Disaster Jeep software update bricks vehicles, leaves owners stranded - never buy Stelantis

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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 issue​

Some 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.”
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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 other marques from parent company Stellantis, but it appears only Jeep brands were affected by this update.)

See also: Ford eyes $1B in software sales​

Another owner, Stephen Gutowski, owner of the reload.com news site, told The Stack: “On Friday night, my 2024 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe asked me to run an update when I got back home. I clicked ‘yes’ without really thinking about it.
"What's the worst that could happen, right?
He added: “Well, the next morning, I saw posts on the 4xe Facebook group I'm in that the update essentially bricked the 2024 Wranglers. I'm glad I saw that before I went out to my Jeep because I was prepared for something to maybe be wrong and did a test drive in my parking lot …”
“Sure enough, after driving maybe a half mile around my parking lot, the Jeep killed the gas and told me to put it in park. The dash lit up like a Christmas tree. The check engine light came on. Worse, it refused to go back into drive. It was just dead where it sat… I was [eventually] able to limp it back to my parking spot. I called my local dealership and they said it was a nationwide issue on at least the 2024 Wrangler 4xes…”

"Pretty scary"​

Gutowski added: “On Sunday morning I saw Jeep's messages in the 4xe forum and the fix was ota’d to my Jeep. So, I let my car run for 15 minutes and did two power cycles. The check engine light went away, and everything seemed to be working normally again. Took it for a test drive around the neighborhood, and it drove like nothing ever happened.”
“It seems like it could have been extremely dangerous if I hadn't read about the problem before taking my car out on the road… imagine if it went dead on the highway. Pretty scary. Honestly, this feels like more of a modern car problem. I doubt this will be the last car to get bricked by an ota update. At least they were able to fix it with an ota update in a day.”
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Last night for our anniversary I got my wife a ruggedized weatherproof mil-spec duck carrying bag for her jeep, (was a grand w/ shipping but completely worth it, you should see this thing) it attaches with 200 feet of pink PARA-cord and has a subscription service to keep it filled up with some high quality effin ducks if I've ever seen any.

We have an appointment scheduled for weds at the offroad shop to get it installed, really hope no "bricking" (its so fun to talk like a car-guy!) affects us before then or causes the shop problems.
 
Its like when Volvo had an OTA update a few months ago that would just casually disable your brakes while in downhill mode. The chinese have the ability to remotely disable the braking capabilities of every modern volvo car in america remotely if we ever go to war. Just a nice thing to think about.

Anyways


Having a car with software that can OTA other than the infotainment systems should be fucking illegal for national security reasons.
 
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So sad for a car that started off designed to be maintained by a sub-90iq guy with a hammer and duct tape under fire.

My next car is going to be a Sovjet era Lada. Try and brick that.
 
BobbyBriggs69420 said:
Last night for our anniversary I got my wife a ruggedized weatherproof mil-spec duck carrying bag for her jeep, (was a grand w/ shipping but completely worth it, you should see this thing) it attaches with 200 feet of pink PARA-cord and has a subscription service to keep it filled up with some high quality effin ducks if I've ever seen any.

We have an appointment scheduled for weds at the offroad shop to get it installed, really hope no "bricking" (its so fun to talk like a car-guy!) affects us before then or causes the shop problems.
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Why don’t you just install it yourself retard
 
Oh man, I hope I never get an OTA update that bricks my 60 year old car!

New car mannequins keep losing, and I never stop winning. I can't say it enough, you people are falling for a scam for buying any post-y2k car. I've warned and 'told you so'd' so many people about this industry by now that I can't feel bad for the retards who do it to themselves anymore.
 
My 2003 Chevy Malibu has never had an update because it doesn't need one. Why are you updating car software like it's a video game? Ship it out with software that works, and leave it.
 
The 4XE is the EV version of the jeep. And if you fell for the EV meme, especially one made by a french company, you deserve everything you get.

Übertroon said:
Wife wanted a Jeep Wrangler because she thought they looked cool, managed to persuade her that a Toyota Land Cruiser would be a better choice
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If this is a 2025 it wasn't a better choice. Toyota's system is even more botnet then the stellantis uconnect crap.
Their system is Google AI powered. Its always listening to you . And if you don't accept the terms and service (spying) it gimps the infotainment system and gives you a nag screen to accept them every time you start the car.
 
BobbyBriggs69420 said:
Last night for our anniversary I got my wife a ruggedized weatherproof mil-spec duck carrying bag for her jeep, (was a grand w/ shipping but completely worth it, you should see this thing) it attaches with 200 feet of pink PARA-cord and has a subscription service to keep it filled up with some high quality effin ducks if I've ever seen any.

We have an appointment scheduled for weds at the offroad shop to get it installed, really hope no "bricking" (its so fun to talk like a car-guy!) affects us before then or causes the shop problems.
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lol one person didn't get the joke in this post.
 
BulkForceFive said:
Maybe a lil, but way less than Jeep owners and their rubber ducks and angry mouth radiator covers.
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I looked up what a duck carrying bag for Jeeps was and felt very confused. I was refining the hell out of that search under the assumption that ducks were car guy lingo for something.
 
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