5.3M Cars Recalled Because 'Drivers May Not Be Able to Turn Off Cruise Control' (freep.com)

An anonymous reader quotes the Associated Press: Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 5.3 million vehicles in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere because in rare but terrifying circumstances, drivers may not be able to turn off the cruise control. The company is warning owners not to use cruise control until the cars, SUVs and trucks can be fixed with a software update. Fiat Chrysler says the condition can occur if the cruise control accelerates at the same time an electrical short-circuit happens. But the brakes are designed to overpower the engine and the vehicles could still be stopped...

In the complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an owner from Olathe, Kansas, said a 2017 Dodge Journey SUV rental vehicle was being driven about 70 miles per hour with the cruise control on when the windshield wipers came on by themselves and the throttle locked up. The owner, who was not identified in the agency's complaint database, wrote that the cruise control would not disengage by tapping the brakes or turning off the button. The driver was able to slam on the brakes and get the SUV to the side of the road. "It was still running at an engine speed to support 70 mph and fighting the brakes," the driver wrote. The engine stop button also wouldn't work, but the driver was able to halt the SUV and shift into park while the brakes "smoked significantly."
The recall "includes 15 Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Ram models from six model years" which have automatic transmissions and gas engines, according to the Associated Press -- 4.8 million in America, plus another 490,000 in Canada and "an undetermined number" in other countries.

You can check if your vehicle is affected by this (or any other) recall by entering its VIN number at NHTSA.gov. U.S. safety officials suggest checking whether your vehicle has been recalled "at least twice per year."

Comments

Analogue Panic/Stop Button Wouldn't Help?

[OpenSourceAllTheWay]

A nice red plastic button that when hit, disengages all software/electronics that might take control away from you, and either kills the engine completely as well, or lets you take full-manual control of everything? If the vehicles in question do not have that, what happens when some kind of remote hack or virus attack happens on these vehicles? Imagine turning on the news and finding that hundreds of vehicles have all crashed at the same time, with injuries and loss of lives, because some asshole hacker in another part of the world took all manual control away from the drivers? You can see red Stop/Panic buttons in pretty much any setting where dangerous equipment is operated that might need to be shut down quickly in an emergency. A car weighing over 1 ton and going at 70MPH or more IS dangerous equipment.

Re:Analogue Panic/Stop Button Wouldn't Help?

[drinkypoo]

You also need: non-electronic steering and a functional (physical) handbrake. The latter is mandated by law iirc, not sure about the former?

You don't need non-electronic steering, but you do need a physical handbrake. Unfortunately, those are an endangered species. Most vehicles worth more than a couple of dollars now have an "EPB" or electric parking brake. My D2 Audi A8 has a real handbrake with a cable and a handle and everything, but the D3 has an EPB and you have to use a scan tool just to change the rear brakes (or hook up 12v directly to the EPB motor...)

Steer by wire can still steer even if the power goes completely dead, as long as the wires between the steering column and the steering rack are retained. There's a motor/generator at both ends. Steering will get a bit wonky, with the wheel position unrelated to the steering angle, but you can still steer. I think it's a dumb idea though, and I want a physical linkage between my wheel and the front wheels just on principle.

Also, you didn't mention brake-by-wire, but all current systems are actually a normal ABS system behind the scenes. In normal operation, there is no connection between your foot and the actual brakes; the pressure from the hydraulic system is read, translated into a number, and that number is used to apply the brakes on your behalf. In that way, the braking force can be moderated without any shuddering in the pedal. If the power to the ABS controller goes out, a solenoid valve fails open and makes a hydraulic connection directly to the brakes (which you operate manually) so that it also has a sane failure mode.

EPBs are still garbage, though.

Re:Analogue Panic/Stop Button Wouldn't Help?

[ColaMan]

I wouldn't put too much trust in physical handbrakes. They are designed to prevent a stationary vehicle from moving, and that's it. They're not designed to arrest a powered, moving vehicle, and odds are pretty good that you'll burn it out before you stop your car in those situations.

So really, the actions are the same as they have been for the last 50 years of driving. Avoid trying to turn the engine off as a steering lock might engage. Disengage the transmission if possible, and apply the brakes, once, in a single forceful manner.

Your car's brakes are very powerful and this can be shown by the fact that it takes 10 seconds to accelerate your car from a standstill to highway speeds, but only 4 seconds to bring it back to a halt - and a lot of that is limited by traction with the road.

Re: Analogue Panic/Stop Button Wouldn't Help?

[sjames]

There is an off position on many ignition locks that doesn't lock the steering.

From locked position, one click unlocks the wheel. Next click is the on position. Turn past on to engage the starter.

Runaway Car

[mentil]

How much faith do I have in 'Fiat' now?! Scary stuff like this is why I bought a Toyota. /s

You know what Fiat stands for fix it again tony!

[Joe_Dragon]

fix it again tony

More computers in cars!

[ptaff]

We need more computers and code in cars! And make all systems internet-connected so that they become as safe as other IoT devices. For sure programmers working for the transport industry are way more competent than in any other field, and source code unavailability ensures security.

Electronics

[networkzombie]

Shift into neutral. If your transmission has only electronic controls, then you really do not ever have control of your car. I once had an object obstruct the carburetor throttle on my old Buick (an acorn left by a squirrel). When the car kept going 70 after hitting the brakes, I immediately shifted to neutral. I could actually keep driving by shifting between neutral and drive (bad for tranny but kept me going). Every time I use cruise control I am horrifically aware that I am putting my life in the hands of some under paid programmer. I don't want to get a new car because I like my key. My key can turn off the engine without locking the steering wheel or turning off the any electronics like my radio or Bluetooth (Acura). My step mother forgets to turn off her car because she takes her key fob when leaving but forgetting to push a button. People leaving these types of cars on in their garage have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Many electronics in vehicles are solutions looking for a problem. If you need a damn key fob, why not just stick it in and turn it? Remember having to get your ass up to change the TV channel? Now get off my lawn!

Simple

[PPH]

The control is on the center console user interface. Just navigate to:

Systems | Controls | Extended Functions | Speed | Basic | Cruise Mode

and select 'OFF'. When Clippy pops up and asks "It appears that you are attempting to take manual control of your vehicle. This is not recommended. Do you want assistance?" Select 'NO' (Do not want assistance) and then 'YES' (take manual control).

Accept the liability terms on the popup page by clicking 'I Accept'. And now you can drive your car.

Re:Build it with Agile!

[phantomfive]

If they build it using agile methods, it can be cheaper, too. Win-win, right?

Re:You know what Fiat stands for fix it again tony

[PolygamousRanchKid]

In German, I have heard:

"Fehler in allen Teilen" (Faults in all parts)

Or, in English, my personal favorite:

"Fucking Italian Automotive Trash"

Heaven in Europe is where:
- the police are British
- the lovers French
- the mechanics German
- the chefs Italian
and it is all organized by the Swiss.

Hell in Europe is where:
- the police are German
- the lovers Swiss
- the mechanics Italian
- the chefs British

and it is all organized by the French.

When Fiat bought Chrysler, I read in an article that Fiat was banking on Dodge's very loyal customer base, and that most American wouldn't even realize that Chrysler was now an Italian company.

The article postulated that this could all change if the quality of Chrysler products dropped. It claimed that Fiat saves money by cutting corners, while others, like Toyota, save money with innovation and optimization.