Bug affecting WhatsApp and Android Auto
People have shared the issue on Google’s forums and or Reddit. In recent days, it seems like WhatsApp on Android Auto is experiencing issues. Google Assistant still reads the message you receive, but it can’t send a reply or a new message. What happens is that the Assistant tells you it sends the message, but it’s not sent. To put it bluntly – Google Assistant is lying (well, as close to lying that tech can get). And that’s actually worse than just straight-up not responding, because if you don’t check, you’ll be under the impression you sent a reply. So far, the issue is not happening to all users, but it’s reasonably widespread.
It doesn’t appear to be a particular app version for Andriod Auto that’s bugged, so it’s more likely a server-side change that’s causing it. Google has yet to acknowledge the problem. You can still send the message from your phone, but you shouldn’t be doing that while driving, as it could be unsafe.