Spoiler Alert!!! Rant to follow!
Bought a 2018 F150 2.7L off the lot a few weeks ago. This is my 3rd F150. Overall I've been pleased with it. Some definite improvements over the 2015 2.7L. Not huge but better. I was happy to see the new truck have the navigation option. "Was" being the operative word. While overall, I like the Sync 3 system, the navigation....well …..sucks!
First,--- the maps are ridiculously outdated. I've tried to get them updated (update released by map co in March) but they are not yet available unless I want to pay $100+ for them. Really!!?? Dealer had no clue how to update until I gave them some info off the internet. Since then they've told me a free update will be available "soon". We'll see.
I work near Charlotte, NC and maps are over 3yrs out of date. It's missing a number of roads but more specifically, the NNE section of interstate 485 is not there. That section was opened in June 2015!!! I'm sorry, there's no excuse for that.
Second ---- The main reason that I want to use the Nav system is for traffic conditions. Nav system only shows traffic info for interstate (except of course, the part that isn't there!!) and a few very heavily traveled roads. Even a busy 4 lane highway I use shows 0 traffic info. Unacceptable!! ….and pretty much useless for 90% of my commute.
Third --- When traffic info is displayed, it's a good 30 minutes behind what is actually going on. This makes it completely useless.
The suggestion was to use Google maps via Android auto..... that's kinda like buying a Yacht, then tying the skiff alongside,...getting in the skiff, and using the 5hp skiff motor to drive the yacht because the yacht motors don't work!
I've been using "free" Google maps before this truck that have none of the problems mentioned above, so tried the Android auto route even though the idea of it really pi**ed me off. Android auto won't stay connected longer than 15-20 minutes. Tried multiple cables including a new "high quality" cable and a new Samsung cable, reloaded SW, clear cache....... Works for a few minutes....then disconnect with a comm error.
When it does work, road display is very narrow and difficult to see at a glance. Nothing like the clear, albeit inaccurate, road display on the nav system. This means taking your eyes off the road in traffic longer than I like.

If I had purchased the vehicle and ordered the Nav option separately I would be even more PO'd than I already am. When I can get google maps for free on my phone that works well, there's no excuse that for the price Ford is asking for a nav system that it should be virtually useless and sadly outdated!! If Sync can be auto-updated, why not the maps??
This is my 3rd F150....may well be my last Ford.
---End of rant-----

 

sorry to hear that - I've had good luck with the Ford Nav system - travelling all over southern california. Now that google maps is part of apple carplay I'll probably be making that my staple nav solution.

 

Learned early on from this forum no to order Nav. Waste of money.

 

I bought my 18 last week and initially was thrilled with the idea of having nav but I quickly realized android auto and Google maps is much better and I had that with my 16 and sync 3 with no nav. If it hadn't come already in the truck the way I wanted it, I definitely would not have paid extra for it. AA is so much better and more up to date. Have to use phone data unless you download the maps offline ahead of time but much better overall.

 

Sad thing is with technology the way it is with phones, navigation will probably not be a big option in vehicles anymore cause of this reason right here. I like my navigation in my 2016 better then the navigation in my wife's 2015 edge. I will say the lack of updates for the 2016 maps suck though, seems the 2015 is easier to update with the memory card. Honestly how fast the world moves now a days with new highway construction and changes your navigation is outdated in less than a year.

 

It is most likely SamSuck. I have an S8 and actually am getting to the point that I despise it. It is totally hit or miss whether Spotify will play or not. There are a number of settings in the SamSuck you can check. The main one is to use the SamSuck "SmartThings" app to connect to the truck. In addition, go into the regular Bluetooth settings (settings, connections, Bluetooth) and select the 3 dots on the upper right of the screen. Select "Dual audio" from that one and turn it on. This made a big difference on my S8 being able to maintain the connection to the vehicle.

 

I have a '16 King Ranch and am not that impressed with the NAV either. I've used Garmin NAVs in my other vehicles for years and always felt they were pretty good though the screens aren't that big. One of my biggest pet peeves about the NAV is the lack of ability to save a point from the "WHERE AM I" information - something you can easily do with a $100 Garmin. The Ford NAV has the ability to tell you where you are but if you want to save the point you've got to physically write down the coordinates (or take a pic with your phone) then enter them manually to save. I live in a rural area and there are many places that don't have physical address that a NAV will pull up - it's nice to be able to save a point for later recall. Like my house. A friend and I took a 5,000 road trip (the northwest part of the US plus across Canada from Oklahoma) not long after I bought my truck so what I did was put a hard wired power cable for my Garmin on the passenger side of the dash so my buddy could be the navigator. At least he could operate the thing while we were moving... If the NAV didn't come as standard equipment on my truck I would have passed....

 

Drama much? Where's the spoiler?

 

Don't have NAV in my RSCB. Had an aftermarket unit put in my corvette with NAV and learned real quick that I'm better off just using my phone for NAV purposes. Don't think I would never buy a brand of vehicle due to the only thing not liking is the NAV though.

 

You do realize your issue with the traffic updates has nothing to do the ford system. The traffic data is provided by SiriusXM. Wouldn't matter what vehicle you were driving they would have the same issue in your area.