Software update bricks some Jeep 4xe hybrids over the weekend

Car Software Safety and Aviation Comparisons

• Several argue car software needs airline-level rigor; others note avionics rely on strict processes, manual updates, and redundancy that automakers haven’t adopted.
• Some think only a mass‑casualty incident (or a high‑profile death) will force that level of seriousness.
• Others counter that computer‑controlled cars are still a huge net win for performance, emissions, and safety; the problem is implementation, not the idea.

OTA Updates, System Isolation, and Failure Mode

• Many are shocked that an OTA “infotainment”/telematics update can disable the powertrain mid‑drive; they expected strict isolation between entertainment and drive systems.
• Others explain that modern OTAs routinely update ECUs, TCMs, BCMs, etc., with the infotainment unit acting as gateway; that’s how serious defects can be fixed remotely—but also how cars can be “borked.”
• Some insist mission‑critical components should never be updated OTA at all, or at least only when parked at home, with clear rollback paths and user‑controlled timing.
• There is confusion over what exactly was updated and in what order (infotainment vs telematics vs core controllers).

Rollback, Testing, and Cost/Process Pressures

• Multiple commenters describe robust A/B or dual‑image update schemes used in cheap IoT devices and industrial gear, and are baffled these aren’t standard in high‑end cars.
• Others note A/B only protects against interrupted flashes, not deeply buggy new firmware, and that auto bootloaders often forbid downgrades.
• Strong suspicion that cost‑cutting, outsourced development, and deadline pressure (including pushing fleet‑wide updates on a Friday) trumped good engineering and QA.

Ownership, Control, and Regulation

• Many question whether they truly “own” a car that can be remotely altered or disabled, and worry about kill‑switch capabilities being abused by creditors, governments, or attackers.
• Several call OTA access to core vehicle systems a national‑security risk and argue it should be illegal or tightly regulated, with aviation‑style accountability and possibly criminal liability for safety‑critical bugs.
• Others are pessimistic that regulators or markets will fix this soon.

Experiences with Jeep and Other Brands

• Numerous anecdotes portray Stellantis/Jeep electronics as glitchy for years: random warnings, failing cameras, climate and seat issues, electronic parking brakes misbehaving.
• A 4xe owner describes zero clear communication from Jeep, contradictory forum guidance, clueless dealers, and no way to know if one has the bad update or the fix, while still risking sudden power loss.
• Similar infotainment‑quality complaints surface about Land Rover, Mercedes, Mazda, Hyundai, etc., often traced to underpowered hardware and outsourced, low‑priority software.

AI-Assisted Coding Speculation

• Some immediately blame “AI‑assisted coding,” citing Stellantis’ recent AI‑adoption announcement.
• Others push back, noting no concrete evidence ties this specific failure to AI; at most, the timing is troubling but unproven.

Backlash and Desire for Simpler Cars

• Many commenters express renewed desire for “dumb” cars: no OTA, no connectivity, physical buttons, minimal ECUs, even older Japanese models or simple off‑roaders, accepting fewer digital features in exchange for predictability and control.