the call is answered; and there’s no way to do that safely except in your driveway. Gotta say apple that I’m not a fan of “upgrades” that take away functionality.

    • I have a similar issue too with my Verizon iPhone 6 – 8.1.2 in my 2010 Honda Accord EX. Incoming calls work fine. When I make an outgoing call while I’m on an LTE network, the outgoing call does not ring through the bluetooth, so you don’t know if the call is going through. It only connects to the bluetooth when the call is answered. You basically don’t know if the call is going through or not, so I end up using speaker phone, and manually switching to bluetooth once answered. I went to the Verizon store and Apple store and both are pointing fingers at one another. I also spent hours on tech support both with Apple and Verizon and haven’t had any success.

  40. Upgraded to IPhone 6; phone pairs with my 2008 Mercedes S63, but will not work. It shows the phone is active, but locked.

  41. iPhone 5 running 8.1.2 is unreliable in 2013 Subaru Outback. It will pair in both “hands-free” and “bluetooth audio” modes, and the pairing will even persist through a few days of stopping/starting. Eventually though it will fail to automatically connect and also fail to manually connect. Once it has disconnected (seemingly at random) it does not seem possible to ever connect again without re-pairing the phone from scratch.

  42. 2011 Forester Outback. iphone 6 plus with IOS 8.1. Once I can get it connected (takes 2 or 3 times) it disconnects when the car turns off. Had no problem with the iphone 4. Frustrating.

  43. Prius 2006. bluetooth / siri worked perfect with old iphone4. got iphone6 and have same problem as everyone else, I use handsfree siri to call number, it finds, dials, then hangs up. I have 8.1.2 (12B440) running in iphone6, verizon carrier.

  44. My iPhone 5 with IOS 8.1 will no longer stream music on my new Honda Accord EXL. That’s either loaded music on iPhone or Pandora radio. The folder of files shows up on the car’s dashboard with title of song but no audio.

  45. Just got an iPhone 6 and, lo and behold, I no longer have Bluetooth connectivity with my 2006 Acura TL. Hmmm… do I downgrade back to my iPhone 4 (which worked fine), or do I upgrade to a 2015 Acura TLX? 😉

    • Good point.

      Let’s see to downgrade to the iPhone 4, the cost is nothing.

      To upgrade to a 2015 Acura, $32K. Before buying the new car, I would check to make sure the iPhone 6 works with it.

  46. Add 2010 Lexus ES350 to the list of problem vehicles. I had an iPhone 5 for years and always worked like a charm with the BT audio, and never an issue with phone either. Upgraded to iPhone 6 with OS 8.1.2 and the phone connects to the car but can’t get the BT audio. Tried several suggestions…resetting iPhone, deleting connection, etc. No luck and VERY frustrated! Feel like going back to my iPhone 5

  47. Had iphone 4s and problems started when I upgraded to ios 8. I have a 2008 Lexus LS460. Immediately knew I needed a new phone as iOS 8 should not have been an update for the iPhone 4s since it could not handle it. Bluetooth thru Siri would say talking and then call disconnected. Bluetooth manually was intermittent. Called Apple and the rep said I should reset my phone to original factory settings and that would fix the problem. It didn’t I got an iPhone 6 and it connects to bluetooth as long as I am not using Siri which is the same issue I had on the 4s. Manual bluetooth works fine if I initiate the call from the phone without using Siri (which is what I want/need when I am driving). Another strange thing is the Bluetooth settings is says Now discoverable as “iPhone 4s” – but for my devices it shows the iPhone 6 as connected.

