Loyal Readers will remember this little rant of mine about stupid car manufacturers:
And while we’re on high-level fools in Big Auto, ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Stellantis.
And heeeeere’s the latest from this clown car maker:
A recent software update to the Jeep Wrangler 4xE plug-in hybrid has reportedly caused major malfunctions, leaving many owners stranded and some in potentially dangerous situations after their vehicles were “bricked” by the botched upgrade.
The Stack reports that on Friday, Stellantis released an over-the-air (OTA) software update for the uconnect system, which is installed in various Jeep Wrangler 4xE — the company’s plug-in hybrid model. However, the update contained bugs that caused vehicles to malfunction or become “bricked” if owners installed it. Bricking is technology slang for a device rendered completely useless by an upgrade or software change. The issue quickly became apparent as numerous Jeep owners across the United States reported problems with their vehicles following the update.
Loyal Readers will also recall that I have ranted frequently and angrily about this automotive software issue, so I’m not going to repeat that familiar theme. Suffice it to say:
No electronic / software doodads, powered by a modern VW engine (more powerful than the original Porsche one), stick shift; and all at a price that’s much less than any entry-level Porsche on the market today.
Okay, to be fair: I have never been a potential buyer of any Jeep Wrangler of any vintage, and if you add battery power / software to the equation, exponentially less so.
And this, the latest-but-by-no-means-last episode of stupidity, simply increases my hostility to the cars-as-software-platforms concept.
Fuck ’em.
I work in IT. I hate so many computers in vehicles. Way too many.
I want to drive a machine down the road. Not a computer.
The only good Jeeps were the 90’s Cherokees and Wranglers with the 4.0 inline 6 cylinder. I never owned one but a couple of friends of mine did. These older Jeeps would be considered dinosaurs by today’s Jeep manufacturer but the difference is the older ones were machines not computers.
You still see some of the older jeeps around. Just a prediction I don’t think you’ll see any Electric Hybrid 4Xe Jeeps or most any modern Jeep on the road in 25 years.
The Jeep Cherokees are becoming very popular again because of their ‘relative’ simplicity, fixability, good parts availability, etc. There’s a growing trend of people buying nice older cars that they can mostly take care of themselves, are not overly complex, and suitable for daily driving.
Volkswagen is having an issue right now. I don’t know many details but reportedly starting yesterday 10/16 the infotainment system on numerous cars 2023 and newer are bricking themselves. When that happens it disables the rear view camera and other safety systems that tie into or are controlled by the infotainment system.
Apparently its happening in geographic clusters, and may be due to a bluetooth vulnerability per last update I heard. The infotainment system cannot be reached by diagnostic tools once it happens. If it is disconnected and reset it cannot boot (goes into a boot crash loop), and a few people who managed to get a new one installed before inventory ran out have been told to not connect their mobile device to it until the problem is resolved. Some have gotten it fixed but it then ‘re-bricked’ after driving a while.
You know, even using the term “infotainment system” gives me a sick feeling.
The only time I ever drove a Jeep was in the army in germany in the mid 70’s and I have favorable memories of it.
Some how an “electric” Jeep just sounds wrong.
Like a universal rule has been violated or sumfink.
Do tell. 156th Maint. Co., Nürnberg. MOS 45B. Among other things, got assigned as driver for our company XO during REFORGER (1975, I think). Our battalion had folks scattered all over hell-and-gone. We were basically go-fers with a jeep and a trailer, with some evac convoy duty in the mix. Had a blast.
I was most fortunate to grow up on a ranch as a young lad. We had a WWII surplus jeep and trailer that I learned to drive at age 8. I was one of maybe three people in my unit who could back a jeep and trailer in a straight line.
And yeah, one simply does not use “jeep” and “electric” in the same sentence.
it’s not the Jeep Wrangler that is appealing it is the idea that is appealing. It’s the idea that no terrain in insurmountable with a basic WW2 type Jeep. Unfortunately the editions from the 1990s on up have a strong reputation for being loud unpleasant to drive and unreliable. The advanced electronics made their reputation worse
Try this.
https://www.tiktok.com/@andrewsarocha/video/7559009086952475959?embed_source=%3Bnull%3Bembed_pause_share&refer=embed&referer_url=bustednuckles.net%2Fpage%2F3%2F&referer_video_id=7559009086952475959
I loved my Wranglers (a ’92 YJ & a ’03 TJ). Trouble is that every time Jeep changed the Wrangler they tried to make it just a smidgen more aerodynamic (I called my ’92 as aerodynamic as a brick & the ’03 slightly more aerodynamic than a brick) and the interior more car-like. The newest models are a bit more rouded off and the grille a little more angled rather than absolutely vertical, and the interior is just like a car, including the blasted “infotainment center” (gaaaah!) Anybody who bought an electric/hybrid Wrangler is getting what they deserve, and a pox on Stellantis for even thinking about making such a 4-wheeled abortion. sigh. If I get another Wrangler I’ll be looking for one of my old models, even if I have to buy a second one for parts.
So.
Stellantis hired MicroSoft to write its software?
“Update available.”
“I don’t want the update now.”
“Updating…”
…And then…The Blue Screen of Death!
Don’t know if you’ve seen Louis Rossman’s (here in Texas!) YT channel, but it has dealt with this crap a lot. Here’s one on VW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQNeIcQXy74
There’s enough there to cause the rage titer to rise above therapeutic range.
I had to go to New Hampshire last month and it required a rental car. I got a Jeep Wrangler 4xE as a rental as it was priced down with the micro-econo cars. The Jeep Wrangler 4xE is a POS. I can’t imagine taking that very heavy Jeep off road. I drove 95% highway miles close to the speed limit and got 15mpg.
I am actually in the market for my next daily driver (I work from home), weekend get away vehicle. My current old man car is a jeep Patriot with a real transmission (not a CVT), but at 200k miles, it’s time to retire it to be the family mulch hauler. Yes it’s a little loud but not as loud as its predecessor, a YJ Wrangler. I really hated to let thing go but it literally rusted out from underneath me..
That being said, the biggest issue for me with buying a vehicle with minimal computers is AC.. as in most, if not all, don’t have a working one due to the switch the non-ozone destroying coolant (the original green scam that started everything).
I mean I live in Virginia, and the summers are sultry and hot, but in Texas they are just hot hot hot. While I realize for and African American like yourself that is just like back home, I can’t imagine driving around without AC. Pretty sure I’d hate it. Even in a convertible.
Tell me, how many senior Stellantis managers offered their resignations over this issue?
That’s the other scandal.