A leap year bug has been blamed for certain TomTom satnav devices suffering from location problems of late, according to a report by BBC News.

TomTom’s software seems to have been thrown out of whack by the extra day added to February this year, resulting in both old and new models being unable to lock onto a GPS signal.

The bug first appeared on 31st march and affects the following models:

  • Start 20/25
  • Via 110/120/125
  • Via Live 120/125
  • Go Live 820/825
  • Go Live 1000/1005/1005 World

Resetting the device by holding the power button for 20 seconds is reported to provide temporary relief for the problem, but TomTom has since issued a software update that fixes the glitch permanently.

The update requires the satnav device to be connected to a Windows or Mac OS X computer that has the MyTomTom software installed — the update will be downloaded and applied automatically, and takes about 30 seconds.

There are full instructions for the update available at the TomTom site and owners of affected devices might want to read the “No GPS signal” thread at the TomTom support forum.