  48. ‘I HAVE A 2012 CHRYSLER TC.WHEN I HAD IPHONE 5 IT WORKED FINE. I UPGRADED TO IPHONE 6 AND NOTHING WORKS. I CANNOT PAIR WITH BLUEOOTH AND CAR SYSTEM. IHAVE GIVIN UP

  49. My iPhone 4S would not connect to 2011 BMW after updating to OS 8.1. Chatted with Apple and here’s their response:
    “Veronica:
    OK, so I do want to inform you that BMW and Apple are aware of the issue and are working towards a solution, at this time though the two are not playing nice and they will not connect.”
    Additionally I can not downgrade to the previous OS which worked fine.
    This is unacceptable behavior from Apple. If they screw up a new OS release, they should at least make it possible to go back to the old OS.

  50. I have a Ford Fusion. It worked fine with Sync until I upgraded to iOS 8 waking with their persistent additional upgrades. Music won’t play and will begin when on phone. Sometimes will not play at all and drops calls. So frustrating! Considering changing phone back to android.

  51. I have an iPhone 4S which I pair to a 2014 Toyota Highlander. Since upgrading to IOS 8.1.2 my bluetooth connection will randomly drop out. The only way to reconnect is to turn the car off and then back on again. My bluetooh worked fine until the new IOS update.

  52. I phone 6plus will pair with my 2015 Honda Accord, but I can not read texts, or control anything else while in the car.

  53. VW Jetta 2014. Worked fine with iphone 5 before the iOS 8 — now the same issue as most people. Pairs fine, call is made, can even hear the ring. But no audio after the connection is made. I also drive for work and need this fixed ASAP.

  54. iPhone 4S running 8.1.2 – deck is an Orion AVR6.1 which has Bluetooth 2.0 for handsfree and contacts transfer. iPhone doesn’t even see the deck

  55. iPhone 5S with iOS 8.1 won’t work with my Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2013. It connects and then promptly disconnects.

  56. Driving both a Subaru Outback 2014 and Forester 2015 (Harman Kardon). iPhone (5 and later 6) was able to connect with both cars. However, after the 8.1 OS upgrade the volume for music from the iPhone is VERY low. I have to crank up the volume to near the top in order to hear the music. I’d hoped that upgrading to the 6 would fix the problem, but no such luck. Thus, it appears to be a problem with the iOS. And the music volume doesn’t affect the phone volume (which is fine at “normal” levels). All very strange.

    • I have this problem too. I have found that if you put the mute button in the off (not sillent – so your phone will ring or play a sound for texts), and text yourself, you will hear the radio at low volume, then the text noise and then the volume will automatically jump up to regular levels. FWIW, it seems like this only lasts if you do not touch anything else, skipping a song with the steering wheel controls brings the volume back down. I have a prius 3 2011 with BT and NAV. Iphone 6 and have had the problem since sometime in 8.x and it persists on
      9.0.1

  57. I seem to have the opposite problem of most of the folks here on my 2009 Chevy Silverado. Once I updated my IPhone 5S to IOS 8, it remained connected to the bluetooth in the truck even with the key off and my being outside the vehicle. In addition, any time I passed within 30 ft or so of the parked, locked vehicle sitting in the parking lot, it would RECONNECT to the truck, shutting off the microphone and speakers in the phone even in the middle of a call. Updating to IOS 8.1, replacing the 5S with a new IPhone 6, and updating that to IOS 8.1.2 (12B440) has not fixed the problem, which the Chevy techs cannot duplicate when they temporarily pair their droids the the truck. However, I really can’t see how I can blame Apple for this; fundamentally at the end of the day, the truck’s satellite radio/mp4 player has no business leaving the bluetooth transceiver (not a trivial power drain) live once the key is off and the radio shuts down on door open.

    • GM’s Abrams said at the Connected Car Expo, when I asked him about problems with Bluetooth and GM Cars,”We didn’t change any thing.”

      This problem is so complicated, we can’t tell for sure what the cause is. I’ve got calls out to an engineer, I met at the CCE who said that Apple doesn’t test its products in real life situations. Apple makes everyone change to their rules. The problem is that we keep our cars for 7 years and our phones for only two years..

      Your problem is one of the worst we’ve seen so far.

  58. Since the 8.1.1 update, I am unable to make or receive calls with my iphone6 and have had very poor Siri functionality.

