iPhone 17 pro CarPlay freezing and crashing

So I fixed this! If you go to settings - privacy & security - scroll down to security and change wired accessories to ‘always allow’ it *should* fix this.

I’ve been using the CarlinKit 5.0 for one week now. This has remedied both issues I’ve been having. While it’s not the fix I’d have liked, it’s a fix nonetheless. For less than $50, it was well worth it since I rely on my GPS for work travel. Hoping the software fix comes soon.

I have fixed my issue. I purchased an Ottocast off of Amazon. I am now using this for wireless CarPlay in my vehicle. I paid $40 so the latest iPhone would work with a 6-year old vehicle.

The GPS locking up while navigating was happening to my new iPhone 17 Pro. It happened with and without CarPlay enabled.

I toggled location services off/on and it has been fine since.

Much like the rest of us here, I have also had the same issues. iPhone 17 Pro running a wired (USB-A to USB-C) CarPlay connection in a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. With no rhyme or reason, CarPlay will disconnect. If I unplug the cable and plug it back in, it works again for a limited time. Now I have gone through many troubleshooting steps with Apple Support. They even installed an analytics button on my phone where I logged information every time the issue occurred. They also sent me a replacement device, same issues presented themselves. I recently followed up on the case, they have escalated the issue now that so many have reported it. The fix will be an update, unknown when that may be. So, Support did try for me, but it's a software thing.

Beyond the CarPlay issue, I've also been having a maps issue where I could be driving down the highway and all of sudden, it shows I'm on some side street and it reroutes my navigation. They are aware and went through some more troubleshooting with me. Once they asked me to reset all my settings, though, I stopped. I'm done with the troubleshooting. I want my old 15 Pro back, I'd even accept a 16 Pro. I'm just so over the 17 Pro. It's not worth the headache, especially when I rely on CarPlay and maps for my work that I travel for. This is the first Apple product I've ever been unhappy with. :/

This is the wireless CarPlay adapter I purchased for my Bolt and it solved the issue:

https://a.co/d/cTHthdm

I also bought another one for my wife’s Ioniq 6 which doesn’t have wireless CarPlay and it works great there but that car wasn’t experiencing the new problem on iOS 26.

I too have a 17 ProMax and a 2017 Bolt and I'm experiencing the exact same issue. I just initiated a support ticket with Apple about this. For what it's worth the new phone works fine with a 2024 Traverse. I'm considering trying a wireless CarPlay adapter to see if that can solve the issue for now. Otherwise I may have to take the phone back because the situation of not being able to take or make a call while driving isn't sustainable.

Not really...they suggested to try updating my firmware which was already up to date. Someone above suggested trying a wireless carplay adapter, and I did that and it works. Of course there is a lag that you don't get with a wired connection, but I at least can use carplay again.

After much trial and error,

I've found a trick to improve CarPlay:

making a phone call using WhatsApp or another high-bandwidth app solves the problem.

In my case, after hanging up, everything works perfectly for about 30-40 minutes,

and leaving a call open works flawlessly for the entire trip. It's not a perfect solution,

but it improves what we have.

Updated to add: I just ordered a CarlinKit 5.0 wireless CarPlay adapter to hopefully bide my time while I wait on an update. One feature I was set on was the GPS passthrough. This allows the adapter to use the vehicle's GPS rather than the phone's. I will update once I get it and use it. It was less than $50 on Amazon. Fingers crossed this helps.

so a nice new Anker cable didn't work for me either. I also tried my wife's iphone 15 and it worked perfectly--just more confirmation that this wasn't my particular headunit glitching out, but instead is a broader compatibility issue with iphone 17. My next step is to do whatever I can to let Sony (headunit manufacturer) know about so maybe in time they'll put some pressure on Apple for a fix. Until then, out of luck.

Same issue has been happening to me. I have an iPhone 17 Pro Max (T-Mobile network) on a 2018 Ford F150 Raptor running the Ford Sync system. I had zero issues with my old iPhone 12 and 13. I’ve tried various cords but no luck. Apple please fix this issue asap!!

I'm having the same issue, started right away with my new iphone 17, connecting to an aftermarket Sony XAV-AX5000 head unit. My 15 phone had no issues like this. I tried swapping cables for an Anker cable that I know works, and it did not make a difference. Has anyone contacted Apple support formally about this?

After the problem persisting despite trying every fix offered on this forum: changing cable settings, new cable, updating phone software and vehicle firmware, I just contacted Apple support via chat/text today. After running thru their series of troubleshooting steps for ~2 hours, they transferred me to the support supervisor via phone. The supervisors were 0% helpful. They didn’t even offer any other potential solutions. They told me that I need to contact the vehicle manufacturer to solve the issue!! Ridiculous! Apple needs to acknowledge the problem and fix the issue! It’s apparent they are trying to blame the vehicle manufacturers and avoid any fix. I am going to submit a warranty claim to try and get my money back and will be going with a different phone…too bad I already traded in my old iPhone 13. This one’s junk without CarPlay!!