Toyota Navigation

Navigation whenever you need it - unless of course you are moving!

What is the Toyota Navigation Override Controversy?

With the release of 2007 models and the 6.1 Navigation software package, Toyota removed the existing 'override' that had been present in their cars since at least 2000. That override feature (a series of on screen inputs) had allowed the use the Navigation and Phone systems while the car is in motion- so for example, the passenger could look for food in the midst of a family trip. Instead, in order to use the touch screen on a 2007 Toyota, you need to pull over to the side of the highway or actually exit and park the vehicle. In some cases prospective buyers were misinformed that the override was still present.

Toyota's change in the car's operation lowers the bar for consumer rights:

Many times it is more dangerous to pull over and stop to use the system.
Toyota treats the car like software (even if you buy it, you don't actually own it, you only have a license to use it the way Toyota tells you to use it).
Toyota made an important and to some customers critical, change in vehicle operation and customers were and are still not notified of that change before buying their cars.
Toyota's stonewalling and refusal to accept that customers are annoyed /furious / inconvenienced is an indication that customer service is no longer paramount to Toyota/Lexus.
Toyota is not my Mother

If you believe Toyota should fix this problem, here's how you can help:

Call Toyota Customer Service at 800-331-4331 and ask to have the override restored.
Place a review at Autosite , Edmunds, or Consumer Reports .
Please sign up to get updates on the status of the override and to be counted in favor of restoring the override function.
Tell your friends and neighbors that the override is no longer available. They may prefer a Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Saturn or a Garmin.

Various Toyota user forums have discussed possible remedies:

A wire cutting hack that voids the warranty…
Create a hybrid 5.1 / 6.1 DVD -requires buying 5.1 or it is illegal.
Hiring a programmer to write new software.
Returning the vehicle to Toyota.
Receiving a rebate for the cost of the Nav system.
Filing a Class action suit.

Please feel free to send your Concerns / suggestions on how to improve our odds of success.

If you are a 2007 Lexus owner with the same complaint, please visit LexusOverride.com where you can be counted and also receive updates on your vehicle.

If you are a computer programmer who would like to write new software that will run on Toyota and Lexus vehicles, contact us here.

Here are comments from recent visitors to the site. If you have a comment and own a Toyota, please sign up! (Editor comments in Green .)

Toyota has overstepped the boundaries with the navigation override menu removed from V6.1 and newer mapping DVD. I will consider another vehicle line when buying my next new car. I'm sure they could care less, but how many customers will they loose in the meantime. Wake up snoozers!

Greying out functions on the Camry Hybrid nav system is a bad, bad management decision; one that abrogates the rights of customers in favor of yielding to the anxieties of corporate lawyers.

Toyota does not consider that the nav system in their automobiles are not even accessible to the passenger while vehicle is in motion. HELLOOOO!!! Some of us do realize the danger of operating anything other than the vehicle while driving, however, we do most of the time while vacationing or traveling in far away places have a passenger who could easily navigate for the driver. DUHHHH.

Very inconvenient

There's no reason for it. There are many nav products out there that don't do this. The voice navigation does not work all the time and it requires more effort and looking to use it.

At the very least there should be a class action suit because this oddity of this gps is not being sold to consumers honestly; if there was an honest disclosure, there would be no sale. I would have purchased the Honda Civic. In fact, I really don't know if I can live with this car for two years. Of course ALL of us will lose the full value of this feature upon sale. I think a lawsuit against Toyota is the only way. Then Toyota's lawyers who put this on the market, can make more money defending the suit. Only Toyota and the consumer lose.

Absolutely ridiculous that you have to pull over to use. If I am in a bad neighborhood, I want out! I thought Toyota was a leader?

This damned navigation system is the worst thing I have ever seen. It cost a lot of money and it does not work properly, it is like a Rubic's Cube but even more difficult, and who appointed Toyota God telling us what and when we can use the damned thing. I want a Honda navigation system ... they work like people think. You can't turn the damned thing off, you can't do anything with it unless you pull over and stop, it doesn't recognize voice commands, it doesn't know simple things like Post Office, most of the time you don't know what the hell it is doing, ding ding bells that are supposed to mean something but half the time you do not know what they mean, some old woman who doesn't talk like most people and you can't get her to talk when you want her to. Toyota has a mess, a giant mess, with this lousy navigation system and they won't do a damned thing about it ... they just take your money, laugh behind your back, tell you nothing when you complain, and leave you stuck with a very expensive navigation system that is nearly worthless in real life. I have called and written Toyota and all I get are canned replies that say nothing. People, stay away from Toyota, there's too much wrong with this company.

Dangerous feature that causes you to pull over on highways.

I feel that I have been the victim of fraud at the hands of Toyota Motors of America. That their navigation system DOES NOT WORK as it should. That they failed to disclose this fact. And that they have failed to MAKE IT RIGHT! In my opinion. I am owed a nav. system that works to expectations, or a full refund of its new sticker costs. And that I would happily join any class-action suit to achieve either of these two ends.

My 2007 Avalon's GPS system is the worst I have ever experienced. What a waist of $.

Who do they think they are?? They at least need to tell people about it before they buy.

This litigious society has gotten the better of Toyota and has impaired their judgement. In addition to making the navigation system nearly useless, they have also disabled the radio text feature from displaying text in large print. Instead, I now have very small print that slowly scrolls across the screen which can take several seconds to read instead of a very quick glance to see who the artist is. As it stands, it is actually more dangerous, in my opinion. Toyota customer service needs to stand up to their paranoid lawyers.

It can be much more dangerous to pull over than to get new information while driving the vehicle.

I have a Honda Hybrid with Nav system. I do not have this problem with this car. I just bought my wife the 2008 Camry Hybrid, and it has the same issues the luxury cars, like Lexus have. If I would have know what a pain this was going to be with the nav system, I would have purchased a non nav car and bought one of the off the shelf portable systems from best buy or someone else.

I almost always have a passenger with me, and it's so frustrating that they can not use the navigation system

New Tundra purchased and the Nav system I paid for, does not operate when moving. My wife and I travel with a travel trailer and cannot reset or modify our destinations without stopping on the side of the road. This is not what I expected to get when I paid for the NAV option. Probably will not purchase another Toyota.

What happened to freedom of choice? We bought the 4runner so that we can go and climb mountains. I better not stop and program in the destination of a mountain or the navigation system may stop the vehicle and say "Sorry, that destination is too dangerous. Please pick a petting zoo or a flower garden".

Greying out functions on the Camry Hybrid nav system is a bad, bad management decision; one that abrogates the rights of customers in favor of yielding to the anxieties of corporate lawyers.

There's no reason for it. There are many nav products out there that don't do this. The voice navigation does not work all the time and it requires more effort and looking to use it.

Lexus/Toyota causes safety problems by forcing people to fumble with their cell phones to manually dial phones numbers that aren't on the top 18 quick dial list

Absolutely rediculous that you have to pull over to use. If I am in a bad neighborhood, I want out! I thought Toyota was a leader?

I should have the right to use the navigation system whenever I choose

Very inconvenient

I hate it.

it sucks

I paid a lot of money for a Nav system that is useless to me. I would like to be reimbursed for the Nav system.

Passenger should be allowed to enter the address when the car is moving.

I do not appreciate Toyota acting as my mother. I paid plenty of money for this system, and Toyota should not be telling me when I can and cannot use it.

I have a 2008 prius. I use to own a honda civic hybrid with navigation and it never had that lockout problem. We need to have a software upgrade that will fix that problem.

It has pretty much all been said. The lockout is ridiculous and detracts greatly from the utility of the system.

Totally unacceptable. Would not have bought this vehicle if I knew I was not in control of ALL functions. Why would I pay extra money for something that I can not control at ALL times.

Unable to operate the navigation system whiled moving is ridiculous especially if the passenger is the one operating the system.

A pain in the NAV

I just purchased a 2008 Highlander Limited. I wanted a built in DVD for my daughter so I had to buy the navigation system to get it or go the after market route. I already have two Garmins so I really did not want to buy another navigation system. Against my better judgment I purchased the feature. I am so unhappy with it. It is counter intuitive and worst of all I have to pull over to use it. Every other GPS I have ever had allows you the option of using this "safety" feature. I can't believe Toyota has imposed this upon their customers. Not only can't I use the navi system while in motion but I can't use phone or control the rear DVD either. This is unacceptable. I would return the vehicle to Toyota today if I could.

It is Ridiculous!!!

