Maker of hacked Jeep radio says problem is isolated

NHTSA said the Harman inquiry is being opened to obtain information from the supplier of Chrysler Uconnect units to determine the nature and extent of similarities in other infotainment products provided to other vehicle manufacturers.

Fiat Chrysler declined to comment.

The Fiat Chrysler hacking experiment should serve as “a wake-up call” to automakers to be more proactive to secure software and other systems, or else they’ll face new government regulations mandating security, said Ken Westin, a security analyst with the cybersecurity company Tripwire Inc. based in Portland, Oregon.

If a court decides that the case should be class action, there could be hundreds of thousands of people who would potentially have a claim.

In their complaint against the two companies, plaintiffs Brian Flynn and George and Kelly Brown accuse Chrysler and Harman of fraud, negligence, unjust enrichment and breach of warranty. There is no good reason for this current design. These services have a variety of names: Audi Audi Connect, Ford Sync, Chrysler UConnect, Hyundai BlueLink, Kia Uvo, General Motors General Motors OnStar, Chevrolet Chevrolet MyLink, Toyota SafetyConnect and Entune, Lexus Lexus Enform, Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz MBrace, NissanConnect, and others. Fiat Chrysler on July 24 announced a recall of about 1.4 million vehicles to update radio software.

A vehicle purchased, leased, or retained under the reasonable assumption that it is safe is worth more than a vehicle known to be subject to the unreasonable risk of catastrophic accident because of defects.

Harman’s infotainment system – a clutch of hardware devices installed in vehicles to provide audio, video and navigation systems – was part of Fiat Chrysler’s Uconnect system, which uses hardware, software and network connectivity provided by other companies.

Fiat Chrysler intends to build a new “C SUV” as it is codenamed and it is expected to be launched in the second quarter of 2017. The company said it’s “conducting a remedial campaign as a safety recall in the interest of protecting its customers” out of “an abundance of caution”. “Double-digit increases in Jeep® and Ram brand sales for both the month and year have been a contributing factor in our overall sales growth”.