I upgraded my iPhone 12 Pro to a 16 Pro, and the new phone will not connect to my 2018 Mazda CX-5 with CarPlay. When I plug it in, it charges but makes no sign of connecting.
iPhone 16 Pro, iOS 18
Young_buck
just get a data capable cord. It does not have to be. Apple just has to be data capable.
Hello there, thanks for this life-saving thread. At least, mental health, because I was getting pretty frustrated :)
Wanted to share my experience for those that can relate or benefit.
I bought a Lexus UX 2023 recently. At first in the dealer setup it already didn't work very well, which frustrated me a huge amount, but then when I got home it didn't work again. I was about to call the dealer but after trying many things I changed the key and it worked fine. I assumed I was taking the wrong key or something.
A few days went by and all was working fine but today, again after a few days of not using the car, it didn't login by default and my phone didn't sync via bluetooth.
It was even worse though, I couldn't get my phone bluetooth to sync at all with my car one. It was pretty frustrating. I tried all setups you can imagine.
After coming here I ended up trying three things at once, so I can't really tell you which one worked, but it did. I went to the car now, and it synced perfectly and also stopped the car and it worked after turning it on again. Fingers crossed this doesn't break again.
I did:
It has been pretty frustrating to me so far so hoping this helps others. I have an iPhone 15 Plus for context.
Kind regards,
Esteve
After a lengthy back and forth with Apple that’s still not resolved…. The last tech (6 in total now plus two supervisors) they came back and said they were sorry but the stereo in my 2008 Toyota Corolla is obsolete with the iOS 18 on the new iPhone 16 that I just purchased. Everything works except the microphone. Had I have known this, I never would’ve made the upgrade from my 11 pro max. They forced me to upgrade because my apps wouldn’t update without the iOS 18 update but my phone was too old to receive it then this 💩 it’s really wrong. They said there are over 800 car models that are now obsolete with this issue and sent me an email with them. I’m shocked at how this has played out. Not everyone has modern cars and from the looks of the complaints, there’s going to be a lot of angry people experiencing the same thing all over the world. Unacceptable Apple!
Volvo XC 60, upgraded from iPhone 13 to 16. Was able to get Bluetooth to work but not the wired connection. Deleted all other phones on my car’s Bluetooth except my new phone. Tried 2 cords I had handy, no go. Saw I might need a cord that specifically works for the 16. I tried this one and it worked.
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I have an iPhone 16 Pro Max with the latest 18.4.1 update that I just made and I still can’t get CarPlay to work! I’ve done all the things it said to do factory reset the car reset my phone, turn off focus and restriction. You name it I did it! This is a waste of money getting these new phones and updating all these updates and CarPlay seems to still not be working IDK how it goes from working on my old phone and now working on this phone I don’t plan on going to Subaru to fix it because it’s not the car that changed. It’s the phone so Apple you need to do better!
It’s the cable. Get a new one. Problem solved.
I had this same exact issue and finally figured it out. You need to buy a USB cable that transfer data!
Translation: Even though it may be charging your phone or playing music (through Bluetooth) CarPlay won’t work.
I went to the Apple Store and bought Mophie brand cable “USB-A to USB-C” for 19.99. Like magic it finally worked!
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As others have stated the problem was fixed 100% by using the Apple USB-C to Lighting Adapter. I have the iPhone 16 Plus and after a year of frustration finally bought the adapter today and voila it is fixed. Just mad I didn't do this sooner.
USB-C to Lightning Adapter - Apple
I had the exact issue with my iphone 16 pro not connecting to my 2023 Suzuki Vitara car via cable.
Tonight I went and bought a usb to usb-c converter for 6 euros and a cheap 5 euro usb c to usb c cable to connect it to my phone and it worked immediately
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Same issue. Upgraded to iPhone 16 and would not connect Car Play with the chord that came with the phone. Tried everything that I could find online, but to no avail. Purchased an Anker braided USB-a to USB-c and it works perfectly. I'm sure with newer vehicles capable of connecting wirelessly, that Apple is not investing an extra few $ to provide a cable that is more than just a charging cable.
User level:
Level 1
5 points
Jul 26, 2025 5:53 PM in response to brianc407
As others have stated the problem was fixed 100% by using the Apple USB-C to Lighting Adapter. I have the iPhone 16 Plus and after a year of frustration finally bought the adapter today and voila it is fixed. Just mad I didn't do this sooner.
USB-C to Lightning Adapter - Apple
SOLUTION - I tried every single suggestion I could find. Turned out I just needed to use the cord that came with my iPhone 16. It didn’t have a USB end, so I had to get something to convert to USC to USB. Good luck.
I am so disappointed! My new iPhone 16 Pro does not work connect to my Carplay in my Toyota CHR. Had I known this, I would have upgraded to an iPhone 15 Pro instead. :(
After getting support from If you need help with CarPlay - Apple Support, my new iPhone 16 Pro now works with my CarPlay. :)
CarPlay not working with iPhone 16 Pro