It sucks!

it takes more time and is more distracting to scroll through albums than to look at album lists. my eyes are down 75 times than 7

Why do I have to pull over and come to a complete stop to imput an address or find a location if I have passengers that aren't doing more than sitting there? On top of not having the override, I can't read fill messages or names on the screen for XM or the radio because apparently the unit only allows so many characters. I would have never purchased the Nav system if I knew that I would be so limited on usage.

the restrictions make no sense. People read papers,talk and text message from hand held cell phones and eat like pigs when they drive. Why should't the passenger be able to operate the navi while you are in motion? The details on the radio are even blocked out for your safety while in motion. This is goofy. I paid a lot of extra money for this???? I should have bought a Tom-Tom!

If I can't use the GPS/NAV unit while driving or have a passenger in the front seat that can use it than what good is it? There should be some way to defeat the system. The "YES" soft button is available when the GPS is turned on initially while stationary. This should be sufficient for the lawyer disclaimer issue.

I hate not being able to program addresses while the car is in motion.

Vehicle Owners SHOULD HAVE The right to use this system as they see fit. NOT the way Toyota says to use it. They are NOT GOD!

Interested in information on overriding the Nav system so passenger can manage to find restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc.

I am total outraged by the restrictions put on me by Toyota Corporation. I will only consider purchasing another Toyota after I am positive that there are NO restriction on the use of the vechicle I am purchasing or that they can be disabled to allow full use of the vehicle. It makes me irritated every time I get behind the wheel, of what otherwise could be an excellent automobile.

There is absolutely no reason my passenger should not be able to use the navigation system while the car is in motion.

Sucks

I want to be able to control the DVD from the front seat. With two small children in the back, the only thing we can do is advanced a chapter and control the volume. Try putting in a new DVD or starting a DVD playing after the car is moving and you can't do it.

I need to be able to update my route and I can't do it unless I stop....pain in the rear!!!!

I should be able to decide when and where to use MY navigation system. I don't need Toyota to do that for me. I want a fix for this.

90% of the time pulling over is much more dangerous than having the passenger use it. Why does mother Toyota not lock the glove/and console box, lock down their confusing radio, and suggest that the no one talk to the driver. Big mistake in judgement by toyota by removing good a judgement decision from their customers (eX).

I am extremely frustrated with this. When I was purchasing my 2007, I was told "off the record" that I could override this by the salesman. Not!! I definitely would not have purchased had I known.

Toyota should allow people to order a new DVD or version of the software, after they sign a liability release. I heard that in the 2009 model, they're going to limit the maximum speed of the vehicle to 45 miles per hour -- because it's safer....

I think it is up to the owners to decide what is safe, NOT TOYOTA!

It is extremely annoying to have the Nav system disabled especially when there is a passenger in the vehicle. Just as the passenger air bag is enable when there is a passenger, the NAV system should recognize this and override the disable of the system. This would be a huge improvement!!!!!!!

2008 Highlander Hybrid - I usually drive with my wife and it's really frustrating that she can't enter our destination in the nav system. I have only used it a couple of times in the 2 months I've owned the car. In our 2005 Acura TSX we used the NAV all the time. Another thing is the poor search capabilities. I can't just enter a street name or partial street name. I have to enter the full street name and the quadrant of town (NE, SE, NW, SW). The Acura NAV system was more intuitive.

Locking out the navigation system is a ridiculous nuisance. The usual "I Agree" screen or a trigger based on the passenger seat would be a simple and viable solution. Toyota needs to move on this now!!

Would not have bought this unit had I known.

Lockout feature is just plain dumb. This is my first NAV system and I can't believe I have to be parked to use it. Just a dumb idea! What next? Can't remove your drink from the cup holder while driving? Can't turn around to give your kid something? Please put pressure on Toyota to change this. Class action, whatever. It's pathetic. Or, give me a rebate!

bad plan

Stop making me pull over to input.

At minimum, the system lockout should deactivate with a passenger present.

very displease with the navigation and bluetooth sometimes it is very hard to pull over to enter infor. when i travel i put my Garmin in the car to use. wish theey will give the override

Version 6.1 is very non-consumer orientated without the overrides that were available with my 2005 Prius version 4.x. Having to come to a complete stop in a safe place is not only time consuming but next to impossible in many instances.

Having to stop the car to ask for direction from the nav system?!?! I bought the car with the navigation system because I don't want to stop the car to ask someone for direction!!!!

This feature (or lack of) is ridiculous! It's odd how they continue to put a mirror on the driver's sun visor though... That's a feature that should be disabled when the car is in motion! Not the GPS!

What's next, disabling the engine if I've used my allotment of fuel for the week?

I just really have a question. We bought a 2008 Prius in early Nov. '07. While it doesn't allow you to set a destination while moving, I do not get the I Accept screen that everyone here is talking about. Has anyone else reported this? They haven't re-enabled the ability to override the default setting, have they?

You must allow the driver to make the decision to override the system. There are times that stopping is more dangerous and an intelligent, aware driver will use the override when necessary only.

Passenger restriction of the device while the vehicle is in motion defeats the purpose of the system. The system is worthless. I would have bought an after market solution had I known.

Extremely inconvenient. Normally use with the passenger doing the navigation. Now I try to hurry up and do it at the red lights. It's ridiculous.

I own a 2007 camry hybrid and the Nav system is so incredibly lousy. I just bought my wife a $250 garmin for christmas that runs circles around my $1,600 built in system. I am really disappointed in this and will definitely not buy another toyota with a nav system EVER again. My last several cars were hondas and I bought the toyota because I wanted a hybrid (which I love.) The real problem with this car is the lousy nav system. It definitely is not up to the standard that Honda has set with thier nav products. Get smart toyota and just put a built in garmin into your vehicles....

Provide new sofware and the issue is fixed. Make it available for Prius 2006 users too as an update. Thx, Sidney

did hitler design this?

Steaming mad!!!

I dislike the removal of a feature I bought and paid for.

Would not have purchased Navigation if this problem was made know to me.

Looking for a way around this horrible issue, a hack or a systematic solution from Toyota, as this totally negates ease of use and devalues the car.

Prefer my handheld unit over the factory installed navi system....would NEVER BUY one again.

To pay $200.00 for the up grade was bad enough, but for it not have the override is ridiculous. I plan on returning the disk and trading in my Prius.

lousy, just plain lousy and dangerous

My navigation stopped working. To fix it, Toyota had to install a new DVD - now I can't disable the navigation for passengers to use while driving and I have to stop along the side of the highway and put myself in unsafe situations. I would pay extra to get things back to the way they used to be when I could allow my wife to use the navigation system from the passenger seat while I drive.

It is a very poor judgement on Toyota. Toyota should restore the override feature.

BS I can use my Garmin but i thought Navigation integrated into the car would be better. Very wrong will not make same mistake twice.

Since Toyota is having lawyers design the car, maybe engineers should be making the laws.

I don't belive toyota put full thought into the ramifactions of ther actions. They have forced the end user to stop the car in areas that may not even be safe. Example what if you have you bluetooth connected and need to dial 911 because some luneitck is following you or you don't know where you are to find a police station you cant dial 911 can you. Good Job Toyota..........NOT........

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said.

horrible

ToyotaIsNotMyMother

When I have a passenger, they would like to be able to access and set the destination and use the phone ... I do not need a nanny. Insisting that I stop when I'm on a freeway to change or reset the destination is dangerous and illegal - Will Toyota pay for any fines and damages?

Toyota Avensis - luckily still with override ;-) This is the biggest disadvantage of the good Navigation system, beneath the useless disclaimer ("be careful..."). And I wonder, why it has a remote control, a person recognition system for passenger's seat... A driver should be intelligent enough to decide by himself, when he can use the system safely. The next step is limiting speed to 1 km/h - it's safer...

I think it sucks that we have to be told when we can use certain features in our cars. I understand that the manufacture wants to cover its ass, but they should let the owner overide.

This is my first experience with a Nav system. What a disaster. We need the system in case of an emergency when on the road. My husband and I are seniors with medical problems. I want info now!!. I don't want to have to pull off freeway and key in data. We purchased a V62008 Highlander Limited knowing this would probably be the last purchase.. We have had very good luck with tyotas, a 64, 80, 95 2002 and this 2009. BUT WHAT A RIP OFF THIS nav system is. we were not told it would be inaoperational while driving. A week later we were told of on overide being available on line. Then told this was not true. Please hand me a waiver, and let my use what is rightfully and legally mine to use.

Toyota ought to offer a fix at no charge for buyers that wish for the override to be removed. Toyota can easily have the proper legal documentation for the buyer to sign in accepting the fix. Just give us a fix even if it's on Toyota terms it would at least be a fix.

The backup beeps are very annoying. The nav system disable is a safety problem because I have to pull over to the side of busy roads so my wife can use the system while I drive. It makes no sense.

