Jeep software update bricks vehicles, leaves owners stranded
6 hours ago
- #technology-failures
- #vehicle-safety
- #software-update
- A software update for Jeep 4xE models caused malfunctions, leaving owners stranded or in danger due to power failures.
- The issue stemmed from a buggy OTA update to the uConnect software on October 10, which 'bricked' vehicles upon installation.
- Jeep advised customers to defer the update after reports of vehicles losing power, including while driving at highway speeds.
- Some owners experienced their vehicles becoming unresponsive, with dashboards lighting up and engines failing to restart.
- Jeep released a fix via another OTA update, resolving the issue for some, but not before significant inconvenience and potential danger.
- Owners expressed frustration and concern over the lack of thorough testing and the potential for malicious exploitation of OTA updates.
- The incident mirrors other software update failures, such as CrowdStrike's July 2024 update that affected millions of Windows computers globally.
- Criticism was directed at the lack of staggered deployment strategies and basic quality assurance controls in software updates.