Has anyone having issues having the head unit detecting the phone and starting up Android Auto? I've been noticing such issue lately. What I've found is that I need to plug in the phone before I start the engine in order for Android Auto to start up properly. If I plug it in afterwards, 90% of the time it does not detect Android Auto I have had Samsung S21+ and Pixel 6 connected. Is my head unit going bad? I've also tried different cables as well. Is there such thing as firmware update for the Infotainment system?
I had a similar problem where the car recognized my connected phone intermittently, even when I tried different cables. Turned out I had just enough "pocket fuzz" stuck in my phone's USB port that it intermittently interfered with the connection. After I cleaned the phone's usb port, it worked consistently again. This may not be your issue, but it might be worth checking.
I have the Pixel 6 and I have no issue. It comes right up every time I connected it. Next time, when you have the issue, check the USB connection status on the phone. The phone might have 'remembered' the last connection and maybe stayed in charge-only mode.
How long has it been since you've rebooted your phone? Anytime I've notice any weird anomalies with my OnePlus 8 Pro, a reboot fixes the issue.