Passengers should be able to use all functions available. If Toyota was worried about safety, they should have tied the screen access to the already installed weight sensor in the passenger seat.

Is it illegal to take the 5.1 SW and marry it with the 6.1 database? I noticed talk about doing that, but no instructions on how to do it. I have an 05 Prius that I absolutely love with the override and an 07 Prius that frustrates to no end. I would love to perform my own sw hybrid if I knew how with my existing systems.

Although the lockout is extremely annoying, it is the same situation with my 2007 Infiniti QX56. So .. it is not ONLY Toyota playing big brother.

I should have the right to use the navigation system whenever I choose. At the very least, the nav system should be available when the safety system detects that there is a person sitting in the passenger seat. If the car can detect this for purposes of deploying the airbag, it should be able to do this to allow use of the navigation system by the passenger.

It is more dangerous to try to pull off the highway and re-enter just to change NAV settings. I wouldn't have paid the extra $$$ if I knew it would be crippled while in motion. Same with the bluetooth phone. Only speed dials are available while in motion. What if I wanted to call 911 or #999 to report a DUI driver. I can't pull over to report the plate number. Stupid.

Unacceptable, you should go to a class action

I can't stand that i have to pull over to change my route preferences and add a new address. Its unsafe!!!

It is ridiculous not to have an override feature on the RX350 Nav system. In our driving, I am the driver and my wife is the navigator. I never use the nav system from the driver's seat while driving, but she uses it from the passenger's seat all the time. What a mindless engineering decision that was.

I feel it is much more dangerous to slow down and pull to the side of a freeway or interstate to change the navigation system, when my wife or I, whichever is the passenger can make the changes while keeping up with traffic.

The whole system is cumbersome to use. The other day my wife was trying to input Plymouth meeting, PA and it kept defaulting to Plymouth CT. It wouldn't even let us type in the name. We gave up. In the 2 years we owned the car, I have yet to get the navigation system to actually find an address, and I am no new comer to electronic gadgets. As for the lock-out feature, if I could get the stupid system to work, it would frustrate me beyond belief. If they are trying to prevent an accident, then the next thing you know they'll limit our speed or the time of day we drive (Toyota might think it's too dangerous to drive after 11:00 PM or during rush hour) Heck, why not disable the radio (there are a few songs that my daughter listens to that should be locked out) or the interior lights, even the glove box should be locked to keep me from rummaging through it while driving, and any other button that might distract me. Long live personal freedom!

I cannot believe this! I pay $2,000. more for the Navigation System on my new $40,0000. 2008 Loaded 4WD Limited Highlander and I have to stick my Portable Garmin on the dash to navigate on the go! The Dealer Conveniently forgot to mention that when I was ordering the vehicle. I have an owners manual that's the size of a phone book and Toyota thinks this action is going to keep you from being distracted. Give me a Break!

Being unable to use the nav system while in motion is bogus.

Ridiculous for toyota to think that it is safer to pull to the side of the road multiple times during a trip to input various destinations. This makes the gps much less of an asset than other systems. It certainly is NOT a safety issue

I just got a new 2008 Sienna Limited AWD and slowly discovered the lockout 'feature' as my Wife and I tried hard to figure out why sometimes we could do something and sometimes we could not. Now I know. We were excited that we could manage the DVD controls from the front as our 4 year and 5 month old could not -- until we suddendly found ourselves on the road and not able to start the movie. To be honest this type of restrictions never even crossed my mind as a possibility and unfortunately my dealer did not mention it too me. This lockout along with the lack of routing details in many parts of the USA make this Nav system fairly worthless. I'll probably have to place my Pocket PC Tom Tom running alongside as well as the Pocket PC phone keypad so I can also make calls. I have downgraded from a $200 PPC to a $1.5K Toyota Nav System. Sigh. I would defintely had removed this from my option list had I known. And as I wanted built-in Nav would have gone with a Honda or Nissan -- or possibly 3rd party install. I will mosy likely go for another make next time as this type of thinking is archaic and obviously unecessary given other car and GPS manufacturers approaches. In general the system is disappointing, Nav and phone being the worst, MP3 playing is not well done form a UI viewpoint either (you have to go down multiple levels to see the MP3 tags for example -- and they disappear to once you are moving) and the whole system is not intuitive in general for any functions. Its a shame really as the rest of the van is impressing me and the Nav has soured me from this otherwise great experience. Come on Toyota, you could make a whole set of pleased customers by sending out a firmware update to fix all of this ...

Inconvienent, annoying, distracting - and wrong. I understand the concept - don't let people do too many things at once, but my husband and I drive together all the time. It means we don't use the system (because I'm not going to pull off the expressway every time we want to check out a new waypoint). With this many people upset, you'd think they'd publish a revised version. I'm truly disappointed in Toyota

I am enjoying our new 2008 Highlander AWD. I have been using portable Navigation system and have been happy with it. I have never heard of this navigation system with a "feature" stopping user (passenger) setting our next lunch stop to our favorite fast food along the way to our destination while driving. We have to stop somewhere nearby. It is becoming dangerous now as I tend to roll slowly after a red light just turned green to keep the destination setting active! I tried stop doing that, but this stupid nav system...I am seriously considering sticking my portable GPS on the windshield, which is crazy considering I paid so much more for the nice built-in unit!!!I started to look around and found some solution (warranty voiding) of cutting the wire harness and so on. NOT GOOD situation at all for me.

I have a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid and they only had two options, plain vanilla or a car that was fully loaded with all the options including Nav. Leather seats without Nav was unavailable. Nav is a pretty high priced feature that has limited capability on the road when my wife is unable to search for points of interest or key in an address we're looking for while we're en route. Finding a place to pull over on a freeway is certainly a more dangerous alternative. I also discovered that the bluetooth cell phone I purchased just before buying the car, is only partly functional with the Toyota telephone setup. I am happy to throw my support into an effort to get Toyota's attention that limiting the usefullness of their options that we paid good money for, is not a way to treat their customers. Other than that, I could not be more pleased with the car.

Pain in the you know where. I feel the decision to pull over should not be a forced one when using items I own.

its dangerous pulling over all the time

Here in Holland same issue. Ridiculous behaviour of Toyota. I'm getting bored of the all the beeps in the car for lights, belts, keys in ignition etc. The fact that the satnav can only be operated during complete standstill is making this car very unsafe.

It bothers me. I would like the override option back.

I understand that it is for safety but the passenger can't even use it. I was told it could be disabled - wrong!!!

Toyota needs to know that buyers will stay away from their GPS in favor of the portable systems available that do not restrict passengers. Honda's GPS in the C-RV does not restrict. I would not have upgraded to the Prius GPS system had I known of this defect.

Why stop at just limiting the use of the Navi. We shouldn't be able to use the radio, phone, windows, sunroof...and we shouldn't be allowed to bring our children in the car. If there ever was a distraction from driving it is two siblings fighting in the back seat!

It is ridiculous to not allow a passenger to control the navigation system as you can do for every portable or add-on system on the market.

As others, we were told the issue was one the service dept. could resolve when we brought the car in @5k miles. After asking to have this resolved the service dept. said there was nothing they could do.

Not only is it locked out but not accurate (up to date) also have a store bought garmen that is way more up to date

It's quite annoying. I wish Toyota would supply a correction disk for free to alleviate my anger.

My wife and I travel together 95% of the time. The navigation system, which was something we specifically purchased loses a majority of its value if my wife cannot operate it while the vehicle is in motion. I am VERY disappointed with this recent revelation. We have only had the 2008 van six weeks. This is our first Toyota van and may possibly be our last.

This is absolutely asinine. I can understand not allowing the driver to make NAV changes but the passenger? Why not use the sensor already present in the passanger seat, warning of an unbuckled seat belt, to allow NAV changes when a passenger is present. I would still have purchased the Prius but I definately would not have purchased the NAV system. I use my Garmin and totally wasted $2000.

I would not have purchased the pricey navigation unit had I known it could not be used while the car is in motion. It is rediculous that I cannot input information while my husband is driving. This issue needs to be brought to a class action suit and legislation should be inacted to prevent this fraud against consumers.

I got this car for my wife because she wanted a built in navi system like the one on my Honda. Had I known it wouldn't work the way we were used to operating mine, I wouldn't have paid the extra money for this LEMON. I feel as though I've been ripped off.

Is it realistic to think we can receive a refund of the navigation option on my August, 2007 purchased(new) LS 460 ? I am also about to purchase a new 2008 GX470. Thanks, _____

I paid a substantial premium for the Toyota Camry Hybrid with the navigation system to find that my portable Garmin was more usable. I will never buy another vehicle where the manufacturer treats me like an imbecile. Providing a warning is a nuisance I can live with but an non-overrideable lockout is totally unacceptable.

