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Autoblog Minute: FCA issues Uconnect software update amid hacking fears

Carjacking has gone wireless, as automakers and Congress scramble for a solution after a disturbing video on Wired showed a pair of researchers controlling a Jeep Cherokee remotely. Autoblog's Adam Morath and David Gluckman report on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Carjacking has gone wireless, as automakers and Congress scramble for a solution. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. Cars with wireless connections are susceptible to remote hacking, as demonstrated in a disturbing video on Wired.com. The segment showed two researchers remotely controlling a Jeep Cherokee, including running vehicle's the wipers, turning up the music, and ultimately shutting down [00:00:30] the Jeep while it was being driven on the highway by Wired senior writer Andy Greenberg. Washington took note. A press release issued from the desks of senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal introduces legislation protecting drivers from auto security privacy risks. Fiat Chrysler, parent company of Jeep, has a solution for its customers. For more we go to Autoblog's David Gluckman. [GLUCKMAN INTERVIEW] Chrysler has worked with the Uconnect cellular provider Sprint to plug security holes on the carrier side. The vehicles themselves can't be updated wirelessly, so [00:01:00] the remaining changes require physical access. For that, customers have three options: One, download the Uconnect software update to a USB stick and install. Two, wait for FCA to send a USB stick with the latest software that they can install, or third, visit a dealer. Owners should do what they're most comfortable with. I made a video that walks through the whole process from download to install and it took about a half hour. [MORATH] David's full video tutorial of how to install the Uconnect fix can be seen on Autoblog. [00:01:30] It remains to be seen how the rest of the auto industry will respond to these security risks. For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. Related Video: Autoblog Minute is a short-form news video series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.

Who are Mike Manley, Louis Camilleri, and Suzanne Heywood?

MILAN – Fiat Chrysler aid on Saturday that boss Sergio Marchionne, 66, would not be returning to work because he was gravely ill. In addition to being FCA chief executive, Marchionne was also CEO and chairman of luxury sports car brand Ferrari and chairman of truck and tractor maker CNH Industrial, which were spun off from FCA in recent years. Following is a brief summary on the executives who have been appointed to replace him in the various roles: MIKE MANLEY The 54-year-old Briton picked to become the FCA's new CEO has been leading the group's top brand Jeep since 2009, first as Jeep President and CEO at Chrysler and then as FCA's Jeep head. In 2015 he was also appointed head of the Ram brand. Under his tenure, Jeep turned into a global brand becoming, together with Ram, FCA's profit engine. Jeep sold nearly 1.4 million cars last year compared with less than 338,000 in 2009. Manley had worked as DaimlerChrysler's head of network development in Britain since 2000, having earlier worked for several years in car dealership. At Chrysler, he headed product planning and all sales activities outside of North America and then became the group's chief operating officer for Asia and the lead executive for the international activities outside of NAFTA. LOUIS CAMILLERI The new Ferrari CEO was already a board member at the luxury sportscar maker before his latest appointment. He is also the chairman of Philip Morris International, where he also held the job of CEO from 2008 to 2013. Born in 1955, Camilleri had joined Altria Group, which controls Philip Morris, in 1978 holding various positions until he became chief financial officer in 1996 and then CEO in 2002. Camilleri was also chairman of Kraft Foods from 2002 to 2007. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat wished Camilleri luck on Twitter saying he was proud to have "a bit of Malta in Ferrari" thanks to the new CEO, who was born in Egypt to Maltese parents. SUZANNE HEYWOOD The new, British-born chairwoman of CNH Industrial has been since 2016 the managing director of EXOR, the holding company through which the Agnelli family controls FCA. Heywood, 49, started her career at the British Treasury and then joined McKinsey in 1997, leading for many years the consultancy firm's global service line on organization design. She eventually became a senior partner there. Heywood sits on the board of The Economist, which is controlled by EXOR, and the board of the Royal Opera House, where she is also deputy chair.

NHTSA investigating power modules on Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans

The Center for Auto Safety is officially petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin scrutinizing alleged problems with the totally integrated power module (TIPM) on about 24 Chrysler Group SUVs and minivans. The advocacy group claims that the part's failure can cause affected vehicles to stall or not start at all. NHTSA is still looking into the accusations and deciding whether a full investigation is actually warranted.
The CAS petition claims at least 70 TIPM failures, but according to NHTSA, six of the complaints are for models that don't have the modules. In 34 of the reported cases, the vehicles refused to start, and in 17 of them the engine stalled. There were also two allegations of smoke and one of a fire. However, none of these affected airbag deployment or resulted in a crash.
This petition isn't the first TIPM-related problem for Chrysler Group. A recent report in the New York Times alleged that it found 240 complaints potentially related to the issue on NHTSA's website alone. In September, the automaker also recalled 230,760 examples worldwide (188,723 in the US) of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango replace the fuel pump relay circuit inside of the TIPM-7 with one external to the unit. The original part could allegedly cause the models to stall without warning. Even earlier, the company also recalled about 80,000 examples of the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro in 2007 to have the module reprogrammed.