  59. Purchased a 2012 Toyota Rav4 and hoped to connect an iPhone 5s (iOS 8.1) using Bluetooth. The phone does not always connect automatically. I can stream music. I can make calls at times. But incoming calls don’t always come through. Having music streaming always causes the call to go to VM.

  60. I recently updated my iPhone 5 OS to 8.1.1. My car (2014 M-B CLS) no longer recognizes my address book. Fortunately, other features still work, but I can no longer “call name”. Apple escalated support says they are working on a fix, expected in 3-6 MONTHS. In the meantime, we’re all screwed, courtesy of Apple’s arrogance, refusing to allow a reversion to IOS 6 or 7, neither of which have these connectivity problems.

  61. I was also frustrated in trying to pair my iPhone 6 with my 2012 Subaru Impreza. Every time I turned off the ignition I would loose the pairing and would have to start all over again. I was following the operators manual that said that I should use the radio controls to pair devices. Then I remembered that when I bought the car the dealer used the voice commands accessed on the steering wheel to pair my old flip phone. When I used the voice commands my iPhone paired right up and stayed paired.

  62. 2014 Mitsubishi ASX, iPhone 5s, iOS 8.1.1

    I can get Bluetooth to connect, and I can play music and receive calls, but if I try to make a call from the phone it won’t transfer to the car, and won’t actually phone out from the iPhone while it’s paired to the car. So for example I can’t sit in my car with the motor off but stereo/AC etc on and make a phone call at present without punching the number in via the car’s commands. Frustrating.

  63. iPhone 6 plus with 8.1.1 won’t pair with 2015 Subaru Forester automatically. It will pair if I go to settings and pair it by selecting the car’s bluetooth name.

  64. iPhone 4S won’t pair with 2010 Mini Cooper since updating to iOS 8.1.1 but it will work with wireless Sony speakers at home, so the issue must be Mini Cooper. Have put a call in to Mini Cooper….keeping my fingers crossed.

    • Mini is now showing on iPhone but of course, I can’t get the passkey. Mini Canada says their Connected dept is looking into it. Dealer wasn’t aware of any iPhone 4S problems….only iPhone 6 and those have supposedly been resolved due to the updated iOS. So I wait.

  65. Tried unsuccessfully several times to pair my new IPhone 6 with my 2014 Subaru Outback. Was able to pair the audio, but never able to get the phone paired. Also, tried to pair my wife’s iPhone 5S with ioS 8.1. Guess what – that wouldn’t work, either/

  66. My new I phone 6 will not pair with my Mercedes Benz compressor 10 years old. I have unpaired my last I phone 4 which had previously paired beautifully. Went to Apple and they claimed they don’t know why and suggested to go to Mercedes dealer. No help or answers from anyone. It’s pathetic!!!

  67. I have a 2011 Skoda superb I didn’t even know there was a problem until I updated to 8.1.1 now it keeps dropping and reconnecting my phone at random, I’ve tried all the restarts and reconnects to no avail I guess I have to sit and wait for the next update which will kipper something else I’m sure!

  68. 2008 Lexus RX350, Connects via Bluetooth and can place calls manually through the phone or through the car’s system, however Siri placed calls “terminated by network” before connected every time. Did work prior to Iphone 6. Siri seems to understand voice commands better, but is even more useless than before since now she can’t place a simple phone call!

  69. 2007 Toyota Prius. Bluetooth used to work fine, no longer works at all. Won’t even pair with computer. Computer recognizes the phone, the iPhone 4S can’t see any Bluetooth devices.

  70. 2014 BMW 535i with iPhone 6+ and 8.1 OS – periodically loosing connection with Bluetooth. It looks like connected, but no sound through the vehicle speakers.

  71. Iphone 5s pairs with 2014 Audi Q5 but will not pair again if bluetooth is shut off and then turned on again. Sees the car but does nit automatically pair. No problems with 2010 Mazda 3 though.