It is my responsibility to use the car's features responsibly. I don't see Toyota installing breathalysers on the ignition, so I guess I can assume that Toyota believes Nav systems are more of a hazard than drunk drivers.

It is a problem that my wife (Passenger)cannot set the destinations when I am driving. I am using a Garmin instead and wll not buy another Toyota or Lexas

This totally reduces the functionality of the navigation and phone system. I was in the car as a passenger with my wife driving and I couldn't enter in a destination address on the GPS. This goes too far!!

I wouldn't have spent the cash, when $350.00 gets a great hand held system, with turn by turn directions. first toyota product, and definitely my last

We purchased a new 2007 Tundra with the nav system. We could not find this truck with the nav system locally and had to have it shipped in to get the nav system. We paid $500.00 dollars to get it shipped in from another state. The system does not allow search for buisness addresses that are not already in the system. It has a poor address search ability. The mapping is very outdated and not reliable. Really hate the lock out and the voice navigation is very difficult to work with and many times it cannot recognize what you are saying. I would have never bought this system had I known about the lockout feature. I love the Truck though and would recommend it. I have contacted a Toyota customer sevice rep and have asked for a full refund and to have the unit removed from the truck and I want to purchase an after market unit. It was not well received. I will go to the attorney generals office and petition with them if toyota does not do a refund. They need to at least provide a disclaimer.

Dislike the new procedure on the 2007 models concerning the GPS.

I have the camry hybrid, same toyota problem as the other models. It is not safe for me to pull over and select closest gas station- my car is likely to get hit from behind

OVERRIDE? Why TOYOTA BELIVES THAT MY CAR BELONG THEM? IT´S MY CAR. IT´S MY RESPONSABILITY

Without the functionality in the navigation, it is useless. Please provide overide so your customer can get what they paid for

I'm more annoyed about the telephone lock-out then the GPS. I've used a Garmin in a car for several years and, even with lock-out, feel the in-car Nav is better. Differences is the responsiveness and lack of annoyance in re-calculating a route when you change. Makes the need to interact much less. The display of XWay POIs is very helpful. Now that I know movement kills it, can work-around in most cases. (I think an easy hack could come if you knew how the software defines movement. Honestly, I didn't associate movement with change until I read these notes, so it has to be movement above a certain amount and maybe related to the gas engine.) The telephone, however, bugs me no end. It makes using it almost impossible. As someone noted, at least give me the number screen in all cases. Having it on the screen and the hands-free sound around you is much safer than trying to type on a Blackberry while trying to find an access code. Drops utility over 80%!

Toyota must offer an overide feature. Or, lose another customer.

It completely sucks. There's really not much additional to say that hasn't already been said on this site. It is a HUGE annoyance that, if known, I would have just gone with a Garmin or something (or purchased the Acura). I have 2 Toyotas ... and except for the Nav system issue, I love the vehicles.

Pointless

The car should be smart enough to know that someone in the passenger seat and let them use the navigation system.

This a ridiculous example of inappropriate "in loco parentis."

It is outrageous that a 27,000$ car is not fully usable due to this idiotic feature. I am an adult, who is able to make informed decisions. Toyota\'s strongarming is uncalled for and I am advising friends towards the Honda. While this is not the end of the world, it shows that Toyota does not care for their customers.

I think it is ridiculous that you don't have an option to overide the navigation system so it can be used while moving. This is a major feature that has factored into what make and model vehicle that I am prepared to buy.

The requirement to pull over in order to map a destination, dial the phone, or even access my already pre-programmed phone numbers is dangerous and makes the entire system practically useless. I would not have bought the vehical had I know about this.

Big brother Government is bad enough but a big brother manufacturer is too much.

I should be able to disable the feature.

I am in the process of buying a Highlander for my wife to replace the totaled Honda Pilot she had. We asked for the nav system and the sales person was so insistent that we get an aftermarket unit. He said we would be much happier. While Toyota has taken a mother stance, it is nice to know that some sales people will still watch out for their customers.

By far, the most disliked function of the car is the inability to utilize an expensive option. I feel very ripped off........In the past Toyota has been fairly responsive to consumer requests and suggestions......I guess they no longer care......Currently own 4 Toyotas, but will be looking elsewhere for the next one.....Over 30 K for a new car, and it cant be fully utilized.....I have learned my lesson. If the Nav system can't be used, then the car will NOT be bought......

2008 4 RUNNER Make hybrid dvd and everthing will work. Must have copy of old dvd from someone.Replace new firmware data file with old firmware and burn new dual layer dvd. Now you have new maps with old firmware. Eject old map dvd and insert new hybrid dvd. Turn off engine and disconnect battery for at least 60 seconds. Reconnect battery and start engine. The new firmware will be installed.You can even put the original dvd back in and as long as the battery stays connected all the old hacks for the override will work.

I will be replacing my Prius in the next few months. Suffice it to say that I will not buy a new Prius. GPS technology has been a huge boon to my driving experience. However, I get so frustrated taking my Magellan Road Mate and manually attaching it to the windshield of my car when I paid a lot of extra money to use the internal system. There is an expression in Japanese of "Zama Miro" which loosely translated means, "you poor fool, I completely snookered you and there is nothing you can do about it." I feel Toyota is saying Zama Miro to everyone that bought their car. Although there is likely nothing that will change with those of us that fell for the misinformation on the Navigation system, in the future as Toyota slips from their market leading position, we will be able to look at them and declare Zama Miro as well.

If the voice recognition feature was reliable for all speaking, it would not be as bad. When I get something on the screen totally different than what was spoken, it becomes very distracting and annoying. I would have kept my Garmin and gotten a lower number package for this car if I had known this.

I live in Los Angeles where pulling over is hazardous, while asking my wife to input Navigation is simply convenient. Toyota's decision to not respond to consumers' concerns with this is as problematic as the situation itself.

This seems to be to be a fraud on consumers, when neither the dealers or promotional reviews indicate that Toyota had chosen to disable a function that is available to purchasers of cars from any other automobile manufacturer. I want my money back for purchasing a non-functioning option - the whole purpose of a car is to drive it, which requires that the vehicle be in motion. So what should be a safety enhancing feature now is a source of frustration and unsafe behavior as we all work to find our way around without its help. Sign me up for hacks and for the class action suit.

it is useless. Would not have got the navi if I new this. I know someone who made a hybrid copy and was able to remove the lockout and the override worked like previous models. I tried it in a 2008 4runner. I will let people know what to remove from the dvd before burnig. Also there still has to be a way for techs to get to a service menu to check for problems.

I have that you can't override the new nav. I would not have got the car if I would have known this.

Honda should be on the list of alternate choices. I compared the Prius to the Civic Hybrid. I liked the Prius better 'till I discovered the lack of control of the phone and Nav (after I bought it). My wife is constantly frustrated at being unable to control the Nav - makes it almost useless. I don't need it going to work every day (I've learned the route); I need it when we're going on trips! (Ed: Done! Thank you for the input. )

Need to unlock this thing, it is a pain in the ass to stop every time and not what i paid for

I agree everytime I turn the car on to the disclaimer on the screen. That should be sufficient to allow me to take responsibility for inputting an address while driving or having a passenger do it for me... this is very annoying!!!

It is not safe to pull over all the time. I travel with my wife and would like here to program for fodd etc. while driving.

There are often two of us in the car with multiple addresses to visit. It's NOT POSSIBLE to stop on many of the freeways we drive on so not having the override feature renders the system useless many times. I have 3 Toyotas - 1 Prius and 2 Camrys. Only one of the Camry's has 6.1 and we won't upgrade the other SOLELY because 6.1 doesn't have the override features. Removing the override is insulting. If you are afraid of lawsuits, why not have one of those infernal "I Agree" screens after punching in the override code. That might make your lawyers happy and please your customers too.

Prefer my garmin over this - what a pain to have to be stopped to 'go' anywhere.

The silence of the Toyata dealerships on this issue says it all. If customers were informed of this lockout feature on the GPS systems, many sales would be lost. I will never purchase a Toyata again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. What a disappointment!

I had no idea, when I purchased the 2006 Avalon, that the navigation system could not be utilized, by a passenger, while driving. I have contacted Toyota on three occasions and was not able to get any logical explanation from them. Their pat answer is "Due to safety precautions, the design of the Navagation sustem is such that the vehicle has to be stopped prior to either the passenger or the driver making any changes." I told then, via e-mail, that my only choice is to purchase a non Toyota car and I am sure that they could care less. My two sons and brother in law have Honda Pilots and CRV with Navagation systems that work the way that I would expect and are even more user friendly than Toyota's. I will consider purchasing a Honda of some type with their Navagation system unless a fix can be found for my Avalon..

