The problem is - as a non-local you can't really distinguish between Google knowing what it's doing and not until it's too late. For example I've been taken to the following:
AUSTRALIA - definitely not a "road" more like an unused hiking / herding path with nothing but lazy kangaroos in sight.
CHILE - down an unpaved half-lane road making its way down the side of a cliff, marked "mucho peligroso"
ITALY - completely off road over giant potholes and big rocks. Middle of the night.
ABU DHABI - across a clearly pedestrian plaza.
In all cases it worked out - as it happened to be traversable in my tiny rental car and indeed the way to get where I am going. But that's in retrospect, could have easily been "death by GPS" types of scenarios.
A few things I recommend when driving in places like this:
- refuel religiously. Don't let your tank get below half, as theoretically that should give you enough to backtrack to where you got gas last time. Not always possible of course.
- try to ask yourself - if I had to back out / turn around, could I? And be very leary of locking yourself out of that option (although easier said than done.)
- be mentally prepared to sleep in the car. At some point it is safer to do that and figure things out in the morning, even of there's a chance that your amazing tuscan villa airbnb is just another mile down the washed out road (cuz it may also not be)
- think of it as a fun adventure and don't freak out.