Over-the-Air Updates: Improving or Bricking Cars?

The concept of the modern automobile is shifting rapidly from purely mechanical engineering to “computers on wheels.” For years, getting a new feature or fixing a glitch meant scheduling a service appointment and spending hours in a dealership waiting room. Today, Over-the-Air (OTA) updates promise to change that dynamic completely. Manufacturers claim these updates improve performance and add features while you sleep. However, recent headlines suggest a darker side to this technology: software patches that fail, leaving owners with “bricked” cars that refuse to start or drive.

The Evolution of the Software-Defined Vehicle

In the past, a car was a finished product the moment it left the assembly line. If you bought a 2015 model, it stayed a 2015 model forever. OTA updates have upended this logic. Tesla pioneered this approach, proving that a manufacturer could fundamentally change a car’s behavior remotely.

Now, legacy automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen are racing to catch up. They are transitioning to “Software-Defined Vehicles.” This architecture allows the manufacturer to rewrite code for the infotainment system, battery management, and even braking systems via a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

The Benefits Are Real

When OTA updates work correctly, they offer significant value. They can solve recalls without a physical mechanic and add capabilities that did not exist when the car was purchased.

• Range Extensions: During Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Tesla temporarily unlocked extra battery capacity for owners in Florida via an OTA update, giving them more range to evacuate safely.
• Performance Boosts: Polestar released a software upgrade for the Polestar 2 that increased horsepower by 68 hp for a one-time fee, downloaded directly to the car.
• Safety Patches: When the NHTSA flagged issues with Tesla’s Autopilot driver-monitoring system in late 2023, the company recalled over 2 million vehicles. However, virtually no owners had to visit a shop; the “recall” was simply a software download that increased the size of alert icons and adjusted monitoring algorithms.
• Hands-Free Driving: Ford uses OTA updates to map more roads for its BlueCruise system, allowing Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners to drive hands-free on expanded highway networks.

The Nightmare Scenario: When Updates "Brick" Cars

The snippet provided highlights a critical risk: cars becoming “undriveable.” In the tech world, “bricking” a phone means a failed update makes it as useful as a brick. When this happens to a 5,000-pound vehicle, the consequences are severe.

Unlike a smartphone, a modern car contains dozens of distinct computers called Electronic Control Units (ECUs). These control everything from the radio to the fuel injection. During an update, all these units must synchronize perfectly. If the process is interrupted or the code contains a bug, the car may enter a safety lockout mode.

The Rivian Infotainment Failure (November 2023)

One of the most prominent examples occurred in November 2023 with Rivian. The electric truck manufacturer pushed out software update version 2023.42. Unfortunately, the update contained the wrong security certificate.

When owners installed it, the infotainment system went black. Because the climate controls and vehicle settings are routed through that screen, the trucks became largely unusable for many owners in colder climates, as they could not turn on the defrost or heat. Rivian had to scramble to fix the issue, but for many, it required a physical service visit or a complex reset procedure.

Ford Mustang Mach-E and the 12V Battery

Ford has also faced growing pains with its “Power-Up” updates for the Mustang Mach-E. Several owners reported that failed updates caused their vehicles to brick. The root cause was often not the high-voltage EV battery, but the smaller 12-volt battery (the standard car battery).

During the update process, the car must stay “awake” to write data to the ECUs. If the update takes too long or hangs, it drains the 12-volt battery. Once the 12-volt dies, the car cannot start the main high-voltage system or unlock the doors. Owners were left with dead cars in their garages, requiring a tow truck to drag the vehicle out because the electronic parking brakes were locked engaged.

Lucid Air “Deep Sleep”

Lucid Motors, another luxury EV startup, has faced similar hurdles. Owners have reported instances where an overnight update failed to complete, leaving the car in a frozen state. In some cases, the vehicle would not recognize the key fob or respond to the app, effectively locking the owner out of the vehicle entirely.

Why Do These Failures Happen?

Writing software for cars is significantly harder than writing software for iPhones. An iPhone is a single integrated device. A car is a network of components from different suppliers (Bosch, Continental, Magna) that all speak slightly different languages.

1. Fragmented Hardware: A 2022 model might use a different chip for the braking controller than a 2023 model. If the developer pushes code optimized for the 2023 chip to the 2022 car, the system may crash.
2. Connection Stability: Updates often occur while the car is parked in a garage. If the Wi-Fi signal is weak or the cellular connection drops mid-download, the file can become corrupted.
3. Battery Health: As seen with Ford, the update process is energy-intensive. If the 12-volt battery is old or weak, it may die before the software finishes installing.

How to Protect Yourself from a Bad Update

While you cannot stop the industry from moving toward OTA updates, you can take specific steps to minimize the risk of waking up to a bricked vehicle.

• Disable Automatic Updates: Go into your vehicle settings and turn off “Install Updates Automatically.” Set it to “Download Only” or “Notify Me.”
• Wait for the “Canary”: Let other owners be the test subjects. When a new update notification appears, wait 48 to 72 hours. Check owner forums (like Reddit’s r/Rivian or MachEforum.com) to see if early adopters are reporting bugs.
• Update at Home Only: Never install a system update when you are parked at an airport, a shopping mall, or on a road trip. Only update when the car is safely at home, where you have access to a second vehicle or Wi-Fi if things go wrong.
• Check Your 12V Battery: If your car is more than three years old, have the standard 12-volt battery tested. A weak battery is the number one cause of update failures.

The Verdict

Are OTA updates improving or bricking cars? The answer is mostly improving, but with a dangerous caveat. For 99% of owners, these updates are seamless conveniences that keep vehicles fresh and safe. However, the 1% failure rate is not just an inconvenience; it is a major disruption. Until legacy automakers master the software integration that Tesla has spent a decade refining, “update anxiety” will remain a very real part of modern car ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I drive my car while it is updating? No. Most OTA updates require the vehicle to be parked and turned off. The car puts itself into a specific installation mode where safety systems (like airbags and braking controllers) are temporarily offline. You typically get a countdown on the screen before the car becomes unusable for 30 to 60 minutes.

Does an OTA update cost money? Standard updates for bug fixes, recalls, and infotainment tweaks are usually free. However, manufacturers are increasingly moving toward “Features on Demand.” For example, BMW and Tesla may charge a fee to unlock heated seats, faster acceleration, or advanced self-driving software via an OTA update.

What should I do if an update fails and my car won’t start? First, do not panic. Check your manufacturer’s mobile app; sometimes there is a remote reset option. If the car has a 12-volt battery access point (usually in the front bumper or under the hood), try connecting a jump pack. If the 12-volt battery was drained by the update, jumping it may wake the car’s computer up enough to retry or finish the installation. If that fails, you will need to call roadside assistance.

Do OTA updates affect my warranty? Official updates pushed by the manufacturer do not void your warranty. In fact, they often protect it by fixing known mechanical stress points. However, if you attempt to “jailbreak” or hack your car’s software to unlock features you didn’t pay for, you will almost certainly void your warranty and risk permanently bricking the ECU.