The time has come where automobiles can now be hacked by people thousands of miles away. The ability to remotely hack a vehicle was proven possible recently as Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek took control of a Jeepwhile it was driving on the freeway. As a result, Fiat Chrysler has recalled 1.4 million vehicles that may be vulnerable by a hackable software.
Fiat-Chrysler announced the recall on Friday stating:
The recall aligns with an ongoing software distribution that insulates connected vehicles from remote manipulation, which, if unauthorized, constitutes criminal action.
Further, FCA US has applied network-level security measures to prevent the type of remote manipulation demonstrated in a recent media report. These measures – which required no customer or dealer actions – block remote access to certain vehicle systems and were fully tested and implemented within the cellular network on July 23, 2015.
The Company is unaware of any injuries related to software exploitation, nor is it aware of any related complaints, warranty claims or accidents – independent of the media demonstration.
The recall was inevitable after Chrysler’s Uconnect software was hacked. So, if you own one of the following vehicles that utilize Chrysler’s Uconnect dashboard computer, you should probably take it in to your dealer.
- 2013-2015 MY Dodge Viper specialty vehicles
- 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups
- 2013-2015 Ram 3500, 4500, 5500 Chassis Cabs
- 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs
- 2014-2015 Dodge Durango SUVs
- 2015 MY Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans
- 2015 Dodge Challenger sports coupes
Those that are affected will receive a USB device that can be used update the vehicle’s software. Also, owners can click here to input your vehicle’s identification number (VIN) to determine if your vehicle is included in the recall.
Sadly, this is not the end of the bad news for Fiat Chrysler, as another recall was announced that is affecting 1.7 million pickup trucks. This recall is due to the airbag being deployed if the door is shut too hard. If you guys want to have a good prank on your friends be sure to set off the airbag before you take the car in! Just be sure to take a video of it and send it to use so we can get a good laugh as well.
This recall affects 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014 and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. As well as 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured June 20, 2012, to January 26, 2015.
As car manufactures continue to utilize wireless technologies in their vehicles, I would expect we will continue to see more recalls–unless manufacturers develop some way to auto update or provide the ability for the owner to install the update at home.
If you would like additional information regarding these recalls you can visit safecar.gov.
What are you thoughts? Do you think we will see an increased number of recalls as more car manufacturers utilize wireless technologies? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.