Jeep pushed software update that bricked all 2024 Wrangler 4xe models

Incident and Evidence

• Multiple owners report 2024 Wrangler 4xe vehicles losing all motive power shortly after an OTA update, often while driving.
• Symptoms: repeated stalling, forced restart prompts (“shift to Park and press brake + start”), flashing gear indicators, warning lights, shifter stuck in Park.
• Forum and Reddit posts describe highway shutdowns, including near-crashes and vehicles stranded in construction zones.
• Jeep/Stellantis has acknowledged the issue and claims to have pushed a silent fix, offering to “assist” with towing/diagnostic costs, though this language is viewed as weak.

Failure Mode and Safety Risks

• The most chilling reports describe losing acceleration first, then power steering and power brakes within ~30 seconds; if this happens at highway speeds or in narrow lanes, commenters see real fatality risk.
• Debate over how serious loss of power steering is at speed; consensus that sudden loss of propulsion in traffic is far more dangerous.

OTA Updates and System Architecture

• The triggering update was reportedly for the infotainment/telematics system, but it still managed to affect powertrain behavior.
• Many argue infotainment must be strictly isolated from safety-critical ECUs; that such coupling is a fundamental design failure.
• Others note that modern cars intentionally interconnect systems via CAN, so a buggy or chatty infotainment node can disrupt critical modules.
• Some defend OTA for safety/security fixes but insist updates must be: opt‑in, applied only while parked, with A/B firmware, robust rollback, and heavy QA.

User Control, Privacy, and Remote Disablement

• Strong concern about cars that can be remotely updated or shut down, framed as a threat to personal safety and freedom (from fleeing war/hurricanes to cyberwar scenarios).
• Several owners plan to pull or switch fuses to disable modems/telematics; EU eCall rules may make this illegal in some countries.
• Frustration that disabling telemetry is hard or buried, and that opting out often triggers constant nags.

Avoidance of “Smart” Cars

• Many say they intentionally buy older or simpler vehicles (circa ~2010, mechanical diesels, or non-connected models) to avoid OTA risk and surveillance.
• Others want “dumb EVs”: electric drivetrains but no networking, no forced updates, minimal modes and touchscreens.

Responsibility, Regulation, and Language

• Calls for NHTSA and similar bodies to investigate, mandate separation of infotainment and powertrain, and restrict in‑motion updates.
• Some reference automotive safety coding standards (MISRA, AUTOSAR) and note these often don’t cover infotainment, which is now de facto safety‑critical.
• Debate over whether “bricked” is appropriate; critics prefer terms like “catastrophic but recoverable,” but others argue from the user’s perspective the car was effectively a brick until the fix.