Jeep software update bricks vehicles, leaves owners stranded

Summary

A software update to Jeep 4xE models caused major malfunctions over the weekend – leaving many owners stranded and some in danger after their power failed.The culprit appears to have been a buggy "over the air" (OTA) software update to the company’s uconnect software on Friday October 10, which “bricked” vehicles if owners installed it.A Jeep customer support representative on a 4XE forum posted Saturday: “Please exercise extreme caution this evening if you have completed the update. If you have NOT completed the update and see the pop-up, please continue deferring..."Posting as “Kori”, they told Jeep customers on the forum that the issue was “a telematics module box update” – and later added that the software update was cancelled the same day. But not before multiple users across the US had updated their vehicles and suffered the immediate consequences.Jeep software update issueSome described losing power abruptly whilst driving in the wake of the update. One Jeep owner, Kerry Hollis, who works in IT infrastructure at Wells Fargo, told The Stack: “This was a software change that obviously wasn’t tested thoroughly and was dangerous and could have had life safety implications. “Fortunately, for me, I lost propulsion while going at low speed in my neighborhood, so I was able to pull over, restart and limp back to my home. I’ve read stories of others that weren’t in that situation, going at highway speeds, and in traffic..."Stellantis reacted quickly but it shouldn’t have happened..."He added: It’s concerning... that most auto manufacturers and new vehicles even have the ability to be disabled by the manufacturer or even worse, someone with a malicious intent.”Jeep describes unconnect as software that “gives you access to the latest available features and enhancements. Updates can be performed over any password-protected Wi-Fi network. Select vehicles with connected service capabilities are eligible for over-the-air updates,” it adds. (The software can also be found in...