Define "serious." I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to establish what the boundaries might be.And this is precisely why I hope Ford does not try to use OTA updates for serious software issues, but only for adding enhancements. If it's a serious operational issue, the dealer needs to do it.
While many people here might moan and groan about things and assume what Ford might and might not do, I can answer this question with certainty.OTA updates can be pushed out, but does Ford know if every vehicle has received it?
I'd say when it's safety related. If it's to correct a software bug that prevents radio presets from being held in memory that's not a big deal and absolutely should be OTA. But if it relates to the safe operation of the vehicle, I say it needs to be dealer-verified before use. When it's a liability or safety issue I want them to do it.Define "serious." I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to establish what the boundaries might be.
Would the current PAAK "Customer Satisfaction Campaign" qualify as a serious dealer-only fix? Or would that be ok as part of the PowerUp deliveries? How about the bug where the sync system resets some of the preferences in a profile every power cycle? How about an (entirely) hypothetical regen system flaw? Is the dividing line safety related? I can see the point you seem to be making. I can also see the point of fixing via OTA if it can get the fix delivered faster and with better quality control. The upcoming windshield recall though? yeah, that'd be hard to OTA.
Fair enough. I don't entirely agree, but our viewpoints aren't all that far apart really.I'd say when it's safety related. If it's to correct a software bug that prevents radio presets from being held in memory that's not a big deal and absolutely should be OTA. But if it relates to the safe operation of the vehicle, I say it needs to be dealer-verified before use. When it's a liability or safety issue I want them to do it.
For example I recently had the software controlling the cameras (and presumably related systems) updated by the dealer due to some error codes thrown by the car. Would it have been "more convenient" for this to be sent to my vehicle OTA? Sure. But the liability associated with that is not something I want nor I'm sure that Ford wanted, since the effectiveness of the update directly impacts the safe operation of the vehicle, and is not something I could verify but the dealer could (and did.)
The PAAK update would likely fall into a similar category IMO. Since losing that functionality can and does impact the user's ability to operate the vehicle, it's not something I would want OTA. It's something I would want the dealer to do and then verify was correct before they give me the vehicle and call it repaired.
If the Blue Cruise update only activates or integrates functions already part of the vehicle, like many are speculating, then an OTA activation seems appropriate. If it adds functionality beyond desensitizing the hands on wheel sensor, then I will take the car to the dealer to setup and test before I try to use it.
Semantics. Downloaded manually or pushed automatically is still being downloaded. And the only way the server can verify an OTA update was received is by verifying a checksum or some similar method that only checks that the entire data load was received, yes? Can they operate the vehicle and verify the update was effective after implementation? No they cannot. Can the user? Not reliably. Only the dealer can do that - and assume the liability of so doing I might add.OTAs are not 'trusted to users as a download'. They're an automated process which hopefully report back of success so that Ford can track which vehicles have/don't have what installed. Using OTA is much, much more efficient than relying on dealers to do one car at a time. Something that's safety critical is much better handled in mass OTA than over several months filtering through dealer service centers. Many owners will also skip having a recall service due to the hassle of having to make an appointment and work their schedules around taking the car in.
Although the car can maintain the 12v battery when the car is plugged in to AC power (and it does this from time to time). So it should be possible to apply those power-hungry updates when the car is plugged in.And now the ' kicker' : updates need a 12Volt battery to be reliable for a couple of hours. And those batteries are the problem in EV vehicles. That is the reason why a dealer gets the instruction to manually attach a 12volt battery for the process !
Trust me, we get it. Nobody is offended being compared to a gamer. We (at least me) took issue with you downplaying the importance of fixing software bugs in a timely manner as long as they don’t impact the “usability” of our cars. This ain’t a toaster. It’s an expensive car. And some of us just have higher expectations. You should probably move on now.I find it humorous that some people apparently are offended by being compared to gamers. My 45 year old daughter is a dedicated gamer and I respect her choices (as well as her mad skillz.) The comparison is not meant to be denigrating, it is meant to indicate the difference between an expectation of downloadable updates and patches to fix everything VS my expectation as a vehicle owner that serious issues should not be trusted to users as a download that is applied without experts available to monitor the results.
That is all.
You should mind your own business about what I do, bud,.You should probably move on now.
If Emergency Vehicles are a big threat to BlueCruise right now, Ford should be sending out an emergency update to disable BC on ALL the cars that currently have it. They are not. Ford is rewarding people for buying GT's and 2022 F150's and letting them have BC right now and the rest of us can suck it.While I think BC has it's issues, from my experience using it, I don't think FSD is in any way comparable to BC. BC is just ACC and LC with the added benefit of hands off. It's nothing more. Those technologies have been around for 10+ years in many mfgs and well vetted.
The biggest difference is the attention to the road which Ford ensures that you are doing. So assuming that there's an emergency vehicle on the road, you would take control. There's nothing in BC that claims it avoids Emergency Vehicles (would those be called EV's too??)
Then they should also disable ACC and LC by your account? Because BC is simply those two systems, the same you have now. As someone who has BC, it's not all you might think it is. IMO, ACC and LC are much more effective than BC because they can be practically used anywhere you drive. Will BC crash into an Emergency Vehicle, I believe so... so will ACC. I don't see your point.If Emergency Vehicles are a big threat to BlueCruise right now, Ford should be sending out an emergency update to disable BC on ALL the cars that currently have it.
Months ago (as in 10ish) I went to a local Ford dealership with intent to purchase an MME. I drove it and decided it wasn't spunky enough for me. I really wanted it, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy with my choice if I did. So I told myself I would wait for the GTPE, which I did. I'm happy I waited (got it 2 weeks ago). Patience is a virtue. Lots of people get rewarded for different things. We aren't entitled to anything and maybe there's a valid reason for it.Ford is rewarding people for buying GT's and 2022 F150's and letting them have BC right now and the rest of us can suck it.
And if that ends up being the case, so what? I don't know, man, manufacturers add features to new model years all the time... If you bought the car in order to have BC then maybe you should have waited until you could buy one with it enabled instead of relying on a "we plan to roll it out later" promise?Ford is rewarding people for buying GT's and 2022 F150's and letting them have BC right now and the rest of us can suck it.
This is how I see it because this is the truth! Favoritism for those who purchased a certain product at a certain time. Nothing more.