Those who own Fiat Chrysler vehicles, especially the newer Dodge Durango or Jeep Grand Cherokee, are in danger of their vehicles being hijacked remotely. To ensure safety, Fiat Chrysler Auto will be recalling at least 1.4 million cars due to this security flaw.
However, in a statement released to the press, the company is quick to point out that the recall is only being done as a pre-emptive security measure, and the company is unaware of any accidents to their vehicles related to remote hacking.
Fiat Chrysler said, "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."
In addition, Fiat Chrysler knows that their system is robust enough to prevent hacking in their vehicles, but will still be doing the recall in hopes of adding more features and security measures to further protect vehicles and their owners from unauthorized break-ins.
To facilitate the update, vehicle owners would need to get in touch with their dealers to receive a flash drive that contains the file update, or visit the system's DriveUConnect website.
"Customers affected by the recall will receive a USB device that they may use to upgrade vehicle software, which provides additional security features independent of the network-level measures," the company statement added. "Alternately, customers may visit http://www.driveuconnect.com/software-update/ to input their Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and determine if their vehicles are included in the recall."
Most of the vehicles are of the newer releases, which include the 2013 to 2015 MY Dodge Viper; 2013 to 2015 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups; and 2013 to 2015 Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 Chassis Cabs. Also included in the recall list are last year's and this year's Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUV; the 2014 to 2015 Dodge Durango; and this year's releases for the MY Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger sedans, and Dodge Challenger sports coupes.