  72. My iPhone 6 worked fine with in my 2014 Acura RDX, until I updated to iOS 8.1.1. Now audio commands no longer work. When I press the home button on my phone, it connects for a moment, then disconnects. Really annoying.

  73. just replaced my Samsung Note 3 with an iPhone 6+ and all Bluetooth features stopped working on my 2012 Lexus CT200h. Disappointed!

  74. I have a 2013 Volt. It pairs easily to Bluetooth, however, Pandora is no longer available for selection. iPhone 4S IOS 8.1.1

  75. I have a 2014 Ford Shelby Mustang with Sync, and an iPhone 4s running IOS 8.1.1. With the older IOS 7, I had ZERO issues. Now I have to keep un-pairing and re-pairing the phone every time I start the car. I have done a master reset on Ford Sync about 5 times, and have reset the network settings on my phone. After pairing, the phone works but the music will not play, or songs will show up and no audio. I finally get it to work, but as soon as I shut off the car and let it sit for 30 minutes, I connect the phone and the music won’t play. This is driving me insane. Luckily this car is not my daily driver, but it is still incredibly frustrating. I have a Neo 30 pin iPhone car kit in my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and that works fine, but it’s just a simple connection and I control the songs through the phone, it won’t display on the screen. But at least it WORKS and plays music, otherwise I would flip out. I drive a lot and must have my music which is all stored on my phone. I’ve about had it with Apple.

  76. I have a 2012 Volvo s60 d3, seem to be having similar issues as everyone is reporting. Bluetooth for phone works ok for pairing music, I hear the phone ring for bound calls through speakers but once call is answered speakers drop out and can’t talk on the phone. It’s definately a phone issue as I rented a hyandi i30 last week and it had the identical problem, and also the Volvo courtesy car had the same problem. Same issue on 3 cars in a week, has to be a phone tech issue.
    I have a 5s with the latest IOS update.

  77. Just upgraded from 4s to new 6 plus. Can’t connect iphone to car via blue tooth. My 2011 VW Golf TDI states “no phone available” I need this for work. Yikes!

  78. I have a 2013 Honda Accord and now I can’t stream music or Pandora from my iPhone after I updated to iOS 8.1.1 last night. My Bluetooth connects but I can’t hear the music. Very frustrating! This is the second time this has happened.

    The last time it happened, it was fixed when Apple quickly released another “oops” update. Please fix this ASAP Apple!

  79. I have a 2010 F-150. My bluetooth connectivity is screwed after I updated to 8.1 on my iPhone 4s. Hours on the phone with Ford and Apple ‘tech support’ reveals that they are blaming each other and neither seem to be working toward fixing the problem….

  80. I have an iPhone 6 with ios 8.1.1 and a 2008 Mercedes S550 4Matic. The car bluetooth pairs with the phone but the phone will not connect and the car screen says “telephone off”. So, the phone will not work in the car hands free thru the speakers. I have tried de-authorizing all devices and re-authorizing the iPhone6, resetting my network settings on the phone, resetting all my phone settings, talked to Verizon, talked to Apple tech support and talked to the Mercedes dealer. The Apple tech said I should ensure that the bluetooth firmware in the car was AVRCP 1.4 (maybe he meant 1.04). I am waiting on an answer from the dealer but thus far, nothing has worked.

    • After some further digging, I am told by an Apple tech that the bluetooth firmware AVRCP 1.4 is only in some cars manufactured in 2013 and after. I am told by Mercedes that the car stereo manufacturer, Haman Kardon, is refusing to issue a firmware update to 1.4 and thus it is up to MB or Apple to fix the problem. So, at the moment I have no possibility of the iPhone 6 working in my car with the car bluetooth.

