What are the most common Garmin Forerunner 165 problems owners report?

The most common complaints from 147 verified owners: Firmware updates (notably the 27.09/27.10 releases) introduced real bugs, GPS drifting off track, heart rate stuck or inaccurate, steps not counting, freezing during activities, and unusual battery drain; Missing higher-end features owners wanted, especially power meter support, triathlon mode, and dual-band GPS/offline maps, pushing some to return it for the 265 or a Coros Pace; Menus, the on-screen keyboard, and overall navigation feel complicated or unresponsive for a 'basic' entry watch; The gorilla-glass lens (no sapphire option) and plastic sensor cover scratch easily, with several owners recommending a screen protector; Some owners report disappointing real-world battery life, closer to 2-3 days in smartwatch mode or draining fast on high-mileage weeks, contradicting the advertised runtime.

Do owners recommend the Garmin Forerunner 165?

67% of 147 verified owners recommend the Garmin Forerunner 165; 25% don't. Based on real owner comments aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

Garmin Forerunner 165 · problems & reliability report

Garmin Forerunner 165 problems: what real owners report

25% of 147 verified Garmin Forerunner 165owners don't recommend it, and 8 describe specific problems — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

For balance: 67% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score

Most common complaints

8×Firmware updates (notably the 27.09/27.10 releases) introduced real bugs, GPS drifting off track, heart rate stuck or inaccurate, steps not counting, freezing during activities, and unusual battery drain
7×Missing higher-end features owners wanted, especially power meter support, triathlon mode, and dual-band GPS/offline maps, pushing some to return it for the 265 or a Coros Pace
5×Menus, the on-screen keyboard, and overall navigation feel complicated or unresponsive for a 'basic' entry watch
3×The gorilla-glass lens (no sapphire option) and plastic sensor cover scratch easily, with several owners recommending a screen protector
4×Some owners report disappointing real-world battery life, closer to 2-3 days in smartwatch mode or draining fast on high-mileage weeks, contradicting the advertised runtime

In owners' own words

“To remove a feature that was previously there as soon as you release the product, which contains the hardware for the feature is a really bad look.”
— @Fernweh_8 on YouTube

“the similarly priced 255 is still a much better watch”
— @robhunt8378 on YouTube

“You're paying through the nose for fancy colourful widgets here”
— @mstu8097 on YouTube

“they should have added Music storage as default on 165 and added new HR sensor”
— @newsnetworkz on YouTube

“the Garmin app and watchfaces are horrendous compared to Coros”
— @bambaklats2891 on YouTube

“Garmin intentionally makes these crippled watches to make you want their more expensive ones.”
— @snowwalker9999 on YouTube

“you shouldn't have to sell your garmin and get a new one if you find a new hobby which your 300 dollar watch doesn't track”
— @coscottn on YouTube

“I don't want to support such product philosophy”
— @derneureuter94 on YouTube

“Still charging extra for a music version? Come on Garmin it's 2024!”
— @monkswhiskers3354 on YouTube

“I see garmin still doesn't know how to make a watch without massive bezels”
— @MrSher22 on YouTube

“So not cool that Garmin made the colors more money with the music.”
— @jenniferstiles6353 on YouTube

“there is no option to do it and the Spotify app doesn’t show up in the garmin iq thing and i jsut can’t figure it out”
— @lukekitchen-b2r on YouTube

Setup quirks & things to watch for

Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.

“The Forerunners are lightweight as a feature. The 165 and 265 don't even have a metal bezel. Like the Coros Pace 1-3 running watches, they are extremely light, too.”
— SuAlfons on Reddit

“Turn the touchscreen off then. You've got options, not restrictions. At the same time, a keyboard appears in Garmin Connect so you could use that. Options...”
— Slightly_Effective on Reddit

“This was watch tracks swimming but fyi it doesn't have a dedicated triathlon mode for your race. You'll have to log each event separately during the race.”
— DecisionsUnderDuress on Reddit

“Looks like it is not the music version. I think its nice to have music for running, without carrying a phone - would need the 165 Music for that.”
— ialtag-bheag on Reddit

“Unfortunately, it’s likely the tattoos. Do you have tattoos on your other wrist? If not, you could try wearing it on the other arm during sleep and activity to see if you get better tracking.”
— average_schmoe on Reddit

“I contacted garmin support, did a few actions on their request. None of them resolved my issues, they proposed to swap. I'm now waiting to get my replacement 165.”
— Ok-Shape4509 on Reddit

“The average pace is based on the moving time. Scroll down further and you'll find your actual pace based on the total elapsed time.”
— HumbleInitial507 on Reddit

“Can sleep with the 165 or the one up S. The only two things I know of I am missing out on is the lactate threshold estimate HR value over range. And no triathlon race function.”
— No_Ad_2261 on Reddit

Weighing it up? The full report has the other side — what 67% of owners like about it, who it's for, and every sourced quote. Full Garmin Forerunner 165 owner report →