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Supplier says Jeep Cherokee hack only affects FCA cars

Harman doesn't think that drivers need to worry about any further hacks of its products. The company supplies FCA's Uconnect infotainment system where a software vulnerability is responsible for a 1.4-million vehicle recall. "This experimental hack is unique to Chrysler," Harman CEO Dinesh Paliwal said to Automotive News. "This does not exist, to our assessment, in any other vehicle." The reason that the company wouldn't be involved is that automakers aren't simply plugging in the existing infotainment systems into new vehicles. According to Paliwal, Harman supplies the unit, but FCA and other automakers are able to make additional modifications for their vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also recently taken up the question of broader software vulnerabilities in Harman's products. On July 29, the agency began investigating the company to check for similarities between Uconnect and the infotainment systems supplied to other automakers. The Jeep hack became national news when two researchers were remotely able to take control of a Cherokee. The vulnerability in the cellular connection even gave control over the brakes. "Once people get in the car and get into the CAN bus, then you can start to mimic and mess up many, many things in the car," Paliwal said to Automotive News. Politicians immediately responded with legislation to create federal standards in hopes of protecting drivers better. NHTSA also opened an investigation to make sure the automaker's software update actually solved the problem. Related Video:

UPS employees band together to buy car for teen coworker

A young Alabama man got the surprise of a lifetime this week when his co-workers presented him with his very own car for his daily commute. According to the Daily Mail, 19-year-old Derrick Taylor started working at the Oxford, Alabama, UPS freight center a year and a half ago to support his ailing mother. With precious little money left over after bills and healthcare, Taylor had no money to afford a vehicle so he walked the five miles to and from work every day. Despite numerous offers of rides and loans, the young man was too proud to accept even the slightest help from his co-workers. Desperate to do something for him, Taylor's co-workers raised money in secret and bought him a used Jeep Cherokee off a local lot. 'This is a hard working young man. He makes me emotional. This young man wants to work so bad, he walks to work from way out of town," said James Williams, Taylor's safety instructor. "The group here, we've got some good news for you. Everybody came together and you don't have to walk no more. You've got your own ride. We want you to know we appreciate your hard work." Deeply moved, Taylor stood for a moment and wiped tears away before he walked over to check out the Jeep. "I was overwhelmed with joy. No one had ever done anything like that for me so it made me cry and I'm not really the type to show my emotions," he told the Daily Mail. Related Video: News Source: The Daily Mail Auto News Jeep SUV gift

Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps

Chrysler made big news earlier in the month by refusing a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty. Last week, NHTSA boss David Strickland countered by defending his agency's request for the recall of 2.7 million Jeep SUVs. Today marked the deadline for Chrysler to formally respond to NHTSA, and it seems that both parties have met in the middle with Chrysler inspecting and upgrading some of the affected vehicles without using the word "recall," which would constitute the admission of a defect; instead, Chrysler said that it is conducting a "voluntary campaign."
At issue on these vehicles is the positioning of the fuel tank behind the rear axle that could get damaged during a rear-end collision. NHTSA has stated that at least 51 people have been killed in rear-end collisions involving these Jeeps after the vehicles caught fire, to which Chrysler countered by pointing out that both models "met and exceeded" the requirements for fuel-system integrity.
As a compromise on the situation, Chrysler says that it will inspect all pre-2004 Grand Cherokees and pre-2007 Liberty models and, "if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle." According to Automotive News, this upgrade will consist of adding a trailer hitch that will presumably better protect the rear-mounted gas tank. Vehicles already equipped with a factory or Mopar hitch will not be modified. Chrysler's official statement on the matter is posted below, but no additional information has been released, such as when the campaign will begin and how many vehicles could be affected.