Absolutely obsurd that I have to pull over and stop my car to change my destination! No one else I know that has a GPS system has to stop while driving to operate it! What is wrong with you at Toyota & Lexus? I'm buying a $300 GPS system I can use! This will be my last Toyota. You guys need to get with the program. My spouse can punch in the buttons to reroute us if needed, the driver isn't the only one that needs to operate the nav system. The passanger (navigator) should be able to operate the system without having to stop the vehicle. I'm sure glad you don't have the contract for nav systems on airplanes. We'd have to land the plane in order to change routes in-flight!!!! Not being able to use the phone system while in motion is stupid as well. I now have to use my actual cell phone to use the phone system. Wake up! You are not stopping me from using my phone while driving, I just can't use your system. This is more unsafe to have to fumble around for my cell while driving instead of being able to input it on the screen. Again, you are not giving your customers what they want. Apparently you have more customers than you need. Fix the nav problem or you'll have one less Toyota customer for my next vehicle.

I would not have bought the limited with the Navigation system. I could have bough an aftermarket system that would have also worked with XM for much less. My salesman told me about the over ride so I figured that would be fine. Much to my suprise the over ride did not work after delivery of my new $50k truck.

Idiotic that the navigation cannot be used in route. Also updated maps needed.

In drives me crazy that with a person sitting in the "navigators" seat, the system is still disabled. If someone's butt is in the passanger seat, the nav system should be operable, at the very least.

Often more dangerous to pull over and stop (or race ahead to next traffic light hoping to buy a few seconds of downtime to operate your nav system.

Pissed off all the time.

I was torn between another BMW and a Prius when I bought my 07 Prius. If I had known about the poor access to navigation before I bought it, I would have leaned more strongly toward another BMW.

It's absolutely rediculous. Hopefully word will spread and with it sales drop. If Toyota wants to remain a leading manufacturer their going to have to allow the consumer to bypass this safety feature. (Ed: We are going to ramp up visibility of this issue. Stay tuned.)

Not discovered until our first trip with the car. Totally ruined the trip. Will be talking strongly to the salesman when I get back to town and seeking a remedy. (Ed: Good luck. I went through the Arbitration process and got bumkis. Best thing you can do now is warn everyone to stay away from Toyota and Lexus until customer service returns is important again.

It is extreely dangerous as I somtimes activate a function only to have it not work. I am then distracted from looking ahead as I try to figure this out. My Garmin 7200 has an "I agree to accept responsibility" button that opens all functions while driving. I think this is much safer for the driver and passanger.

Dealer told me he did not know how to use the navigation system; he never told me that it "locks-up" when you drive the vehicle. The GPS is worthless to me. (Ed: Well, feigning ignorance may make it easier for him to sleep at night, rather than telling an outright lie.)

The NAV system is useless. I would not have bought the NAV if I had known of the restriction. As a minimum, the passenger should be able to use the system.

the nav system is very bad for $1850 its a ripoff

It sucks a lot, especially since there is almost always a passenger in the car who cannot use the navigation system

Override should be reinstated.

This totally sucks! We just traded in our 2005 Prius with Nav (where you could override the system) and now find out you can't do it on the 2008 Highlander Limited we just bought. This is my wife’s car and it is more dangerous to pull over on the side of the road or in a bad neighborhood to reset you destination in the Nav. For $45,000.00 I guess I expected more from Toyota. If anything ever happens to my wife as a result of not being able to override the system my lawyer will have a field day with have Toyota... I will own the company when I'm done with them. And my first order of business will be to upgrade the Nav program to override the system. Toyota, get with the program.

VERY DANGEROUS AND UNNECESSARY!!!!

Looking for fix.

I do not mind that it defaults back to the "safe mode" but I need to have the option, while with a passenger, to over-ride the lockout on my 2006 Prius!

Not being able to use the navigation system while driving is one of the most hazardous features I've ever seen! While driving down 95 we needed to take an alternate route. Of course we would have to pull over to do this. The passenger is fully capable of pushing buttons. Pulling over is very dangerous. No one wants to let you back in. A non factory system allows a driver to change their system while the car is motion. Why does Toyota feel it is their right to make the decision for the consumer. It is not a law to have pull over. I'm extremely disappointed in Toyota's decision to put this lock on the system. If this is a safety feature I'd hate see what they call a hazard! What next, no vanity mirrors, or rear view mirrors so that commuters can't shave or put on makeup? Oh, that's not a hazard? It's time to treat the consumers as adults and let them judge how to drive. If there was a law in place to have it blocked that's one thing, but to impose a restriction on a consumer, without the advertisement of it, is a bit extreme. As a Toyota family, 3 in the driveway, and 6 in the past, it may be time to look at Honda's open system! It's nice to see Honda believes their consumers to be adults and able to make a decision.

VOICEMAIL on Bluetooth!! If the 1, 7 and 9 buttons weren't greyed out, I would be much happier, as these are the most commonly used options for voicemail. I also agree that they should have never removed the override. I can't get it to work on my 2005 Lexus ES330 either. I think they removed it from that car as well. If I had known this I would have opted for an older Toyota/Lexus with no NAV and bought a VALOR unit to replace the factory radio.

I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna, and the override works great, but the 2007 Avalon drives me nuts. If I knew where the wire was to cut, I would cut it right now. I guess I will have to pull over to enter data.

It is not Toyota's place to decide how the navigation is used. We travel together, and let the passanger use the system on our HONDA, a far better nav system. It's not us, its the system. It is inaccurate, has poor resolution, and lacks controls to make it useful. To think that we purchased two Toyotas in the last three years. That will change.

Do you know how many arguments my wife and I had during our first few weeks we owned this thing? "I'm sure there's a way to get rid of the 'I Agree' button-- there's got to be-- maybe we have to sign in blood somewhere." "Change of plans honey, put in this address instead... What do you mean it's not working?... Then it's broken... I can't pull over here, are you kidding me?" "Call John and see if he gave us the right address... We're locked out of the system?... Well I left my phone in my briefcase-- I thought that's what 'hands-free' meant... I am not pulling over here, are you kidding me!!!"

This is the ONLY manufacturer that prohibits the user from controlling the nav system when moving. If I have a passenger it is much safer than pulling over. WHY do they do this? Thanks

I think Toyota is overstepping their manufacturer responsibilities by thinking they need to police the way people use the navigation system. WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? GOD OF THE HIGHWAY? If they disable the nav system, they need to disable all the other functions on the touch screen as well. I cannot use the other phone, audio or climate controls any quicker than I could the nav system controls. I resent it more that a passenger cannot at least use it while another person is driving. If the other manufacturers like Honda are not trying to set these ridiculous rules then Toyota should not do it either.WAKE UP TOYOTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very problematic especially when there is another adult in the car on a long trip

Toyota all but ruined my family vacation this past summer. We took a road trip on the east coast and found the navigation system useless as my family and I struggled to find safe pull off spots to look up POI's. Damn you Toyota. Who the hell do you think you are. This is America and we American's don't like to be told what we can and can't do. I am considering trading my Sienna in on a Buick Enclave because this navigation system IS a BIG deal to me.

one word.....STUPID

What were they thinking?

This is our third Prius, first navigation system. It is not very intuitive in its operation, but we'll learn to use it. However, we would not have bought the navigation system had we known of this stupid "safety" feature. My husband and I take trips together. For me to be locked out when he driving (and vice versa) is infuriating. Arghhhh....!!!

Amazing that Toyota feels the needs to take control away from driver and passenger. This violates general principals of keeping the user in control of their environment.

I use my Garmin nuvi ($300) instead of my much more expensive Toyota Nav System. I guess Garmin respects the consumers judgement and Toyota doesn't.

I would have seriously considered not getting the convenience package that had the nav and bluetooth included. Both are hard to use and the nav system, compared to a $300 Garmin, is the most frustrating piece of equipment to use. At least let the passenger use it.

I would not have bought the NAV system if I knew. How do I revert to 5.1 firmware after foolishly inserting the 6.1 disk? What would these stupid lawyers do if someone crashes while dialing a phone number using the (small, inconvenient) phone instead of the on-screen keyboard (that is blocked). What if someone crashes while entering destination by panning/pointing on the map (slow, distracting) instead of picking a previous destination (one tap)? Idiots.

a pain in the a**...

We had a 2007 camry that was totaled in a collosion and we just replaced it with a 2008. My wife often drives the car with me as the passenger. Very often, I will make some adjustment to the nav system while she is driving. This "lock out", not only defeats the nice customizations of the nav system but, makes it very frustrating when responding to a call that requires us to set a new destination. It was annoying enough to enter the override codes but, now I feel the system could actually be dangerous when we have to find a place to stop the car.

