Submission + - Should I take Toyota's software update? (toyota.com) 1
kiehlster writes: I'm a software developer, and I know most software has bugs, but how much trust can we put in the many lines of code found in our automobiles? I have a 2009 Camry that is involved in both of the recent Camry recalls. As part of the floor mat issue, they're offering to install a software update that would cause "the brake pedal to take precedence over the gas pedal if both were pressed" or, as their latest notice states, "would cut power to the engine if both pedals were pressed." In the computer world, we're all taught to only install firmware updates if there is a real problem because a large percentage of firmware updates actually brick the hardware or cause other unforeseen bugs. With 100 million lines of code can I really trust a software update to work safely when it is delivered in a three month development cycle? My driving habits don't cause the floor mat to slide much, so I see the update as overkill. What do you think? If it doesn't void the warranty, should I tell them to skip the software update?
Somebody's confused... (Score:1, Informative)
There are two separate issues right now - the "floor mat" issue cannot be corrected by a firmware update (I hope this is obvious to you). There is another software issue (the one reported by Woz and subsequently admitted to by Toyota) that is unrelated.
It's up to you if you take the update or not, but consider that (1) the update will be done at the dealer, so if it "bricks" your car they should be able to fix it, and (2) if you refuse the update but later your car develops any sort of problem, Toyota will