News Digest

Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.4M vehicles to prevent hacking

Fiat Chrysler has decided to recall about 1.4 million cars and trucks in the U.S. just days after two hackers detailed how they were able to take control of a Jeep Cherokee SUV over the Internet. The company will update software to insulate the vehicles from being remotely controlled, and it implied that the hackers committed a crime, saying in a statement Friday that unauthorized remote manipulation of a vehicle is a criminal act. The recall affects vehicles with 8.4-inch touchscreens including 2013 to 2015 Ram pickups and chassis cabs and Dodge Viper sports cars. Also covered are 2014 and 2015 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs, as well as the 2015 Chrysler 200 and 300, and the Dodge Charger and Challenger.

The recall aligns with an ongoing software distribution that insulates connected vehicles from remote manipulation, which, if unauthorized, constitutes criminal action.

FCA US, the American arm of the Italian auto group

All the vehicles have a certain type of radio, indicating that the company may have found and patched another area that’s vulnerable to hackers. Fiat Chrysler says it also has taken security measures on its own vehicle network to prevent hacking. Those measures require no customer action and became effective on Thursday. The company said it knows of no incidents involving hacking of its vehicles except for the one unveiled this week. Initially the company didn’t issue a recall, but said it would contact all affected customers. The Jeep incident was the latest warning to the auto industry, which is rapidly adding Internet-connected features like WiFi and navigation that are convenient for drivers but make the car more vulnerable to outside attacks.