Chrysler Hacking Recall, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has ordered the second recall in two months in order to install software that protects against computer hackers.
The recall ordered Friday will update software in about 7,810 of its new 2015 Jeep Renegade that have 6.5-inch touchscreens. Since the Renegade is a new model, about half the affected vehicles are still in the hands of dealers. The system involved in the latest recall is different that than the infotainment system that was the subject of a recall of 1.4 million vehicles in July, the automaker says.
Owners will receive a thumb drive so they can perform the update themselves. Fiat Chrysler said it will include new safety features that can block remote access. The company's U.S. unit emphasized that customers have nothing to fear from hackers.
"The software manipulation addressed by this recall required unique and extensive technical knowledge, prolonged physical access to a subject vehicle and extended periods of time to write code," the company said in the statement announcing the recall. "No defect has been found. FCA US is conducting this campaign out of an abundance of caution."
The July recall came after two hackers demonstrated to Wired magazine how they could take over a Jeep SUV as it drove down the highway with a journalist in the driver's seat by hacking through the UConnect infotainment system. They cranked up the air conditioning and took over the sound system. The car ended up in a ditch.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said at the time that it was launching an investigation to assess whether Fiat Chrysler's recall was likely to be effective.
"Launching a recall is the right step to protect Fiat Chrysler's customers, and it sets an important precedent for how NHTSA and the industry will respond to cybersecurity vulnerabilities," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement.
The recall ordered Friday will update software in about 7,810 of its new 2015 Jeep Renegade that have 6.5-inch touchscreens. Since the Renegade is a new model, about half the affected vehicles are still in the hands of dealers. The system involved in the latest recall is different that than the infotainment system that was the subject of a recall of 1.4 million vehicles in July, the automaker says.
Owners will receive a thumb drive so they can perform the update themselves. Fiat Chrysler said it will include new safety features that can block remote access. The company's U.S. unit emphasized that customers have nothing to fear from hackers.
"The software manipulation addressed by this recall required unique and extensive technical knowledge, prolonged physical access to a subject vehicle and extended periods of time to write code," the company said in the statement announcing the recall. "No defect has been found. FCA US is conducting this campaign out of an abundance of caution."
The July recall came after two hackers demonstrated to Wired magazine how they could take over a Jeep SUV as it drove down the highway with a journalist in the driver's seat by hacking through the UConnect infotainment system. They cranked up the air conditioning and took over the sound system. The car ended up in a ditch.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said at the time that it was launching an investigation to assess whether Fiat Chrysler's recall was likely to be effective.
"Launching a recall is the right step to protect Fiat Chrysler's customers, and it sets an important precedent for how NHTSA and the industry will respond to cybersecurity vulnerabilities," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement.
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