Honda requires connection of the car to the internet and creating an account to be able to download offline map updates.

Honda owners who purchased vehicles with built-in navigation systems can't download offline map updates without first connecting the car to the internet, activating Online Services to transmit the vehicle's VIN to HERE Technologies, and creating an account on the Honda Navigation Store. Honda already has the VIN for each vehicle and sends owners personalized emails with that VIN to notify them of available updates, but the download process still requires the vehicle to independently transmit the same VIN through Online Services and the owner to register on the HERE Technologies portal before the update can be downloaded.

Background

Honda sells several vehicle models with infotainment systems that include built-in navigation maps. The map data is provided by HERE Technologies, a mapping and location data company that operates the Honda Navigation Store at hondanavi.navigation.com. Honda's MapCare program provides free map updates for a limited period after new vehicle purchase, after which owners must pay for a subscription renewal.

To update their maps, owners must register an account on the Honda Navigation Store, enter their vehicle model, model year, VIN, and current database version, then download the update to a USB drive on a Windows or Mac computer. The update cannot be downloaded to a phone, tablet, or Chromebook. The USB drive is then inserted into the vehicle to install the update, a process that takes roughly 40 minutes.

Online Services and account requirement

Downloading a map update requires two separate gatekeeping steps: the vehicle must have Online Services activated, and the owner must create an account on the Honda Navigation Store portal operated by HERE Technologies. The portal prompts users to register with an email address and password before proceeding.

Honda's own FAQ states that Online Services must be turned on because "this is the only way HERE Technologies gets a feed of the vehicle VIN in able to recognize it on the MapCare portal." The FAQ adds that Online Services "should remain on while you complete a map update download or Wi-Fi update."

Honda owners on automotive forums have pointed out a contradiction in this process. Honda sends owners personalized emails containing their VIN to notify them of available updates. If Honda has the VIN in its own database and can associate it with the owner's email address, the VIN could be transmitted to HERE Technologies without requiring the vehicle to establish an independent internet connection. The download itself happens on a separate computer, not on the vehicle.

Multiple Honda Pilot owners have reported that activating Online Services fails despite functional internet connections. One 2024 Pilot Elite owner reported getting a "no internet connection" error even though Android Auto and HondaLink were connected and working. Another owner activated Online Services successfully but received an error stating the subscription "expired in 1972" on a brand-new 2024 vehicle; customer service told them to purchase a subscription.

The only workaround some owners have found is connecting to the vehicle's free three-month trial AT&T hotspot, which enables the Online Services connection. Once that trial expires, the vehicle loses its internet connection and further map updates require a paid cellular subscription or an alternative connection method.

Honda's response

Honda Navigation Center, when asked by an owner about updating maps without Online Services, responded: "Unfortunately, you have to have online services connected in order for the map updates to work." The owner had noted that Honda already had their VIN, as Honda had sent them an email containing it. Honda did not address why the VIN needed to be transmitted a second time through the vehicle.

HERE Technologies, which provides third-party support for the Honda Navigation Store, has been unable to resolve the issue for owners who contact them directly. One owner reported spending over two hours on the phone with Honda and HERE without resolution, describing both support teams as reading from information binders with no ability to troubleshoot the underlying problem.

Related enforcement actions

In March 2025, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) announced a settlement requiring Honda to pay $632,500 and change its business practices for violating the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The CPPA found that Honda required consumers to "verify themselves and provide excessive personal information" to exercise privacy rights such as opting out of data sales. Honda also shared consumer data with advertising companies without producing contracts containing the necessary terms to protect privacy.

The settlement arose from the CPPA's investigation into data privacy practices by connected vehicle manufacturers in the state of California.

Consumer response

Honda Pilot owners on automotive forums have documented persistent frustration with the map update process. Common complaints include VIN verification failures on the Honda Navigation Store despite using the VIN from Honda's own notification emails, "no internet connection" errors when attempting to activate Online Services, and dealerships that are unable to assist with the process.

Several owners have abandoned Honda's built-in navigation entirely, opting to use Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay instead. One owner described the built-in navigation as "worthless" and "a complete waste of time."

The issue affects Honda vehicles with newer HERE Technologies-based infotainment systems, beginning with certain 2023 model year vehicles such as the Pilot. Some Honda models continued using Garmin-based navigation through 2024.