NHTSA Complaint #11269031 — 2017 CHRYSLER PACIFICA

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY, THE UCONNECT SYSTEM REPEATEDLY DISPLAYED REQUESTS FOR SETTING A TIME DURING WHICH THE SYSTEM WOULD UNDERGO AN OVER-THE-AIR SOFTWARE UPDATE. THIS DIALOG BOX COULD NOT BE EASILY DISMISSED OR CLEARED. I CHOSE AND SET A TIME FOR THE UPDATE; HOWEVER, THIS REQUEST DIALOG WAS REINSTANTIATED ANYTIME A BUTTON WAS PRESSED, THUS EFFECTIVELY RENDERING THE TOUCHSCREEN INTERFACE (INCLUDING THE NAVIGATION) UNUSABLE. THE DIALOG HAD A DEFAULT TIME FOR THE SYSTEM TO UPDATE. THIS WAS SET TO THE CURRENT TIME PLUS ONE MINUTE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR THE DIALOG AND USE THE NAVIGATION, THIS DEFAULT TIME WAS INADVERTENTLY CHOSEN. ONE MINUTE LATER, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY, THE UCONNECT SYSTEM INITIATED A SOFTWARE UPDATE WHICH COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN THE TOUCHSCREEN INTERFACE AND DISPLAYED A WARNING WHICH SAID THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE STOPPED AND IN PARK. AS THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY, THIS WARNING COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WITH. THE REPEATED DIALOG BOXES WERE INCREDIBLY DISTRACTING. THE FACT THAT THE DRIVER COULD INADVERTENTLY INITIATE A SOFTWARE UPDATE WHILE IN MOTION IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS BUT ASTOUNDINGLY ABSURD.