Garmin Forerunner 165: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-18

Summary

The most serious problem is firmware: the January 2026 update 27.09 broke step tracking, sleep tracking, heart rate and battery for some 165 owners, and the 27.10 fix resolved many but not all units. Optical heart rate also lags 5-10 minutes behind during intervals. There are no mandatory subscriptions or consumables, and it is a strong buy at $200 or below.

Common problems and fixes

Firmware 27.09 (January 2026) — step tracking, sleep tracking and heart rate stopping, battery draining in 1-2 days, GPS instability and random reboots. Garmin shipped 27.10 as a fix for the 165, but some owners report issues persisting, and owners of the 255, 265, 955 and 965 waited longer for theirs. Fix: update to the latest firmware and monitor the watch for the first few days. [7][8][9]
Heart-rate lag during intervals — the optical sensor takes 5-10 minutes to catch up during tempo runs or intervals and can read 20-30 BPM low at the start. Owners describe steady-state accuracy as spot on, so wrist heart rate is unreliable for hard intervals. [6][10]
No multiband GPS — the watch has multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) but no dual-frequency antenna, which can matter in dense cities or heavy tree cover. [2][3]
No Training Readiness — the feature owners miss most vs the Forerunner 265; Training Status, Training Load Focus, triathlon mode, cycling power meters and ECG are also absent. [2][3][12]
Wrist rash from the silicone strap — WIRED recommends washing the strap every 2-3 days to avoid irritation. [5]
No Wi-Fi on this model — updates go over Bluetooth phone sync or Garmin Express on USB; the Music edition adds Wi-Fi. [1][2]

Warranty: Garmin’s US consumer limited warranty is one year from the date of purchase; Garmin sells repair service for out-of-warranty devices. [13] Garmin India offers a 2-year warranty for watches launched after January 2024, including the 165. [15]

Parts and consumables

The watch is not user-serviceable internally; Garmin offers out-of-warranty repair service. [13]

Yearly running cost

No recurring subscription is required and Garmin Connect is free. [13] Expected yearly running cost: $0 mandatory, plus any Garmin parts you buy.

When it is a good buy

$200 or below: strong value — accurate GPS and heart rate, the AMOLED display, running power and Garmin’s full training ecosystem are hard to beat at this price. [3][5]
$200-249: fair-to-good; compare the Coros Pace 3 (better battery, dual-band GPS) and the older Forerunner 255 (frequently discounted, Gorilla Glass). [4]
$250 or more: weak for a new unit at the $249.99 list price; weigh the Forerunner 265 at $449 for Training Readiness, multiband GPS and triathlon mode. [2][3]
Deal context: TechRadar listed $249.99 at Best Buy in March 2024, WIRED saw $250 at Garmin in April 2024, and Tom’s Guide (June 2026) reported the 165 going for a song on deal, calling it better value than the newer Forerunner 170. [3][5][14]

Alternatives:

Coros Pace 3 — the better choice if you want longer battery and dual-band GPS.
Forerunner 255 — the better choice if you find it discounted and want Gorilla Glass.
Forerunner 265 — the better choice if Training Readiness, multiband GPS and triathlon mode are worth the ~$200 premium.