Today's cars are computers on wheels, and just like smartphone, tablet and computer updates, vehicle updates are often pushed out without adequate testing. However, the consequences of poorly tested updates can be dire.
They Have Caused Accidents
Error-prone auto updates have caused braking and acceleration issues and have even caused crashes. A seemingly innocuous patch to an infotainment system can have deleterious effects on critical systems. Battery drainage issues have been caused with updates, and in some cases, a software update has even been known to "brick" a vehicle, making it inoperable.
Considering more people are using partial and full self-driving features, software updates that have been thoroughly tested are more critical than ever. See
self-driving car and
infotainment.