I sold my BMW M3 and bought the Hybrid becasue I wanted to do the environmentally right thing, only to discover that the simple task of programming a destination while driving could not be done. This dangrous feature that requires a drive to pull over in order to program it should be disabled. I was told there is a workaround, but this site makes it appear that is not the case. Bummer!

needs a over ride

If driving, I would never use the touch screen navigation system. But there are always 2 people in my car...a driver and a front seat passenger. I resent the fact that the passenger doesn't have access to the full navigation functionalities while the driver keeps both eyes on the road.

It is acceptable that I would have to agree that it may be unsafe by requiring the "I Agree" button....but after that, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TO USE WHILE IN MOTION!!!!!

This needs to be fixed.

This is a moronic, invasive and unnecessary action to disrupt our lives. I'm just waiting for someone's family to sue Toyota because a family member got killed or seriously injured while being pulled over on the side of the road trying to setup a destination address. It also makes the Nav system, which wasn't that great to begin with, very cumbersome to use. For example, I regularly get diverted to some other destination than what was my original intention. If on the freeway, I have to now pull off on an exit road because it's too dangerous to stop on the side of the freeway. Exiting can also be a big issue, since sometimes it's difficult to find an entrance to get back on freeway and you may find yourself in a dangerous neighborhood. In any case, I am the driver of my vehicle, certified to do so by the driver's license I carry. As such, I want to be responsible for everything associated with driving the vehicle. So, if I want my passenger to plug in new addresses or anything else that doesn't distract me, this should be my, not the automobile manufacturer's decision.

Shame on you, Toyota.

The "feature" is on a par with Saab not putting cupholders because people shouldn't have a cup of coffee while they drive. Saab stopped selling cars and decided to put them in. I can see the logic of this as a default setting, but providing not way to disable it borders on criminal. Does Toyota think that we always drive alone in the US? If I had known, I would have bought the lower end model and a portable GPS and saved some money.

Absolutely ridiculous that Toyota has disabled one of the attributes that makes a GPS useful. When I contacted customer service, they initially claimed it was a "safety feature". When I pointed out that things like changing climate control settings or worse changing a CD took the same or more attention away from the road, they stopped the safety claim. Now they simply say it is performing as designed. If they had made me aware of this limitation before purchase, I would certainly have gone with another manufacturer. (Ed: Toyota has told me this is a legal decision made by the company lawyers. When the lawyers are driving, they will drive the company into the ground.)

Extremely stupid; Toyota could at least allow navigation control when a passenger is present. Preferably, it should be possible to disable this "feature" (both bluetooth and nav) through a menu choice. I'd even be cool with having to do it every time I start the car, but blocking it totally is just bs. Which also goes for the "I Agree" screen. Yes, I still agree, just like I did 5 minutes ago, moron. Just like yesterday. And the day before that, 15 times. And before that, countless times. Gah.

Similar to everyone else who has posted on this site. The NAV system is a useless piece of junk if you cannot use it when you are driving. (Ed: make sure to get the word out to potential buyers. Losing sales is the only effect that will get them to change their minds.)

If Toyota really wanted to protect consumers rather than just protect themselves from lawsuits that other auto manufacturers are curiously not worried about, why not tie the ability to use the navigation system while driving to the airbag weight sensor in the passenger seat? If there is enough weight in the passenger seat to suggest that there is a capable person sitting there, then allow navigation while driving.

It is extremely annoying!! That damn 'I Accept' button is also driving me crazy, I mean how many times to I have to accept!

Just another case of big corporations not thinking things through, and then stone-walling in the face of an easy solution. The secret override is baloney as well, since the system should just work the right way to begin with!

I was ready to trade my '04 on a new Prius. Thanks to these tips I think I will keep it a while and see if Toyota corrects their error in judgement. I just hate shopping

By far this is the most ridiculous sanction that Toyota is imposing on it's owners of their higher end models available with Navigation. I consider myself a very safe driver and pushing a few buttons on my navigation system is no more dangerous than changing the radio station or adjusting the air conditioner. Unless they (Toyota) can enhance the voice recognition software to be a bit more intuitive covering many more of the navigation options, then they need to release an updated software version with the override function built back in.

WHEN I HAVE A PASSANGER HE/SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. (Ed: What? You mean like other manufacturers do? )

Passengers should have the ability to use the navigation system even while driving.

It is extremely annoying that even with a passenger we cannot use the navigation system or phone if the car is moving. The car already recognizes the passenger for the airbag system, why can't it use that sensor to override the nav/phone system as well?

My Audi let my passenger program the GPS. I may not have bought my Camry if I knew this. (Ed: If you counted all the people who would not have bought the car under those circumstances, is it enough for a class action suit?)

there is no reason the passenger should not be able to use all the features of this system when the passenger seat is occupied.

I traded in my '91 Mercedes S500 for a loaded Camry XLS with nav. I was shocked and very disappointed to find this limitation which severely limits my ability to utilize this car to its full potential. Toyota's decision to summarily limit use of their product does not meet the terms or spirit of my contract for purchase. There should be a class action suit initiated to rectify this.

This is one of the most annoying items I have ever encountered. I have previously owned nav systems from BMW and Acura. The 2001 Acura system was better than this system in terms of ease of use and also due to the fact that it did not mandate that you not use it while in motion). The 2002 BMW system was not well designed but at least you could enter things while in motion. I will not buy another Toyota product until they fix this.

I would appreciate any information on legal over rides of this system

I would NOT have bought the package #6 which included the Navigation if I knew it was this useless. I would have bought a Garmin GPS instead......which is fully functional ALL the time, more accurate in routing, and much more functional. Total waste of money on this Prius!!!!!!

This is my Van when I pay for it. The disclosure i agree to everytime I start the van should be enough.

A pain in the neck.

This entire thing stinks in my opinion. The passenger is left out of the equation as well as all the other good reasons.

If I hadnt got used to using other GPS units it wouldnt bother me as much. The idea that If I bought It I should have the features all the time I paid for. I am tired of Big Brother making decisions for me.

The car knows when a passenger is in the passenger seat (for the airbag), so why can't it also allow these features automatically (without need for an override sequence) when a passenger is in place? And since when do cars force people to drive safely? I can talk on my cell phone, eat a burrito, apply makeup, and read a book while driving - so why can't I dial the phone, or set a destination? I can read a map - which is way more dangerous - or get directions from my phone - way more dangerous - dial my phone from the phone itself - way more dangerous. I already have to push the stupid I Agree button EVERY time I start the dang car...

Definitely would not buy the navigation system if I would have known. Will pass the poor review to everyone I talk to about this. Very upset about losing $2,500 on a poor design. I now have 2 navigation systems in my new car, my old Garmin 330 on the Dash "EXCELLENT SYSTEM" and the Wasted Screen on the TOYOTA SYSTEM that would be used better as a empty hole for more storage. (Ed: Maybe the remedy is have Toyota refund each of us who purchased their useless $2500 system.)

I would never have paid for the Nav system (or even gotten the car) had I known that no one, not even a passenger, could input crucial information while the car was in motion. This creates a ridiculous waste of time when you have to pull off of a highway and stop and type in your destination. Worthless.

Used the override available prior to '07. upgraded to new software and it went away. I'm very upset.

Whilst watching a DVD on the move is crazy all the other disabled functions are the sort of things that are all available on all competitive vehicles.

We purchased an RX400H with the intent of getting it fully loaded for all the toys. We traded in our BMW X5 and I must say what a mistake. The suv is fine but locking the NAV should have been explained. I asked the sales person if they fixed that NAV lock problem and he told me yes...they did....he lied and now I don't think I will ever buy a lexus again after this experience. If we pay top dollar for a vehicle...it shouldn't be restricted.

This really is dangerous when you need to change directions while on a freeway.

I have a 2005 ES330 with Nav and use the override function frequently. Although I didn't specifically ask the dealer when I was shopping for a 2007 GX, I didn't even think I couldn't override the system. If I had known, I may have still bought the car, but not with the nav system. It would have been better to buy an aftermarket system. Please let me know if anyone ever finds a way to override the nav system, and the front DVD too!

If people can smoke cancer sticks and dip worm dirt, I ought to be able to drive my f**king car that I paid over $30k for and get directions to where I need to go, without having to come to a complete f**king stop. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I purchased a 2008 camry hybrid fully loaded over the weekend only later to discover that I couldn't use the GPS while in motion. My previous GPS allowed me to change the destiation while in motion. It was never a problem or a risk as I would have my passenger change the destination while we were driving, if we needed to change things or look up phone numbers for local businesses. Toyota should reimplement the override. Had I known I couldn't change the destination enroute, I would have not purchased the navigation system and simply used the portible garmin unit I had in my previous car. (Ed: Another customer who was not told about the change. Is this fair? Not if you just spent $30,000 for a new car. Tell people before they buy!)

