Ubbe
Member
They do upgrades to a lot of things in a car at each service checkup. Only if you need a new feature will they charge you for that.
/Ubbe
2022 is half over over and nothing from Uniden
- Thread starter ur20v
- Start date
/Ubbe
Not in the US. First of all, most people only go to a dealer when something goes wrong. Routine maintenance is far cheaper at non-dealer service shops. If there is a manufacturer's technical bulletin on an item (such as a computer update) and you take the car in for any service, they will do the recommended update to programming. But there is no mandatory notification of owners. There are also technical service bulletins on mechanical items that are only done if you are having service done on the involved part. And you generally pay for that TSB being done. Not always, but some you do pay for.
Recalls, yes, if you get a notice of a recall, you make an appointment with a dealer (for your make car) and they will do that for free. Any other work you have done you will be charged for that other work.
If you are one of those folks who look at services to be done every xxx miles/km and take it to your dealer for the xxx checkup, the dealer MAY also do programming updates. Again, not a lot of folks do that over here.
Meaning it's hit or miss on getting updates to programming done.
Well, all the European makes do it automatically. At least the Germans. You roll in for an oil change and they plug into your port and do a complete scan, and the system automatically checks the installed software version of each module and gateway against the current list, and everything gets updated instantly. Hell, my current winter car is a 14 year old Audi wagon I picked up last year for next to nothing. I immediately started getting airbag recall notices in the mail for it, and after I brought it in to have the Takata airbags replaced, I noticed several changes in the software versions in completely unrelated components, like the radio, the instrument cluster, the ECU, and even the TCU. My total cost? $0. Even if you just take your car in to the dealer for a quick diagnosis its going to get updated software. And it's the same for the other German brands as well... it actually requires no input from the technician to do updates, and since they're using native computer systems, there's no messing around with clunky J2534 pass-thrus and manufacturer portals and subscriptions like independent shops have to use, and the exorbitant fees that come along with it. Having said that, I know some of the domestic and Asian systems aren't nearly as efficient as the Germans, and apparently trying to get something updated can be akin to having teeth pulled.
