The fact is, again, I rent cars all the time and Carplay is the only option guaranteed to work. Like many others, it is the reason my iPhone became my primary line. In my experience, with very rare exceptions, when someone has an issue with Carplay, it can be resolved by resetting the head unit and/or updating the firmware. Some head units also do not like being set up for both AA and Carplay at the same time. Toyota dealers will be happy to point that one out. Granted, they will also be happy to point out the volume of AA complaints they cannot resolve because Google does not work with the manufacturers. Quite frankly, I would not be surprised if Toyota (and by extension, Subaru and Nissan) bail on Android Auto if Google does not step up.

As for notification, you were not using an Android phone. You were using Samsung's heavily layered version of Android (one of the reasons Samsung phones have constant AA problems). Stock Android default settings result in the phone chiming for every notification unless they have finally addressed in Android 13. If you clear dozens (or hundreds) of accumulated notifications after a long meeting, it will notify you for each and every one as they are cleared. That was part of Google's sloppy vision for its stock lock screen and notifications. Sound like fun?

You made a brief comment about AOD which was patently silly since it does exactly what you claimed it does not (sans battery status). In a long post, you might as well spell out the beef. Your comment, as presented, bordered on the nonsensical and amounted to having an issue with a dimmed display behind your own list of what you already see.