Carplay is defective and dangerous

[wmconlon]

Situation: brand new 2016 Chevy Volt. Plug phone in and carplay is available.

Select Music, then browse to Artists. Wheel of Death spins for about 10 minutes, then the dashboard console goes black and reboots.

Repeat and select Albums. Same result.

BTW, my music library is a good size, but not huge, and kept in the Apple cloud.

Sounds to me like:
1. no realistic usability testing.
2. memory leak
3. Safety hazard, as this crashed the GM provided console, not just the Carplay components. Navigation got completed lost while I was driving. No idea what other things could go wrong.
4. Attack vector. Sounds like a maliciously crafted artist list could be used to hack into the console and then perhaps the entire vehicle.

 

[sunking101]

Just plug a cable into your head unit like in the old days, or play a cassette like in the good old days.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

Been using it for about four months and never experienced anything like that. It has a few bugs, but really like it for the most part.

 

[viperGTS]

That sounds more like a GM issue than a CarPlay one, especially if the entire GM console failed.

 

[alFR]

Sounds to me like:
1. no realistic usability testing.
2. memory leak
3. Safety hazard, as this crashed the GM provided console, not just the Carplay components. Navigation got completed lost while I was driving. No idea what other things could go wrong.
4. Attack vector. Sounds like a maliciously crafted artist list could be used to hack into the console and then perhaps the entire vehicle.

Sounds to me like you should be going back to the dealer and getting them to sort your faulty Volt out.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Got to be a GM issue as it work fine for both me and two of my friends.

 

[docprego]

CarPlay in my 2016 GM vehicle is absolutely broken to the extent that it's unusable. See this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/carplay-bug.1925403/

I was of the opinion that it was an Apple CarPlay bug, but now I'm starting to think it might be a GM thing.

 

[ohio.emt]

How is it dangerous? It crashing the radio/navigation interface isn't a safety issue.

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

Why is it that people always blame Apple for either user error or some other manufacturers error. It never ceases to amaze me.

 

[dk001]

How is it dangerous? It crashing the radio/navigation interface isn't a safety issue.

You don't know what else is hooked/linked to that system. You could have EMM or Safety features linked into that system.

 

[gordon1234]

You don't know what else is hooked/linked to that system. You could have EMM or Safety features linked into that system.

If any of those things are hooked directly to the software that controls the entertainment features, that's a massive safety issue in itself that has nothing whatsoever to do with Apple.

 

[wmconlon]

How is it dangerous? It crashing the radio/navigation interface isn't a safety issue.

Here are some reasons why it could be dangerous.

1. Crashing the console while navigating could cause you to miss a turn. You may recall people following bad mapping directions off the road.
2. Crashing the console could distract the driver.
3. Crashing the console during a 911 call could result in inadvertent emergency dispatch, which is inherently hazardous, or could delay emergency dispatch, potentially resulting in dire results.

 

[wmconlon]

Why is it that people always blame Apple for either user error or some other manufacturers error. It never ceases to amaze me.

1. Because Apple supplies the SDK used for integrating CarPlay.
2. It's Apple's product that fails. The GM console works just fine until CarPlay is introduced.

 

[wmconlon]

I called GM OnStar to report the first occurence. They followed up today and indicated there are other known cases and asked me to take the vehicle into the Dealer. Perhaps there will be a fix, or perhaps they will just ask me to replicate the problem.

 

[wmconlon]

CarPlay in my 2016 GM vehicle is absolutely broken to the extent that it's unusable. See this thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/carplay-bug.1925403/

I was of the opinion that it was an Apple CarPlay bug, but now I'm starting to think it might be a GM thing.

Well undoubtedly GM has to fix the firmware. I reported via OnStar immediately after the first occurence. GM followed up today to gather more info, indicated there were other similar cases, and asked that I take the car in for service. Whether that is to update firmware or diagnose remains to be seen.

 

[pat500000]

Situation: brand new 2016 Chevy Volt. Plug phone in and carplay is available.

Select Music, then browse to Artists. Wheel of Death spins for about 10 minutes, then the dashboard console goes black and reboots.

Repeat and select Albums. Same result.

BTW, my music library is a good size, but not huge, and kept in the Apple cloud.

Sounds to me like:
1. no realistic usability testing.
2. memory leak
3. Safety hazard, as this crashed the GM provided console, not just the Carplay components. Navigation got completed lost while I was driving. No idea what other things could go wrong.
4. Attack vector. Sounds like a maliciously crafted artist list could be used to hack into the console and then perhaps the entire vehicle.

Do you trust Apple, now?

 

[C DM]

1. Because Apple supplies the SDK used for integrating CarPlay.
2. It's Apple's product that fails. The GM console works just fine until CarPlay is introduced.

Could it be the car's software/firmware that has some issue that makes it react this way? If there's some issue the car's software/hardware shouldn't crash because of it as it should be able to handle a problem and recover from it.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

I'm with those saying this is a GM issue. I've been using CarPlay for a few months and have had zero issues. It's a beautiful system and I love that it reflects any UI tweaks or themes I have installed on my phone (icon themes, signal bars, etc.).

 

[dk001]

Could it be the car's software/firmware that has some issue that makes it react this way? If there's some issue the car's software/hardware shouldn't crash because of it as it should be able to handle a problem and recover from it.

Irregardless of who is at fault, this is one of the aspects that Apple Car Play concerns me. This isn't like a phone or tablet having a "hiccup" rather a one-ton plus guided missile rolling through the public space. Apple is Arrogant / Vain enough to want it their way and not allow all the testing / review that should be done. Not sure if Android Auto is better but by all accounts so far it is more safety fail-safe designed.

 

[C DM]

Irregardless of who is at fault, this is one of the aspects that Apple Car Play concerns me. This isn't like a phone or tablet having a "hiccup" rather a one-ton plus guided missile rolling through the public space. Apple is Arrogant / Vain enough to want it their way and not allow all the testing / review that should be done. Not sure if Android Auto is better but by all accounts so far it is more safety fail-safe designed.

We know that the issue here is because of any of that and not something else? Clearly it's not "irregardless" if then there are "arrogant" and "vain" refrences that follow.

 

[NT1440]

4. Attack vector. Sounds like a maliciously crafted artist list could be used to hack into the console and then perhaps the entire vehicle.

Please, go on.

I'm of the mind that "infotainment" systems are dangerous to begin with, but they should absolutely be completely walled off from the command systems in our wired cars these days. Do you have any actual information as to how carplay interacts with such systems or is the risk here that some teenage hacker could stick a picture of a dick on your car screen?

 

[dk001]

We know that the issue here is because of any of that and not something else? Clearly it's not "irregardless" if then there are "arrogant" and "vain" refrences that follow.

This issue is a tick on the charts. The concern is real. Unfortunately it will tack a significant safety issue before we as users for the most part give it credence.

 

[uhaas]

1. Because Apple supplies the SDK used for integrating CarPlay.
2. It's Apple's product that fails. The GM console works just fine until CarPlay is introduced.

GM has a responsibility to make sure their software doesn't crash, whether that's Apple Car Play, Google's equivalent, or a thumb drive loaded with malicious intent. Apple can't control the firmware of every car model out there.

Also, the title of the thread should change to GM is defective and dangerous, since it's their bug.

 

[andyw715]

You're driving it wrong.

 

[MistrSynistr]

This could be a GM issue. My buddy bought a 2015 GMC Terrain that does not have Carplay that had this same issue with crashing, controls turning off, literally 15 mins off the lot. It's something GM knows about and is trying to downplay.

(His intellilink console program or whatever it is)