How to Install CarPlay in an Older Car

Jul 31, 2023

As long as your car doesn't integrate climate control into the head unit, you can very likely install CarPlay

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This article explains how to install CarPlay in an older car. Instructions will vary based on the manufacturers of both the vehicle and stereo unit.

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CarPlay is a mirroring system that allows you to interact with your phone through your vehicle's infotainment system, so it's only available in vehicles with compatible units. That means there are limited ways to add CarPlay to an older car that doesn't already have it. You can add this feature in very limited circumstances by updating your vehicle's infotainment system. In every other case, we've found the only way to add CarPlay is to replace the head unit.

Here’s how to add Apple CarPlay to an older car that didn’t come with it:

Check to see if there’s a firmware update or upgrade kit for your vehicle.

You can contact a local dealer, or just search the internet. If you search the internet, try a query like “(year, make, model) CarPlay firmware update.”

If there’s no firmware update available, you’ll need to replace your head unit. Start by checking the head unit in your vehicle. You’ll specifically need to see if it has a single DIN or double DIN head unit, or if it uses a non-standard head unit.

Using a car audio retail website like Crutchfield or Sonic Electronix, enter the year, make, and model of your vehicle, and then perform a search for CarPlay.

Check the available options, and look for one that will fit in your vehicle.

For example, look for a double DIN replacement if you have a double DIN head unit, and purchase a dash kit if one is necessary.

Once you’ve verified that the replacement will fit your vehicle, you need to choose between a professional installation or doing it yourself. Many car audio retailers will install a head unit for you, but you can do it yourself if you have the right tools and some experience with basic wiring.

If you plan on doing it yourself, try to find a harness adapter that’s designed specifically to connect your vehicle to the replacement head unit. If you can find a harness adapter, you won’t need to cut or solder any wires.

Remove and replace the head unit. You’ll need to carefully remove the trim from around the old head unit, slide the head unit out, disconnect the wiring harness, and then put in the new head unit and dash kit if necessary.

If you can’t find a harness adapter, you’ll also need to cut and either solder or crimp the power and speaker wires.

Once the new head unit is in place, you can turn it on, select the CarPlay mode, and connect your iPhone. At that point, you can use CarPlay in your older car just like you would in any car that came with CarPlay from the factory.

Once you’ve successfully installed a CarPlay-compatible head unit in your older vehicle, you can use CarPlay just like you would in a newer vehicle. You may be able to connect wirelessly, but most of these head units support a wired connection.

We know wireless charging is all the rage, but a wired connection is often more reliable, and we like knowing our iPhone is charging while we're using CarPlay.

Depending on which option you choose, you’ll either need to pair your iPhone to the new head unit via Bluetooth or connect with a Lightning-to-USB cable.

There are a few things a replacement stereo needs to have if you want to add CarPlay to an older vehicle. It needs to have a touchscreen, it needs to have CarPlay built in, and it needs to be the right size.

Buying the right size head unit, or car stereo, is imperative because one that’s too big won’t fit, and one that’s too small will leave a gap in your dash. Most stereos fall into the single DIN or double DIN form factor; some fit into an in-between 1.5 DIN size, and, frustratingly, others don’t conform to standard DIN sizing at all.

Newer vehicles with built-in infotainment systems usually don’t have standard-sized head units, but you can sometimes get around that with a model-specific dash kit designed to replace part of your dashboard. These kits allow you to install a standard single or double DIN stereo in vehicles designed with custom head units.

Before you buy a CarPlay stereo, verify which size your car uses. For example, make sure to buy a single DIN stereo for your vehicle if that’s what your vehicle came with. If your vehicle requires a dash kit, then make sure to select a CarPlay stereo that’s sized correctly for it.

No. The brains of CarPlay are inside your iPhone. The unit in your car is just a display for what your iPhone is doing (without you having to hold your iPhone). Despite your car's head unit just being a display, it does need to meet certain requirements, which is why your current car likely doesn't work with it already.

Not necessarily. CarPlay came out in 2014, the same year as the iPhone 5, so if you have an iPhone from then to now your iPhone works with CarPlay.

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