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Why doesn't my Peugeot 3008 satnav accept full UK postcodes?

I purchased a Peugeot 3008 in October 2009. Generally the car has served me well, but with one annoying defect. The satnav will not accept the full UK postcodes; only the first four or five digits. Consequently I've visited several interesting places near to where I wanted to be. Although I did enquire with Peugeot if a satnav update was available, they weren't very interested, and said that they consider the existing satnav as perfectly adequate. I disagree, so can you suggest a way round this irritating problem? As others have complained, the existing system is not fit for purpose. Meanwhile the satnav makers and Peugeot seem to be blaming each other for the continuing defect.

Asked on 23 November 2013 by RG, Maldon

Answered by Honest John
Buy a TomTom. There is no way round. The reason for this is that most countries have far less precise 4-digit postcodes. The UK and Japan are the exceptions. Consequently satnav hardware has been designed around 4-digit codes. Much more processing is required for a more precise 7-digit code. BMW and Mercedes have now upgraded their satnavs. Sensible companies now factory fit Carminat TomTom or Samsung TomTom, which have more powerful and more flexible processing. Other German, French and Korean manufacturers lag behind.
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