      I must say, I find it difficult to understand the thought process at Apple that leads to the company knowingly selling a product that will not work with cars manufactured before 2013. That is obviously a large number of cars and a large number of Iphone 6 users who will not be able to use the phone in their cars with bluetooth until they buy a car manufactured in 2013 or after. It also is arrogant for Apple to then say it is up to the bluetooth manufacturers to issue firmware updates for any car manufactured before 2013 so that their iPhone 6 will work properly. Apple should issue a new software update to address this issue.

    • Same behavior on 2008 Mercedes ML350 and my new iPhone 6S. Searches and then “telephone off” message on Command screen.

  81. I updated my 5s to the new 8.1.1 last night and now my bluetooth will not work in my 2011 BMW. People can hear me but I cannot hear them. Also my iPod will not work anymore. It will play the music but it no longer displays the album art on the screen nor can I skip to the next song. None of the controls work.

  82. Upgraded iPhone 5 to from iOS 7 to iOS 8.1 last night. I drive a 2007 Prius with the integrated Bluetooth and stereo system. It worked fine with iOS 7. Now nearly every time I place a call hands free with SIRI the call fails. What’s more annoying is Apple has disabled the ability to revert back to iOS 7.

  83. 2012 Buick Verano, Old Samsung phone sync with no problems, New I phone 6 with ver 8.1 will not pair auto or manual with the buick. I e-mailed the GM dealer and no word after 1 week.

  84. BMW 135 i phone 6 Plus on 8.1 The phone see’s the car but will not pair just keeps trying until it times out..Also have a 2013 Ford Focus St with sync no problems with this paired really easily

  85. I have a 2012 MDX and recently upgraded to the iPhone 6. My 5 worked fine, but my 6 would not connect. I would pick up any other hands free, but not my car. I reset my network settings on the phone (settings, general, reset, reset network) per Apple’s recommendations. Still nothing. I ended up going into my car phone setup settings and deleted out my old phone (which was still programmed in there). The moment I did that, my phone connected. I don’t know if that would work for everyone else, but it worked for me, so I thought I’d share. Good luck!

  86. I have a 2013 Accord and got an iPhone 6 with iOS 8.1. Car Bluetooth works fine for calls but it no longer reads texts.

    • Yes. Ever since I got the iPhone 6, messages no longer sync to any car system. Is this likely to be rectified soon?

  87. I updated to iOS 8.1 on my iPhone 5C a little over a week ago. Since then, I can no longer use Cadillac CUE voice commands to play music from my phone. Oddly, I can play music from the phone using the bluetooth connection but when the phone is USB tethered (required for CUE hands free voice control) the CUE system will load all the appropriate info about the music I am trying to play but it will not actually play the selection. I can see the album graphics and song title but the music will not play. It took some time for me to finally figure out how the CUE system and iPhone interact, especially when tying to control the phone using voice commands. Just when I figured it out, the iOS 8.1 update killed it again. It’s difficult to imagine a permanent fix to these problems unless all the parties come together to insure device compatibility
    across various platforms which is unaffected by updating one or another of the platform’s software. Is it essential that I be able to control my iPhone music player through voice commands while driving my 2014 Cadillac CTS? Of course it isn’t. But when that capability is listed a selling point for a new vehicle, I do expect it to function as promised. (This was not an inexpensive vehicle.) I have owned my car for just over 4 months and this is at least the second time that this functionality has been compromised.

  88. I have an iPhone 4S 64gb and had ios 7.0.4. I could connect, via bluetooth, to my late 2013 VW with no problems. Could make and receive calls and listen to music that I have on the phone through the car speakers.
    Now I have upgraded o ios 8.1 and now I can connect to the car via bluetooth but after a few seconds it disconnects and says connect a phone. If I make a call just after the phone connects, again after a few seconds, it disconnects. If I have the phone display up on the car display it tries to reconnect and then again disconnects after a few seconds. If I don’t have the phone up, say just the radio, then it doesn’t reconnect at all.
    Why do they even come out with new releases if everything hasn’t been tested?
    ios seems to have become a pain in the butt. ios 6 was great and worked.

