Chrysler Announces a Highly Unusual Recall

1.4M cars could be vulnerable to hacker

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 24, 2015 11:27 AM CDT

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Chrysler Announces a Highly Unusual Recall — Dodge RAM 1500 pickups are among the vehicles affected. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

Here's a first in the annals of auto recalls: Fiat Chrysler is providing a fix for 1.4 million vehicles because they might be vulnerable to hackers, reports BGR. Owners of the affected cars—which all have 8.4-inch touchscreens—will apparently receive a USB dongle containing security upgrades as part of the "voluntary safety recall," notes Engadget. The automaker also says it "applied network-level security measures" in the wake of a report in Wired that provided a first-person account of hackers gaining control of a Jeep remotely.

The vehicles affected, from the automaker's statement:

2013-2015 MY Dodge Viper specialty vehicles
2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups
2013-2015 Ram 3500, 4500, 5500 Chassis Cabs
2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs
2014-2015 Dodge Durango SUVs
2015 MY Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans
2015 Dodge Challenger sports coupes

(Read more hacking stories.)