Unless Toyota is going to pay to insure my car, I should be able to use my navigation system when and where I choose to.

The passenger should be able to do all functions at any time. Even very simple setup items are blocked and I have to try to remember to change them when stopped. If a way could be found to allow the passenger to do everything while blocking the driver from these functions, I would support that. I look forward to receiving info on nav changes, including version updates.

Toyota's attorneys appear to be far more paternalistic than Honda's or BMW's. This will affect my decision to buy another Toyota

I'm new to NAV, but did fully expect to be able to use the function while driving. You can change radio stations. Any responsible person can handle the momentary attention away from the road.

Extremely upset to put it nicely that they chose to do this. Won't be considering a toyota again if it remains this way. I borrowed my brother's Garmen nuvi handheld gps for my family vacation. Used the screen of the sienna Nav for the suction cups of the handheld garman. (Ed: Best use of the Nav screen while moving. Others take note.)

Fuel economy is more important to me, so there is presently no viable alternative to the Prius on the market. (Ed: True 'dat. But save money and buy a Garmin, TomTom, Magellan or Lowrance and use it while you are in motion.)

this is bullshit

I love my '07 Prius. I loved my '05 and '02 Prii (pre-eye) as well. After learning of the override, and using it quite frequently (with no ill effects on driving ability) in my '05 Prius, I was very disappointed when I tried it on my '07 and it didn't work. I am now stuck with, IMO, a half-working navigation system with partially functioning bluetooth!

I actually got a ticket from a cop on I95 in Maryland for pulling over to use my Nav system. He pulled up behind me when I stopped and put my flashers on. He walked over and asked me if I needed help. I explained that I was trying to put directions in my Nav system and had to pull over to do so. He informed me that he'd have to write me a ticket because I had pulled over on the highway and it wasn't an emergency!!!! It cost me $95 and 2 points on my license!!! TOYOTA! ARE YOU LISTENING!!! IT IS AGAINST THE LAW IN THE U.S. TO PULL OVER ON A HIGHWAY FOR A NON-EMERGENCY!!!! ARE YOU GOING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR MY TICKET??? The cop informed me that next time I should go to an exit and pull over off the exit or find a shop/gas station etc at the next exit. My question was, "what if I'm on a turnpike like the NJ turnpike or the PA turnpike where doing that would cost me $$?" His response was, its cheaper than a ticket. Screw you Toyota. I've owned 2 Prius and a Highlander Hybrid. I'm not buying another Toyota unless I find out this problem is fixed. And by the way, my lease is up in March of 2008. I'll be seeing the nearest Honda dealer...
(Ed: At least it was only a ticket and not an accident from trying to get back on the highway...)

Hopefully someone will come up with a hack !

I just purchased the car last week and used the GPS on a trip this weekend. It's very inaccurate....gave me incorrect directions, missing streets, etc. I'm calling Toyota to complain.

Its bad enough when all phases of ones life is monitored and controlled by big bro, but now a private company prevents me from using equippment I paid good money for in the way it is most useful! What's next -- will they now install shields to prevent cell phone use, how about text messaging while driving, or lock the CD player so you can't change disks, or have the car turn off if it smells an order of fries. I test drove both a Honda Pilot and Nissan Murano and both allowed changes while driving. It seems Toyota really went overboard on this one and had I known I would not have bought this car.

This information should be made available before buying vehicle.

The fact that the input features are disables while driving is extreemly inconvenient!! Also, often times pulling over to use the navigation is more dangerous. It is my car...Toyota must give me the ability to use it the way I want to. Until a law is passed prohibiting the use of nav while driving, I want that ability!!!

I should have the option to activiate or inactivate the use of my navigation by passenger. Toyota treats me without respect. I do not plan on bying another toyota as a result

If they really care or had thought this out, Toyota would have required that the passenger seat sensor be activated before the screen can be activated while moving. I know that someone would be able to place weight on the seat to "trick" the system, but this would be an intentional action. Or even more simple, put a disclaimer in the "agreement" screen...... Nothing can be completely foolproof, because fools are so ingenious!!!

I wanted a Hybrid and at the time, the Camry was the only decent car available. I owned a Volvo S-80, the Nav unit was slow, but it was useable while driving and I never, ever had problems using it (the controls were on the steering column) We also own a Honda Odyssey. That NAV unit is also functional while in motion. Routinely, one us drives and the other navigates. I hate using the NAV in the Toyota. Even the voice recognition stinks. The ACCENTS are always on the wrong sylLABle.

very, very, very irritated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the passenger is in the car, the system should allow the functions to work. It knows if a child is in the set and disables the AirBag.

Would trade for honda.

I am extremely disappointed in how the Nav sysmtem works while driving. I was never told that it would not function while moving. My husband has a different make of car, that I certainly would have bought if I knew better.

We'd not have bought the car if we knew about this problem.

This is an option that shouldn't be blocked out, most of the time there is another person in the car that can navigate for you. What they should do is have the whole system unblocked if the car detects someone on the passanger seat, just like the Air Bag being on or off. If there is a person in the passanger seat, disarm the blocking of the nav and blue tooth functions.

I also own a BMW 530xi which does not have the limiation. The annoyance factor is so great that we have decided not to purchase the Solara in the future.

It is not Toyota's (or any car manufacturer's) responsibility to protect owners from their own stupidity. If I wreck while checking my rear view mirror... can I sue Toyota? No, of course not. Same should apply to the nav system.

i have two other cars with nav systems that can be used while driving... it makes no since to have to pull off the road to input where a point of interest is...

My husband drives and I navigate to have to pull over to use the navigation screen when I can safely use it in the passenger seat is really nuts. Im a 58 year old woman and know how to be safe.

We bought the car know that our friends use the override feature. This is very disappointing.

If Toyota decided to do the lockout to avoid distraction then how do you expalin the energy level consumption animation that really distracts the driver. I had an Acura before, the NAVi system was a breeze to use. The one in Toyota is overly complicated and locked while driving, I am extremely disappointed. I need navigation for my job, I make deliveries, I am already in pain a week after owning this. I love the car, had I know this I would not have bought navagation option and just buy me a $500 Tom Tom portable Navigation system.

I should be allowed to take the risks involved with using the navigation.

I've owned the 2008 Highlander for three weeks and can't believe this "safety feature." I would never have bought this SUV had I known about this -- but how would I know this was even a possibility!?!?!?!?! I previously owned a Honda Pilot and could use the Nav system at will -- so I didn't know to ask about this and certainly was not told as part of the sales process. The only thing more ludicrous that this restriction is listening to well-meaning Toyota employees trying to justify it and repeatedly calling it a “safety feature.” This is quite the “anti-safety feature” when I have to pull over in a dangerous neighborhood or off on the side of the interstate with no shoulder to reset my destination or move the view of my map!!! I actually took the car back to the dealer after I almost ran off the road trying to catch the caller ID on my Bluetooth connected cell phone when it failed to display on the Nav screen and I needed to know who it was before I answered. I was upset to think that the system didn't have Caller ID -- I was INFURIATED to know that it DID have Caller ID but wouldn't show it to me while moving!! Toyota aren't you listening yet?!?!?!? I’m not asking to watch DVD movies in my dash – that is just silly and illegal I believe; but if I pay $40,000 for a product, I fully expect to be able to use it any way I choose (within legal limits of course!) Toyota, you have NO business dictating MY activities in MY vehicle! Signed: A three-week-old-new-Toyota-owner who will never buy another Toyota! P.S. I am currently looking at options to do a trade-in on an Acura MDX even though I don't like the Acura body as well.

I had the ver5.1 , but the something malfunctioned causing the location to randomly change. The disk was replaced to 6.1 and now no override. Big Brother is TOO BIG.

I wish they would lift the override on the navigation. The passager is certainly capable of entering an address while in motion.

I was planning on updating our software to 6.1, but now plan to hold off until Toyota removed this restriction.

Very annoying to have to pull over to access the navigation to make changes or input new info

Can't load new poi Cant'use many nav features while driving

I was astonished that the navigation lock doesn't turn off when a passenger is in the car. It makes no sense, every other car maker does not do this. I would have not got this option if i knew it was like this.

Disabling the ability for an owner to take responsibility for their action, and use the product they purchased, should be illegal. My co-pilot is very pissed.