  89. I still have issues with my new IPhone6 that came with ios8.1 in my 2013 Subaru Impreza. I have to manually connect it each time I start my car. Also the last played music track continues playing as soon as I connect, even though I didn’t start playing any music.

  90. I was having trouble pairing my new iPhone 6 with our 2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen. Finally, I reset everything on the car and on my phone and now it is paired and working! Success 😉

  91. iOS8, the phone would ring, but i couldnt ring out, now 8.1 i can do neither! 2010 Mazda CX-7 New Zealand

  92. My 2014 Skoda Octavia Columbus Sound System audio wont work via screen controls nor steering wheel controls via USB and Bluetooth since upgrading to ios8.1. Bluetooth connection appears to be working for phone still at this stage.

  93. I own a 2014 Mini Countryman (BMW). I haven’t any problems connecting my iPhone 6. I did notice the new feature Apple has opened with Bluetooth Notifications. Today I accidentally stumbled upon this feature and was ecstatic! I was later dismayed to see that all though my email and SMS count was showing up in my ‘Office’ it was not registering a count; in other words it’s not handshaking.
    As an avid Apple consumer I can say both BMW and Apple have dropped the ball and they were suppose to be partnering years ago.

  94. Just got iPhone 6 with iOS 8.1. Can connect with 2012 Subaru Forester but connection must be repaired each time. Considering going into Verizon to drop off phone and go back to android.

  95. 2013 Skoda Yeti
    Update to iOS 8.1 has not solved the issue for me. Both car and phone Claim to be connected, but no music Plays and no calls can be connected.
    Deleting and re-pairing the phone usually works for one ride untill next time i enter the car where i Need to start all over… 🙁

    • My 08 Lexus won’t pair even though it says paired and connected to my IPhone 6 plus. Apple wants me to reset my phone but I don’t believe it will solve the problem.

  96. 2009 Mercedes S550-Updated Iphone 5 to ios 8.1 and I cannot hear any ringing when I make a call. I do get connected but it is annoying that it does not work like ios 7 did. Mercedes says it is an apple problem and apple says it is a Mercedes problem.

  97. I did the necessary update and still can’t hear calls in my Toyota Prius C. I receive incoming calls, but I can’t hear them when I answer. So frustrating! Maybe it’s just a ploy to get us all to stop using our phone (bluetooth or not) in our cars.

    • I have exactly the same problem in my 2013 Rav4. I was able to pair it, and it does what it is supposed to do–call and receive calls, but I cannot hear the speaker. If my phone happens to be out, I can faintly hear through the phone, but not through the car. My 4s worked perfectly.

  98. I cannot pair my iPhone with OS 8.1 with my brand new 2015 Mazda 3…very frustrating! I need this to be working as I am in my car a lot for work and can’t afford to miss so many calls.

  99. I have a 2012 Honda CR-V and I still have the disconnecting issue using iOS 8.1. I just contacted my local Honda dealer and they say “Honda is aware that there is a communication issue between the phone and vehicle and are working on a solution to solve this problem”. I don’t care who’s problem it is, Apple or Honda, I just want it fixed.

    • At Telematics West Coast I spoke with every infotainment system designer at the event and I personally showed them your comments. It seems like Apple threw them a curve ball and has added to something to Bluetooth that they have to reverse-engineer. One said “I’m sure our guys are working on it.”

      In the future the best thing to do is wait to upgrade the OS.

  100. iPhone 6+ on 8.1
    Mazda CX-5 2015 = FAIL call flips and flops between phone and car Bluetooth
    no issues with streaming audio from phone to car or phone GPS to Bluetooth
    only call’s have issues

    • Mine is the opposite! Calls are fine, but it won’t play any music. My phone doesn’t even show up as an option to choose in the source menu.

      • same for me….i bought a plug to use for the audio adapter in my 2011 ML350…nice to know I am not the only one going nuts over this!!!

