Scout GPS Link Reviews

by WV Mom 34zB23

We have used a ton of navigation apps in the past. Scout is by far the worst. It fails to show cross streets. Instead it tells you how many miles to the next turn ... which might work if it got the names of the roads correct or at least remotely close to the Interstate signs — locally it doesn’t even use exit numbers just names which usually isn’t the name on the signs. It is also a nightmare to program. It typically involves the following: Starting the car. Starting ScoutGPSLink . Realizing it didn’t like that order today. Shutting ScoutGPSLink . Reopening ScoutGPSLink . Rebooting the phone. Restarting the car. Opening ScoutGPSLink again and maybe just maybe you can type in the address on the insanely slow primitive keyboard. Assuming the planets align when you shift to drive you *should* be good to go. Watch your speed because ScoutGPSLink has serious lag issues. Unfortunately if you need to add a stop or change your destination, you will need to pull over and put the car in park. That’s super convenient on road trips. I am sticking with using my phone’s app (Apple Maps) in lieu of ScoutGPSLink. Not sure I will be buying a Toyota again and if I do it definitely won’t be for ScoutGPSLink.

by Clockmac297

I just purchased a 2020 Corolla and discovered the map feature was NOT working. Toyota support had me download Entune 3.0 and Scout Link. I have tried repeatedly to have the active map feature work. No success. App prompts me to connect with USB which while NOT a big deal is something I did NOT have to do in the 2016 Corolla. I saw the map on one of my attempts but taking the car for a ride around the block proved useless in that the map did NOT show that I had moved. Map is not showing again after too much experimenting. Right now all I can say is either Entune 3.0 is the problem or Scout Link is NOT user friendly and certainly NOT ready for prime time. If I am at fault correct my approach, but from other comments I see here I AM NOT ALONE. APP NEEDS TO BE UPDATED! Sorry to say from my experience ScoutGPSLink is garbage and I AM trying to be polite. NOT HAPPY👿

by NM Driver

I get the idea of safety features, but the features severely limit its use. First, I keep my phone in my purse, which may be in the back seat or in the cargo area. Before you can use Scout, it prompts you to open ScoutGPSLink on your phone. That completely takes away the hands-free purpose of safety features because my eyes are off the road, digging around for my phone then opening my phone, scrolling to find ScoutGPSLink , then clicking on it. Way too much attention away from driving. Then on the flip side, when traveling with my husband and when the voice prompt can’t recognize the address you need to find, it won’t let a passenger enter it on the screen OR on the phone. These safety features make ScoutGPSLink completely unusable unless you pull over (on a busy highway) and allow ScoutGPSLink time to decide you are “safe” to enter data by hand... the same as you were safe to be reaching for your phone in the back seat while swerving on the road so that you can open ScoutGPSLink and then request directions by voice.

by Corich8

ScoutGPSLink is the worst helpful vehicle app you could ask for. Not a safe or functional app to use while driving. You have to allow it to connect by pressing open on the notification banner or it does nothing. You should be able to get in your car and have it connect like every other Bluetooth device in the world. I wish Toyota would have just ponied up and out in a real dynamic navigation unit built into their vehicles instead of going cheap with all these apps you have to install to get every little “feature” to work. And then they don’t even use reliable, well thought out applications. If I have to use my phone to run the vehicles infotainment system then you better give me something that works every time and is simple to use. You shouldn’t have to purchase the best of the best package of Toyota to get tech that has been around for decades and is so cheap to have installed. Get with it Toyota or move out of the way so someone else can give consumer the things they are supposed to be paying for.

by Indy Pendent

I used ScoutGPSLink for a 1 hr & 30 minute drive and it was one of the most stressful trips of my life! The gps kept telling me to turn left on the interstate, recalculated a dozen times, doesn’t tell you the exit number but gives you a name instead, then it took me off the interstate and through town only to put me back on the interstate. For example, I was supposed to exit on Broad River Rd 2A, but the gps didn’t recognize which exit number & letter so I got off on 2B and had to drive 10 mins up the road to get back on the right side of town. Then, the gps notified me I had arrived at my destination 7 minutes before I got there. My ETA was incorrect also. I had to pull over and use Google Maps to get me back on track. I tried to give scout another chance locally in my hometown and it couldn’t even get me to the interstate. This is absolutely ridiculous and my husband (concerned for my safety) has advised me not to use that app again. I now use Google Maps for my travel needs. Scout is a waste!

