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Are GPS updates worth the trouble?

Earlier this year I abandoned my Garmin GPS after only three years after it wiped out my European maps while updating the U.S. maps and replaced it with a TomTom, which I like better, anyway. I have had problems with the Garmin unit every time I have tried to update it. Each time, it was something different, and customer service eventually helped me "fix" it,. Even so, the unit always worked fine until the update, and it was totally unreliable afterward.

Long story short, I am getting messages from TomTom reminding me that free updates are available and urging me to keep my unit up to date. But it worked fine on our recent travels in Germany and I am not sure the updates are worth the risk or trouble. At least the European maps have free updates, which I had to pay extra for with Garmin. What has been your experience with GPS updates, and do you consider them worth the time and trouble.

Posted by
1175 posts

We've never bothered to get the updates on our Garmin Nuvi and have had only a few minor problems with newly built highways in the US. The European maps we use are fine and we've never had an issue with the 6 year old maps since there aren't many highway changes in France, at least that we've run across. All the places we visit have been in the same locations for years so I never really thought I needed any updates.