      • That’s why my issue is, iphone 6 shows connected on my car, 2014 Nissan Murano Platinum, shows connection unsuccessful on my phone, but the phone works fine, no Bluetooth audio though.

  101. I just bought an iPhone 6 plus and it won’t pair with my 2014 Honda Civic. Before I got the new phone I was using an IPhone 5s and the phone was working with everything running IOS 8.2 however, if I was listening to audio and made or received a phone call the audio would continue to play after I connected to phone call. I had to pause the music in order to hear the phone conversation.

    • Same thing is happening on my Subaru Forester 2014 and iPhone 6+. It continues to play music after I dial a phone number or answer the call, for 4-5 seconds after the connection is established. It’s very annoying. Plus, many times it does not connect via Bluetooth after I start the car, so I have to disable BT on the phone and to re-enable in order to force the connection.

  102. 2006 Acura TSX will no longer connect with bluetooth. 2011 Acura MDX is fine…… iPhone 5s with IOS 8.1.

  103. 2008 Lexus rx350 ….kills every call Siri makes via hands free. Manual calls stay connected…. Frustrating & dangerous

    • 2009 Lexus ES350 & iPhone5 Same issue as above. Non-Bluetooth calls are fine, but w Siri & BT, each call dies immediately. Screen says, “Terminated by network.” (Also, I rebooted the phone while driving to see if that fixed it. I see that Apple also added a “feature” that I must key my passcode after a reboot. That defeats the purpose of using a hands-free device. Of course, if the thing just WORKED, i wouldn’t reboot.)

    • AC – my 2008 Lexus GS350 does the same; drops via voice commands. Blue Tooth Lexus programmed numbers and manual selections work just fine but Siri will now not respond to finding phone numbers after IOS 8.1.1 update on my iPhone4S.

      Any fixes out there????

      • We have personally asked reps from BMW who say they are working on it. Meanwhile the GM rep said, “We didn’t change any thing they did.” Apple is blaming the car makers and the car makers are blaming Apple. Most of readers are more “pissed off” with Apple.

  104. 2011 VW Jetta SEL; iPhone 6 plus (ios8.1), will find device, sometimes say it’s connected, but never is. Restored, reset network settings, nothing. 🙁

  105. 2014 Chevy Malibu Bluetooth will connect to iPhone 6 after initial pairing but will not connect after restart. I have to pair the car and phone every time to get it to work.

  106. iOS Update+Mitsibushi Outlander = epic fail. Incoming calls work. Outgoing call switch from car kit to phone ( there are many issues with the new iOS but this is the only one that get get me a fine and penelty points)… Contacted Apple support ..waste of time. I will never ever ever update iOS again.

  107. My 2013 Honda CRV still won’t connect after updating my iPhone 6 yo 8.1. still waiting on applecare to respond

  108. My Honda Civic 2012 no longer works tried everything even total restore. I have iOS 8.1 on a iPhone 5s

  109. iPhone 6 on Subaru WRX 2014 will pair usually after several tries, but will disconnect when car is turned off and restarted. I did not have this problem with iPhone 5s and previous iOS. AppleCare was called and said they would work on it, but after several days, I have not heard from them.

    • Same problem on my Subaru Impreza 2011. I have to try several things (turn of radio and phone BlueTooth, turn on BlueTooth, turn on radio, maybe it connects after 2-3 tries) then no connection after I turn off the car. No problem at all when I had the old iPhone 4.

  110. iPhone 6 will connect to phone system in 2014 Infiniti QX70, but will not work for streaming audio. Sometimes drops the phone connection during a call. Have tried all suggested fixes including erasing all data from phone and starting over. Worked fine with iPhone 5 and previous iOS.

    • Karen, I just got a new Samsung 6 phone and have a 2014 QX 70 (without nav) and the bluetooth phone synced up, but cannot even get my audio files from my phone to play with usb chord! Have appt. with infnini dealership on Sat. NOBODY can figure this out. Says in manual that this phone is compatible with audio.

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