by Roriqt

I use both Apple Maps and google maps. Each have their up and downs but nothing could have prepared me for the horror and anger I would experience trying to use ScoutGPSLink with the dash of my brand new car (I used to have a magnetic plate that would prop up my phone on the dash). It takes FOREVER to load and reroute, even when hooked up to the car via usb cable still won’t provide a map, and the directions (if you can figure them out) lag behind and are just bad. (Instead of telling me to turn left, it had me take 3 right turns) 😡😡😡

I really want to love driving my new car, but navigation is a must. Please fix ScoutGPSLink! Fix the lag, fix the visual map. And please help it learn to give concise easy to understand directions.

by Suzy_Qs_Zoo

ScoutGPSLink is so poorly designed it isn’t even useable. The first thing I do when I get in the car is press “ignore” when it’s link up flashes across my phone. If I need navigational assistance I use the WAZE app to talk to me through the voice use of the Blue Tooth and the car radio. No, I don’t have a map on the screen but at least I have accuracy and warnings. I used to have an old Beamer which had the first generation of screens and movable maps. It was such a delight compared to my new Toyota’s navigational nightmare.
ScoutGPSLink developer will leave a message after this review to apologize and ask that I contact them to make people reading this review think that they are responsive and truly helpful. I’ve already contacted them and talked to them many times. They really don’t want to help. It’s all an illusion to fool the consumer into thinking that car contains something it doesn’t...Toyota does not have a functional navigation system it has a screen to make you think it does.

by Owl Nut

One star gives Scout way too much credit. Since my Camry forces me to use it, I do, even though it usually steers me wrong. (Pun intended)
•It tells me to turn in 100 feet. Too bad the street was only 50 feet ahead and I miss the turn.
•It doesn’t say a thing and then it says turn in 30 feet, but I just passed the street.
•It says turn right. Too bad my destination was on the left.
•It drops dead in the middle of an unfamiliar trip and I’m left to stop at gas stations to ask directions.
•It doesn’t always go the shortest way, even when there isn’t any traffic the short way.
•When there is a traffic issue, it gives you the opportunity to take a different route. Too bad there is such a short time to press ‘OK’, it’s usually too late. I’m driving- not looking at the screen every minute.
•Certainly it can’t pronounce half the street names - even the easy ones.
•Sometimes doesn’t start right away and all directions are a minute too late.
•If TOYOTA doesn’t switch out this GPS app, this will be the last TOYOTA I buy.

I’m sure there are more things I hate about Scout but this is all I can think of now. Instead of telling me thanks for my comments, do an upgrade that fixes all of the above. Other people have complained about the same things. FIX IT - PLEASE!!!

by KarNy 123

I’m sorry but this is a very awkward and inaccurate program. I agree with another reviewer who states the difficulty of getting scoutlink to load in the car. I really do not want to fiddle with my phone every time I get into the car! Then to put the address in on a keyboard that goes back in time. This reminds me for when gps devices first came up. More annoying is the constant “rearrouting” it does even when you’re going the right way, the way it just told you to go! The other day I got on the freeway and it kept telling me to go on side streets to enter the freeway again. I keep trying ScoutGPSLink, thinking I just need to get more familiar with it.
I am so disappointed with this technology I am actually thinking of selling my brand new car... my first one ever! Toyota can certainly do better! I am usually a more positive person but can’t be so in this case.

