Software Update Issue

[sammoj]

I have commented on a number of posts about the issues my dealer has had updating the infotainment software on my MGS5 Trophy.

The vehicle was in the workshop for 4 days about 3 weeks ago and they were unable to update it from R23 to R25. It went back in again on Tuesday and I received an email tonight (Thursday) to confirm that after 3 days of MG Technical working on the car it has finally accepted the R25 update and they have also updated other modules to the latest available versions. A total of 7 working days to update the infotainment from R23 to R25! My Hyundai used to do that in 20 minutes after I downloaded the file and stuck a USB in the dashboard slot and locked the car.

I really can't understand why it is so complicated to update software on the MG but the dealer has stuck with it to be fair to them and found a way forward pushing MG hard to assist and I do really appreciate this. This seems to be an issue for many manufacturers lately and is putting pressure on dealers to spend considerable time on applying software updates to fix things that shouldn't need fixing. No wonder they are reluctant to do it.

I know things are much more complex in modern vehicles but I do wonder if they are becoming too complex for traditional dealers and if manufacturers should have teams of software technicians who can properly support them when software issues occur. I really do feel sorry for the dealers who are mostly helpless to deal with software issues but are the front line for unhappy customers experiencing issues and all they can do is act as a go-between with MG. MG Customer services seem to just bounce any requests from customers for information back to the dealers saying 'book in for diagnostic' or 'we are not mechanically trained please contact your dealer'.

I listened to an interesting interview recently from the CEO of Rivian who was explaining how many distributed computer systems are in a modern car and the fact they contain software from many different manufacturers, often where the module manufacturer outsources the software development, and how it all needs to be taken into account when they update any central system they code. No wonder things stop working with each other with so many fingers in the pie. Maybe it is time for a rethink from the ground up, do away with the infamous 12v battery, standardise microcontrollers in subsystems and bring things back in house to ensure control over system updates. Maybe that is why Tesla seems to have a pretty good software update solution and are able to issue quarterly over the air updates.

My nieces Mini Electric ended up in the garage earlier this week due to a failed over the air update so it's not just MG with these challenges.

After driving a Nissan Juke Hybrid for 7 days, which I was grateful for as a loan, it has made me look forward to getting my MGS5 back and going back to smooth Electric driving with decent power and hopefully a working AppleCar Play on R25. The ADAS systems I can work around with MGPilot Custom which is a great feature and I appreciate that even more having driven the Juke which nagged me constantly about going 1 mile over the speed limit it thought I should be driving at which it often picked up from a side road and not the main carriageway.

I do also think NCAP need to rethink their approach to rating vehicles safety when relying on ADAS particularly when their limited testing doesn't account for real world driving conditions. If the first thing we do when getting into our cars is turn off a chunk of these because they are so distracting or irritating then the vehicle doesn't really deserve that rating imho.

Anyway thats my rant over, I would be interested to hear if anyone else has seen similar issues with software updates, MG or otherwise.

John

 

[TimothyN]

I am very firmly of the view that if it ain't bust, you don't fix it.

 

[Ian Key]

I know what you mean about the length of time it takes MG to pull their fingers out and approve fixes.

I had an MG4 with the AC charging issue i.e. it wouldn't charge on a home charger. The dealer had to do a bit of diagnostics, report back to MG and wait for their approval before doing the next step. Each stage would take two or three days as MG could take two days to report back and then the dealer had to fit the car into its workshop schedule. In total it was at the dealers for several weeks.

In the end I emailed MG customer services asking if there was anything they could do to speed the process up and they said ask your dealer. So I did and was informed that they have to keep waiting 48 hours for MG to reply at each step. I emailed MG back telling them this and accusing MG of micro-managing warranty work.

I got a curt reply saying they don't micro-manage and offer technical support for their dealers when required. Coincidentally two hours later my dealer had a phone call from MG approving the replacement of the CCU and that it would be with them in a couple of days.

 

[sammoj]

I am very firmly of the view that if it ain't bust, you don't fix it.

it was bust...hence why I wanted a fix.

 

[sammoj]

Just picked the car up and they say everything is bang up to date including ADAS.

1. Couldn't get CarPlay to connect at all, not via wireless or cable. Told both phone and car to forget each other, rebooted head unit, tried an alternative iPhone. Eventually in desperation decided to try and connect car WLAN to iPhone via hotspot and CarPlay sprang into life! Now seems to work each time wirelessly. Told both phone and car to forget each other same issue, connect WLAN to hotspot, connected but cable and wireless. So if anyone is having trouble with CarPlay on iOS26 and Infotainment R25 try a hotspot WLAN connection first.

2. The car had forgotten all my custom MG Pilot settings so I drove the 30 miles home with everything defaulted. Apart from a couple of irritating over speed limit warnings it behaved perfectly despite the heavy rain and wind from storm Amy. I have no idea what was updated in terms of other modules but will leave everything on except the SpeedNagBot and see how it goes.

Hopefully CarPlay stays connected and I can avoid the trip back to the dealer until July 2026 when it will be due its first service. I certainly will be asking them NOT to update any software unless it is essential for safety or warranty after this experience.

John

 

[tsedge]

I think you have answered your own question - makers who outsource car modules and software to 3rd parties end up with dozens of modules, multiple versions of software across each, multiple methods of upgrade and mutual incompatibilities. It is a wonder the cars can be updated at all, especially as most technicians are not programmers.

Those who have a vertically integrated platform (buy the hardware but write their own software) like Tesla and Rivian (and now VW via Rivian for the future), have much better experiences, but it means becoming a software development business more than a car assembly business, so it is a hard path.

But it is a path that more and more makers are taking, because it is the only route that really works.

The new IM5 and IM6 are supposed to have a new software platform, but it isn't clear what that means. We will see if updates get better with that tech. MGS5 seems to be on the same generation tech as MG5, MG4, MG Cyberster.

 

[acemelhaz]

So what were the updates

 

[sammoj]

So what were the updates

They just said all modules which were out of date were updated to latest version, I don't have a list. I do know the Infotainment went from R23 to R25 and updates the first time it went in involved the Front Collision system, braking control system and Driver attention/fatigue system.

 

[Ian Key]

2. The car had forgotten all my custom MG Pilot settings so I drove the 30 miles home with everything defaulted. Apart from a couple of irritating over speed limit warnings it behaved perfectly despite the heavy rain and wind from storm Amy. I have no idea what was updated in terms of other modules but will leave everything on except the SpeedNagBot and see how it goes.

Mine came with R25 installed and like you the only setting that I would turn off is the over speed limit warning although most of the time I use the auto speed limiter which works quite well on local journeys.

 

[sammoj]

Interesting article on the challenges of OTA updates and vehicle software.

Why Are Car Software Updates Still So Bad? — WIRED UK

Over-the-air upgrades can not only transform your ride, they can help carmakers slash costs. Here’s why they’re still miles away from being seamless.

apple.news

 

[tsedge]

That's a good write up, thanks for sharing