Wonky Car Bluetooth

Wonky Car Bluetooth: a reader asks…

I have an iPhone 6s I recently updated to iOS 10 and am trying to use it with Bluetooth in my car, a 2011 Mercury Mariner (same as the Ford Escape). Ongoing problem in that I can make the first phone call ok, but then when that’s done the car won’t go back to the radio, and I can’t make any other phone calls through Bluetooth. The only solution I’ve found is to shut off the car and start it back up, but again it only works for the first call. This is making me crazy because I can’t use my iPhone in my car anymore , I’ve called Ford and they say it’s Apple’s problem, Apple support says it’s Ford’s. Do you have any advice for me? I should say that Ford’s ‘solution’ is to pay $150 for a system upgrade, which I’m not willing to do.

The problem with standards is that they are rarely comprehensive enough to cover all potential uses, and manufacturers are notoriously lax in applying standards the same. Anytime you have to deal with more than one manufacturer, you’ll get the finger-pointing that you’re seeing out of both Ford and Apple. Nobody is willing to take the responsibility. I would say that because there is only one iPhone manufacturer and dozens of car manufacturers (and models and model years), the onus should be on the car manufacturers to engineer their systems to work with the iPhone, not the other way around. But I’m not in charge.

I’m sorry I don’t have an ironclad solution to your problem. Looking online I see lots of folks complaining about this with all range of Ford (and other brand) cars and SUVs. Here are a few things to try:

1. As a workaround, instead of shutting off the car and turning it back on (not feasible when driving), try turning off Bluetooth on the iPhone, waiting a few seconds (or minutes) and then turning it back on. That may stop the sync function, but you might at least be able to make another call.
2. Several folks were able to fix the problem by: a) Forgetting This Device (Sync) in the Bluetooth application in the iPhone 6,
   b) Deleting All Devices in the Sync Phone Bluetooth menu, and then c) Re-pairing the iPhone 6 with Sync.
3. In addition to #2, do the same with the car’s Bluetooth system. Clear everything out and setup like it was your first time. Some folks say that the connection settings between phone and car can get corrupted when you change equipment (old phone for new, and an iOS upgrade is almost like that).
4. Check with Ford’s online update checker, at https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/how-tos/keep-your-sync-up-to-date.html. You’ll have to register and create an account. There may be a no-fee software update that could resolve the problem.
5. Continue to complain to Ford about the problem, in the hopes that they’ll work on a long-term fix.

While less than an optimal solution, you could bypass the car’s Bluetooth system and use a dashboard mounting bracket for your iPhone and the built-in speakerphone (and use Siri to do your dialing for you). You could also buy a 3rd party visor-mounted Bluetooth hands-free car kit. I know these sound ridiculous when your car has a built-in system, but the one thing you don’t need while driving is distraction, and a wonky system will be distracting. Safety first!