by 85ZingoGTR

I uploaded ScoutGPSLink unto my 2016 Rav4 to try an easier to read alternative through the Entune system than just having Google Maps through my phone. Worked fine when I uploaded it and tried it out. Upon getting to my destination, shutting the car off, and then starting my car back up, ScoutGPSLink now doesn’t connect to the car. Tried everything and ScoutGPSLink refuses to connect to the car. Shortest amount of time I have held onto an app. Sticking to old reliable Google Maps. Do yourself a favor. Save yourself the trouble, open Google Maps, go to Settings, Navigation Settings, turn on “Play voice over bluetooth” and “Play as bluetooth phone call” and google maps will run through your radio while you can listen to your music. You don’t need this useless app.

by Dsilversurf

ScoutGPSLink is clumsy and inarticulate. It takes me a lot of time to launch ScoutGPSLink to work with the car. Most of the time, it’s opening ScoutGPSLink on the phone and realizing the car still doesn’t see its apps for some reason. Then closing ScoutGPSLink completely, maybe unplugging and replugging in the usb (which is wildly annoying being tethered to the car in order to use the maps), maybe shutting down Bluetooth and restarting it. There’s never any consistency with ScoutGPSLink, resulting in a lot of frustration. When ScoutGPSLink is working, it’s directions are poor and they don’t give you enough time to react. It lags significantly. Seems like Toyota could do so much better. Toyota’s decision to not roll out Apple car play to 2018 Camry buyers is puzzling, and would solve this issue as google maps has Scout beat by a country mile.

by JuliesRav4

Used ScoutGPSLink while driving back from Milwaukee Wi with my granddaughter and it kept telling me to turn right on West ...when it was really South. I kept getting so confused I missed my turns and had to turn around and go back a couple of times. If I was alone I wouldn’t have been as upset but I had my 4 year old granddaughter with in a busy city so yeah not cool. ScoutGPSLink says the names of streets that aren’t even remotely close to what you are turning onto it is almost like the street names have changed and ScoutGPSLink isn’t updated and I drive a brand new 2019 RAV4. I too was misled by the GPS from the dealership and tried to switch to a different vehicle but my only option was a higher upgrade car and more money. Very disappointed Toyota. Hose to use this as a navigational system. This is my third Toyota and I wish I would of never traded my old one.

by Books Reader

I’ve rented a Toyota with ScoutGPSLink. I would never use ScoutGPSLink in its current form.
With the iPhone on linked from the car, ScoutGPSLink does an OK job of finding locations. Once linked to the car, ScoutGPSLink search feature is disabled. The in vehicle search is awful. I gave up screwing around with it, unlink my phone, and just used the phone as navigation.
There does not seem to be any way to get the in vehicle screen to show a map while driving. For example trying to find your way out of a suburban neighborhood with many dead ends and blind intersections.
Any other in car navigation that I’ve used has been able to show a map even when not going to a particular destination.
When going to a destination with ScoutGPSLink, there does not seem to be a way to display a map. It only shows turn by turn. Not helpful at all.

by P.Frank

I rented a Toyota Camry and for navigation I had to download this crappy app because stupid #Toyota force people to use their Entune software. And this is the only app u can use for GPS. The stupidity and inability to connect ScoutGPSLink to the Toyota Entune system is insane! The connection is dropped constantly after an hour or so. And you have to keep running ScoutGPSLink actively on the iPhone in order navigation to work while driving. It is so frustrating as I was driving in a new area and on highway. I ended up just using my Apple Map on my iPhone and just listened to the auditory instruction to drive. So unless u r ready to be disconnected and to be lost. Stay away from ScoutGPSLink while u r driving a Toyota or Lexus. And if you have a toyota or Lexus, I m so sorry u r stuck with the stupid Entune and ScoutGPSLink. Lastly, stupid #Toyota what the hell are u thinking to use ScoutGPSLink for GPS ?!

by SofSof Girl

I was able to connect Scout Gas with my 2017 Lexus NX200 and I have been using the navigation system in my cars for few days. After few days I am not able to connect the Bluetooth with my phone anymore. My phone is connect the Bluetooth with the car with all other system, like phone, voice control and music. My phone Bluetooth is on, but I wasn’t able to run the Scout GPS in my car, it keeps saying not able to connect with my. Phone. Also when I am using the Scout GPS, the Bluetooth icon has a redline surround it. I was hopping it will fix but I try everything and wasn’t able to connect. Kind of disappointed about it.

