'Freaking Out On the Phone:' Dealership Sells Nissan Altima to a Young Woman. Then They Get a Call From Dad
Nowadays, “Does it have Apple CarPlay?" is one of the first questions a person asks before even looking at a car.
The infotainment systems from both Apple and Android have revolutionized the car driving experience.
And if a customer comes to find out this feature isn’t actually in the car they just spent thousands on, best believe they’ll want to have words with the salesperson who “lied” to them.
That’s what happened with this dad, but it turns out his anger may be misplaced.
Why Is This Dad Freaking Out About Apple CarPlay?
In a trending video with more than 194,000 views, a car salesman for @graceautogroup shared the frustrating ordeal he went through after a customer insisted that he was duped into buying a car that didn’t have all the features he (or his daughter) expected.
“The girl's dad actually called me, freaking out on the phone, cursing left and right, wants to return the car, saying that we false advertised. We misrepresented the car,” says a @graceautogroup worker off-screen.
According to the worker, the dad claimed the car didn’t have Apple CarPlay, which he and his daughter were told the vehicle would come with. The dad said this feature is critical for his daughter’s safety, so she would not have to hold her phone while driving.
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During the exchange, the salesperson pointed out how ridiculous the claim sounded since Apple CarPlay is standard for a 2023 Nissan Altima.
“There’s no way it comes without Apple CarPlay,” he said.
“Then why is he telling me it doesn’t have Apple CarPlay?” the other worker pressed.
The salesperson pointed to the vehicle’s window sticker, which listed Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as included features, and insisted the car had not been misrepresented.
“First of all, the fact that somebody wants to return a car because there’s no Apple CarPlay is insane, but I guess that’s just what it is. It’s very important to people,” he said.
And he did confirm through Nissan and the vehicle’s VIN that the car has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Even with the confirmation, the customer insisted the system did not work, but the dealership folks figured it was something small impeding the tech, like a faulty cable, a software update, or user error. “Maybe they didn’t plug it in correctly; maybe the wire is faulty. I don’t know why it doesn’t work, but I know it has Apple CarPlay,” the salesperson said.
The dealership scheduled a service appointment to help the customer get the feature working.
“We’ll definitely help him out. Whatever it is, it’s something minor,” they said, sounding a tad annoyed.
Car Buyers Love Apple CarPlay, Automakers Aren’t So Sure
Apple CarPlay has become one of the most sought-after features in new vehicles. Since its launch in 2014, the system—which mirrors an iPhone onto a car’s infotainment display—has become so popular that many buyers won’t consider a car without it.
While Apple is trying to expand its reach with CarPlay Ultra (a version that stretches across the dashboard and gauge cluster, turning nearly every screen in a car into an Apple-style interface), some automakers are quietly pulling back, Motor1 reported earlier this year.
Fourteen brands initially signed on to CarPlay Ultra in 2022.
Since then, Audi, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz have exited, while General Motors is phasing CarPlay out entirely. Hyundai, Kia, Porsche, and Aston Martin remain, with Aston saying it made the decision “for [its] customers.”
The tension comes down to control over data.
CarPlay’s ease of use has exposed weaknesses in many native infotainment systems, and consumers overwhelmingly prefer Apple’s cleaner design.
But automakers are realizing that the tradeoff is handing over access to driver data, which Apple now owns instead of the car companies. That information (covering everything from driving behavior to entertainment choices) can be sold to insurers, advertisers, and data aggregators.
Giving Apple a larger role in the dashboard could mean giving up that revenue.
Commenters React
“It is probably the charging cord he is using,” a top comment pointed out.
“He probably wants the Bluetooth version vs the wired version,” a second person speculated.
“We’re spending 25-50k on a car Apple car play is BARE MINIMUM today,” another pointed out.
Motor1 reached out to @graceautogroup for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
