Cell Phone Bluetooth Unit Failing?

My 2013 SV has had a Samsung flip phone paired with it since it was new. Over the last year, several things have happened: first the cell reception when using the Bluetooth connection has gotten worse. Then, a few months ago, calls from one friend started showing up as "Private Caller" or words to that effect, but with no audio. They could hear me, but I couldn't hear them. I assumed that it was an issue with her phone, or maybe with T-Mobile, her carrier. All other calls came through, and the cell phone worked fine on its own. Then, a couple of months ago, I started having the same problem with another friend who uses Straight Talk wireless. At the same time, calls to and from my home on a road with previously marginal but usable reception started to get garbled. Last night the connection failed once on a call to home, then I got through but my voice was hopelessly garbled at the other end, then the airplane mode icon came on in the car's display screen.

It seems like the Bluetooth unit is slowly failing, but then it also seems like a problem with the phone - one that only occurs when it's paired with the car. I'll look for another phone to try pairing, but I was wondering if anyone else is having this or a similar issue. My warranty is up at the end of May, and I want this resolved, but don't really trust the local dealers to quickly find the problem and fix it.

I would guess phone, which encompasses both Bluetooth and cell reception issues.

All I know is once bluetooth did fail on one of my phones, it became flaky and then stopped working completely. Try another phone before losing any sleep over it.

Hopefully it is just the Bluetooth on the phone, but why would that give a false "private caller" message?

LeftieBiker said:

Hopefully it is just the Bluetooth on the phone, but why would that give a false "private caller" message?

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Often hardware/software failures manifest themselves in mysterious ways. Don't overthink it. If you do narrow it down to the phone I'd try to factory-reset it before giving up on it completely.

It's very easy to isolate the phone: pair with any other Bluetooth device. If the problems persist, then you know it's the phone.

If the phone is an iPhone SE, there have been quite a few reports of Bluetooth phone audio problems. Streaming works (for SL/SV, of course) but audio is distorted.

I don't have a problem with my iPhone SE in my 2015 LEAF S, but my Philips Bluetooth headset does have the audio problem.

LeftieBiker said:

Hopefully it is just the Bluetooth on the phone, but why would that give a false "private caller" message?

Click to expand...

Doesn't sound like a problem with the Leafs system. Caller might have been roaming or ?

If was a problem with the Bluetooth system then nothing should actually happen to the call. The phone should disconnect fro Bluetooth and still work through the handset. I've had the Bluetooth cut out mid call and then I just hear the person saying "hello, hello" from my pocket. I'm pretty sure the issue is with my Nexus 6 as it was fine on my sony Z and works fine on my wifes galaxy S6.

I'll look for another phone with BT. Our other cell phone is a Kyocera Marbl with no BT (great, reliable phone, though!). I have an Event that I use for the EVs, but it isn't connected to a service provider. Someone should write a BT test app.