GM recalls 4M cars for airbag software defect; Bolt EV to get OTA updates

By Bruce Brown Published September 9, 2016

gm airbag software recall bolt ev ota coming 2017 chevrolet interview 0018 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Vehicle software updates were featured in General Motors news twice this week. GM has recalled more than 4 million vehicles to correct an airbag software defect already linked to at least one death, reports the LA Times. Also, a top GM engineering executive said the Bolt EV will have an over-the-air (OTA) software update capability within the next year or so, according to Electrek.

In all, 4.28 million vehicles –3.6 million in the U.S. — are covered by the recall to fix airbag software. According to GM, a sensing and diagnostic module can go into a test mode. In that mode, airbags will not inflate in a crash. Seat belts might not work, either. The company said at least one death and three injuries have been associated with the defect.

Recommended Videos

The vehicles involved in the recall include: the 2014-2016 Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet SS, and Chevrolet Spark EV; 2014-2017 Buick Encore, GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Trax, Chevrolet Caprice police car and Chevrolet Silverado 1500; and 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, GMC Sierra HD, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Owners will have to take their vehicles to a dealer for the free update. Dealers already have the update, so fixes should be fast.

Bolt EV owners won’t need to go to dealers for software updates once OTA programming is enabled. GM Chief Executive Engineer Pam Fletcher said “software download capability” is on its way. First, however, the engineering team is focusing on security.

“We take [cybersecurity] very seriously, and we were the first major automaker to establish a dedicated cybersecurity team … we really wanted to have all the necessary safeguards in place so that we could do over-the-air programming safely and securely on the Bolt EV,” Fletcher said.

According to Electrek, Fletcher said the Bolt EV would retail for $37,500 before incentives, have a 200-mile range, and get from zero to 60 in less than 7 seconds.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.