All-new 2018 Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) pushed out an over-the-air update to the Uconnect infotainment system in new 2017 and 2018 vehicles on February 9, and despite the brand claiming to have a fix, it seems that many are still experiencing issues.

The UconnectCares Twitter account, which is the official account run by FCA for Uconnect customer service has been keeping customers updated on the situation, first acknowledging it on February 12 with a tweet. “Certain 2017 and 2018 Uconnect systems may experience a reboot every 45-60 seconds. Our Engineering teams are investigating the cause and working towards a resolution. We will post here as soon as more information is available and apologize for the inconvenience.”

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Specifically, the problem affects owners with the 8.4-inch screen Uconnect 4C NAV system, available in the new Jeep Wrangler JL along with just about every product sold by Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat. According to an earlier report on the issue from The Verge, the Uconnect glitch has only affected the Northeast region of the US and Canada.

Many owners took to Twitter to vent their frustrations. Some report incessant re-booting of the system, others that certain infotainment features aren’t working, or even that the radio turned on by itself and drained the battery when the vehicle was shut off.

On February 16, UconnectCares tweeted that, “Uconnect and SiriusXM have implemented a solution. Systems should function normally after receiving the satellite signal and an ignition cycle. Travel Link Service will be restored. We apologize for any inconvenience.” Many responded saying that the update was successful and that the issue was repaired.

2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon owner I was told it should work one day after I purchased the car. It’s been 15 days. I called Jeep, Uconnect and Sirius guardian and all I get is we will escalate the issue and there’s no timeframe for a fix.”

Others on twitter also reported the update not working.

Another Wrangler owner on Twitter says that after the update, the off-road pages have been disabled in his vehicle.

We began investigating the issue when the Detroit Bureau Editor of our sister website AutoGuide.com, Craig Cole, experienced a total shutdown on the highway in an FCA-owned 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system.

Cole says that while traveling at around 60 mph, the Jeep’s engine suddenly shut down. After pulling to the side of the highway, all of the electronics on the inside, from the dash cluster to the roof-mounted light, began flickering on and off (seen in the tweet embedded below). The brake lights and hazard lights also became non-operational and the engine would not re-start.

The vehicle’s symptoms point towards an electrical issue and Cole’s passenger Ben Sanders also noted a “screeching/static from the sound system earlier in the drive.” Until we are updated though, it is entirely unclear if the problem in this Wrangler is the result of the Uconnect update. We will update the story once we know more about what happened with Cole’s Jeep.

We also reached out for a comment from FCA on the progress of the Uconnect update. As of publication time, we have not received a response but will update the story if one comes.

Update: FCA responded with the following statement. “Uconnect and SiriusXM, have implemented a solution to address systems that were repeatedly rebooting. The affected systems should be functioning normally after receiving a satellite signal and an ignition cycle. Additionally, we are beginning to turn Travel Link services back on. We apologize for the inconvenience that this may have caused.”

Update 2 – Feb. 26 2018: Based on tweets from owners, it would seem that Uconnect is still experiencing some issues. The tweets embedded below are the most recent cases we can find of Uconnect problems, including a Wrangler JL owner who claims that the off-road pages still don’t work in his new Jeep.