I use my turn signal while I'm driving. It doesn't do me much good if I park along side the road, and then turn the turn signal on, does it? Navigation is the same. I navigate while I'm driving; not parked on the side of the road in an unknown, or dangerous, neighborhood. Stupidest effin' thing I've ever seen on a car. Honestly, besides this ridiculous, and obvious, foul-up, I dig my new 2007 Toyota Camry. But, it would seem, one gets angrier and angrier at Toyota... the longer one drives the car, without being able to USE THE NAVIGATION!!!! FIX THE PROBLEM, TOYOTA!!!! PLEASE!!!!

As many others have stated, we are adults and can judge when to not use the navi while driving. Every other nav system allows you to enter information while driving. Having to stop on a 70 MPH Highway to get directions with an expensive Navi in your car is ridiculous. I really hope this site helps push a change to this software so it can be overriden by the owner!

Blocking the ability for the driver is a great thing. However doing 70 on the freeway and the passenger has to use the restroom or wants to know where to eat ... and even he brought his own cd's with mp3's and he couldn't browse them...WTF!!! Damn Toyota! I was glad at first because someone else in the house is a distracted driver and if he ever borrowed the truck I wouldn't worry since he does have a high accident rate. However I can buy a Garmin Nuvi and have the ability to manipulate the GPS and it also has bluetooth .... I want this unlocked!!! I would even be happy if it only unlocked when a passenger was in the seat (i.e...take the signal from the airbag sensor)....that would even be fine.

The nav system should be enabled so that it is usable for the passenger (at least) while in motion.

At least passenger of the vehicle should be able to operate the NAV system. The system is useless to me if I have to pullover every time I need a quick change look at the near by restaurants and shopping.

Stupid for all the reasons already given: dangerous, inconvenient, disrespectful of consumer intelligence.

I would have rather not paid for the nav system and just purchased an aftermarket system from Garmin which lets the passenger use it while driving.

I am old enough not to open the doors, climb into the back seat, go to sleep, stare for a long time at the radio when changing program, sit the dog on my knee, gaze at the sat nav whilst driving, look into the driving mirror to do my hair... If I'm not supposed to look at it, what's the screen for ? Trust me. I'm the driver..perhaps got more brains than you have when I'm driving! Its a serious condescending imposition..and bound to cause an accident , sooner or later,when on a motorway when someone finds a junction closed...what are you supposed to do..PARK UP ??? Answer me !!

I traded in a Honda that worked perfectly. Why did Toyota do this?

This really reduces the usefulness of an otherwise nice system. I concur with the others that a passenger should be able to enter information into the system to find reasonable places to stop, while traveling on a highway. I bought the hybrid to save gas and the navigation system to prevent unnecessary stops. Now I have to pull over and stop to find out where to stop. It seems to me that defeats the purpose of the system. I could just as easily take the next exit and stop at a gas station to ask the attendant without paying and extra $2000 for the vehicle.

You have the warning not to operate while driving, yet there are several other operations you can do while driving. Give us and our passenger the option to use the Nav system we paid for--while driving.

We recently took a long driving vacation and were constantly annoyed that we could not use the 2007 Camry navigation system to find restaurants, hotels, etc. while we were moving. My wife is an expert in using built-in navigation systems -- she has a 2007 Honda Civic that has a wonderful navigator, which does not have the annoying lockout. She is fully capable of using the Camry system as a passenger but she is prohibited from using the system (including the hands-free phone) 95 percent of the time we are in the car. It is like having a car with a small gas tank that requires refueling stops every 45 miles.

Let the adults choose what they do. Don't dictate it for us.

The passenger of the vehicle should be able to operate the NAV system. It can detect whether a child is in the seat and disable the airbag. The NAV should be treated the same.

Because Toyota does not offer as an option navigation in the RAV4 in the states I have been looking for a oem unit to have installed. They are such tight butts about their product it is really really difficult to find information about let alone a unit to purchase for my car .This is just another example of Toyota holding a pencil between their cheeks. Why can't they be cooperative and give folks what they are willing to pay for????? I so hope you can find away around this lock out !!!!

Toyota should provide a bypass that allows use of Navagation system if and only if the passenger seat is occupied. It knows this since it has a seatbelt light for the passenger. John

I just purchased the 6.1 update and cannot overide the system. I had to stop on the side of the interstate so my wife could use the system. This is inconvenient and very dangerous.

Without an override for the passenger's use of the NAV system, the system is useless to me. I will not buy a toyota or lexus.

It is more dangerous sometimes to pull over...also there is sometimes a front passenger who could use the feature. Why can't they use the Nav screen while I'm driving!? This makes no sense that they've disabled it.

This car is very nice; this restriction is very bad. Nearly had a wreck yesterday on I-85 trying to get off to find someplace to eat!

I think safety would be enhanced by allowing passengers to override the graying out of nav features while car is moving.

For the amount of money you have to spend on this navagation sytem i am totally and emphatically pissed. Not only can you not use the passanger not use the system while driving i just found out that I bought this stupid thing that doesn't cover 80% of the country. What good does it do if you can only use it in big cities. Hello are you people idiots. I will be talking to my attourney this week.

Need to have navigation override as a user option!!!

I own a Toyota Prius and have always hated the fact that I couldn't have my passenger use the NAV system to look up POI's while the car was moving, etc. The hack was somewhat of a solution, even if one had to do it every time the car was started. Now that I have upgraded my NAV to 6.1, the hack has been eliminated and I hate that.

Ofter more dangerous to pull over than to have a passenger input destination. Should be SIMPLE... use passenger seat sensor for the airbags. When passenger seat is occupied (and airbags activated as result) allow either an override or full NAV access. Or just grow a "pair" and let people control NAV like they control their radio, climate, etc. already.

I have a 2006 Sienna. When I got the car I knew the override since we also own a 2005 Prius. However my navigation system stopped working and was upgraded to a newer version which no longer has the override. It is extremely frustrating to not be able to see where things like gas and food is, especially while on a road trip. It is not save to pull over on the shoulder while traveling on an interstate to search for this info. We just completed a 10 hour road trip and this drove my husband & I crazy that I as the passenger could not look anything up. We needed to locate a hotel and at other times food for our kids. Ended up having to use his I-Phone for the hotel info.

I owna 2006 Toyota Prius, which is not listed in your vehicle type drop down list. The override isn't even a published procedure, but simply a "hack". Why can't Toyota do the same thing Honda does, simply having you acknowledge your responsibility at the beginning by clicking okay, and then allow the screen to be used by the passenger while driving?

I recently bought a Prius, specifically for its high-tech control panel. During daily commutes to work, I'm the sole driver, so the nav lock isn't an issue. On long trips, where my wife is driving and I'm the passenger, having the navigation, phone and other systems disabled will be a major obstacle (I can't have her pull over every time I want to do something).

The need to stop to access navigation is frankly very dangerous (as I have avoided moving at a light at times to finish my inputs) and makes the system quite useless. I take long road trips and need to use alternate routes, find gas etc (a passenger can certainly do it for me) but am unable so I purchased a stand alone Garmin to do what I already paid Toyota to do. I have both a hybrid Highlander and Camry ..never again.

Should have been explained at purchase.

Totally unacceptable. This should be a personal choice.

I find it very dangerous to pull off onto the shoulder of an interstate to look for service at an up coming exit.

Having to stop to change a route when you have someone in the pasager seat with nothing to do is stupid

Piss me off everytime you need to use the bloody thing a waste of money, espacailly when you can get more out a TOMTOM 910 then this navigation system. The new Toyota Aurion ZR6 here is Australia. Cheers Drew

Having to push "I accept" every time a drive the car is totally unacceptable. Not allowing my passenger to input a destination is also totally unacceptable. Fortunately I have a 2006 Toyota, so I can override the lockout, but every time we have to do that, I get furious with Toyota for such arrogance. I was thinking of upgrading to a new Navigation DVD (I thought maybe Alaska might have finally joined the US), but if a new version does not allow an override, there is NO WAY I will ever upgrade. Outside of the run-flat tires (which I don't have), the customer-antagonistic lawyer-generated features of the navigation system are the worst features of this car. There are other cars on the market, Toyota - Honda makes some great ones.

pretty stupid on their part- it is MORE dangerous with this limitation.

the lockout is ridiculous.

"I do not like the idea of being restricted on any feature in a car I purchase. I understand the legal concerns involved, but can't we the consumer, sign something at purchase to mitigate the risk to the car company. The override was at least a way for my wife to make NAV changes while I drive. Having to pull the car over on the highway to make changes is not acceptable. I love Toyota cars, but this feature alone will make me look at other options on future car purchases. "

" Toyota is creating more dangerous driving situations for the drivers by disabling dvd navigation. Buttom line, we need to get more statistics to support this. "

" Keep me informed on any new hacks "

" I'm really pissed. Thanks for taking the time to do this! "

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