by MarkM2112

I have had Scout for a year now, as it the system my Toyota Sienna uses for navigation. I have had all manner of issues with it, from inaccurate directions (that led either to somewhere else, or led to a place where the destination was on the other side of a fence or barrier, with no way to access it without having to drive far around to find the access point. I have also had it cut out on me in the middle of navigation in an area I am unfamiliar in, leaving me for lost. Thank goodness I kept the GPS system that came with my cell phone. It is much more accurate. Also time estimates for Scout are sometimes grossly inaccurate and it doesn’t tell me when a road is closed , leaving me to guess how to get around it (again, in an unfamiliar area). I really wish my Van had the capacity to put my phone GPS on the screen instead of Scout. I would drop Scout all-together. Quite disappointed.

by Bannajjaj

Scout has loads of features that seem to be better than other competing gps apps. The unfortunate part about Scout is that its inhibited by having to have ScoutGPSLink always on your screen when not in use. Safety feature or not, it seems to be a major fault that would otherwise make this superior to say Apple Maps or Google. If the integration is as seamless as CarPlay and if the ability to LOCK YOUR PHONE SCREEN TO SEE THE MAP is fixed then the argument of a better maps app would be a no-brainer. Otherwise the ability to see carpool traffic, driver icon customization and less UI map clutter makes this a better (if not deeply flawed) experience than most competing apps.

by Muzik*luver

Okay Scout is getting significantly better and more reliable but it can do better to compete with the other FREE gps apps. My complaints are these... There is a significant amount of lag when navigating (not sure if it's my internet connection or the GPS signal but I live in a major city and this should not be an issue). Secondly, not often but sometimes Scout and Enform 2.0 will disconnect (not sure if it's Enform that's causing the issue but since the Enform update haven't seen it disconnect). Third, the traffic feature could be better, it does not announce traffic upcoming and on the split screen, I am unable to see the traffic ”color” on the route (perhaps make it more pronounced). Lastly, a speedometer and lane assist would be features that we would appreciated. Scout please fix and I promise you your ratings will go up. Overall, ScoutGPSLink has potential and its actually not a horrible app as compared to whatever Scout version in fall 2017.

by Nmarble007

Overall it’s fine. Sense I don’t have Apple CarPlay this is a compromise without directly using my phone gps. Stuff I do like: the turn-by-turn directions, ability to call a business you are navigating to. Stuff I dislike: having to have ScoutGPSLink open on my phone in order to use it, if my phone is connected be it Bluetooth or aux then it is connected to the vehicle and should not need ScoutGPSLink open. Do not like that the map is only a Birdseye view of the whole trip, Should have an option to see the map zoomed in. If those couple of features were fixed I would use ScoutGPSLink much more.

by Fred3412

My initial experience with ScoutGPSLink was quite disappointing and frustrating, but I can tell you, if you do an internet search on how to work out the bugs of the real time maps, you have a very solid GPS that you can count on to direct you well, and charge your phone at the same time. To sum it up; have your phone connected via Bluetooth to the car prior to turning the key (meaning connect your phone and then turn off the car - the first time) also plug in the usb before starting. You should open Entune and Scout prior to starting as well. Yup, none of that is intuitive, but I did it per the instructions and sure enough it worked great, and my frustration is gone.

by IZLALE

I wish I would have known this was ScoutGPSLink that I’d need to use prior to buying my new car. Scout is user friendly but very unreliable. So many connection issues that include: disconnecting, freezing screen, rerouting constantly and new roads not found. To say the least, Scout is so unreliable that I stopped using It after the first week of buying my car. I am now forced to use another app that only provides audio which defeats the purpose of having turn by turn navigation capabilities in your car.

And yes, I’ve discussed my concerns with the car company but to no avail. Hopefully each update helps to correct the problems, so those of us who have to use Scout, can actually use it successfully. I’ll be ecstatic when that day arrives!