Many U.S. auto consumers value the potential of their vehicle manufacturer mobile applications, but the apps often fail to meet their expectations, according a recent survey.

The findings point to needed improvements, since 77% of survey respondents said they use an automaker’s app at least occasionally.

The autumn J.D. Power poll of gas-powered vehicle owners found that many of them experience automaker apps as unreliable and slow. Some also see no value in some app features while wanting features the apps don’t include.

App connectivity and response time particularly frustrated many consumers. Almost a third of survey respondents – 32% – said their apps’ connectivity had failed, up from 29% a year earlier. And 61% found apps’ response time slow at various degrees of frequency.

“Automakers have made improvements in app features, improved response times and fixed connectivity gaps but, to improve customer satisfaction, they need to deliver core features that perform reliably,” said J.D. Power Mobile Apps Lead Violet Allmandinger in a press release.

Among app features consumers long for are security features, such as vehicle camera views and security warnings – 83% of respondents said they want such capabilities. Many consumers could do without others, including vehicle marketplaces. Of the consumers who stopped using their vehicle apps, 25% blamed lack of desired features.

Hyundai's MyHyundai with Bluelink app is the top-ranked mass-market OEM app in this year's survey, scoring an impressive 895 on a 1,000-point scale, followed by Kia Access at 843 and MyNissan at 770. Genesis Intelligent Assistant is tops among premium brands at 874, Mercedes at 821, and My BMW at 815.

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