After making its debut with the 2020 Cadillac CT5, the GM Global B electric architecture can now be found in several General Motors products across its brands, allowing for quick and efficient handling of software issues through the use of over-the-air (OTA) updates. Now, GM Authority has exclusively learned that the Detroit-based automaker is revamping the way it goes about OTA software updates.
First, some insight as to why this revision is warranted. Over the course of Summer 2023, roughly 4,000 vehicles across the Global B platform – mainly vehicles like the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon and Cadillac Lyriq – were left incapacitated after a few updates. In response to this, The General is currently in the process of revamping how it handles OTA software updates.
Notably, details as to exactly what this entails are scarce at the moment. However, we’ll be sure to provide updates as we learn more.
For background as to exactly what happened, here’s the gist. There were reports that some Colorado and Canyon models had their batteries drained following what was believed to be a failed software update. Interestingly, this issue appeared to be entirely random, and affected a small number of vehicles.
Naturally, GM Authority reached out to General Motors back in July for an explanation, to which the Detroit-based automaker responded that it was working on a solution.
It’s worth noting that one social media user claiming to be a General Motors tech alleged that the issue is related to a radio software update failure that leaves the radio in affected units locked in recovery mode. This individual suggested going into the update preferences menu under system settings, and turning off both the “download updates in the background” and “download updates via Wi-Fi when available” options in order to prevent the radio software update from being performed, which could drain the battery if it fails. GM also instructed dealerships about how to handle failed OTA updates.
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Comments
Great story about absolutely NOTHING.
Other manufacturers seem to handle this with few issues. You’d think that with OnStar being capable of updates OTA for decades, this would be a snap for GM.
Which other manufacturers?
Toyota and other Asian brands
Can’t decide who to dislike more…GMA for this nothing-burger story which reports they have zero information to report, or GM for such epic incompetence in their failures to validate updates and the update process. Not to mention their glacial speed and utter lack of urgency when addressing customer-found deficiencies.
But they are hiring diversity…
GM’s top managers better make sure the over air Wi-Fi updates are done properly. They have already pissed off customers of new GM vehicles.
I agree with you, but with what we’re hearing about gm’s telematics strategy so far, I get the impression it’s more like a “ready , fire, aim” approach.
Having owned both GM and Chrysler vehicles, Chrysler had a much better system for infotainment updates. You could go to the UConnect website, punch in your VIN, and the system will tell you if your radio is up to date. If it requires an update, you can wait for the OTA update to push or you could download the update to a USB stick and do the update yourself in your driveway when it is convenient for you. I never had a problem with doing the updates myself on my Charger or Durango.
Now that I own a ’23 Sierra, I miss UConnect’s system. One of my OTA updates (which happened in the first 300 miles of me owning the truck) was compromised and it caused my radio to have issues where it would randomly (sometimes multiple times per day) mute all sounds coming through the speakers. The only way to get the sound back was to either reset the infotainment system while in park or to shut the truck off and let it sit for 10 minutes and then the system would be back to normal. Frustrated, I called the dealer and they had to do a hard system update because they suspect that one of the OTA updates had a bug or didn’t completely download which caused my problems. There isn’t a website to check and see if your radio is up to date…you have to rely on the system itself to randomly say there is an update available. My radio even said it was up to date which the dealer said was not true. GM’s Google-based infotainment systems are a sh*tshow…they should make their updates available to download so that owners can update their vehicles when they can keep an eye on them.
Agree that it’s a $hitshow but do note that both the “old” gm systems and the new Google-based ones have a menu option to check for updates anytime you want. Now, I do suspect that there is a difference between the relatively infrequent OTA updates they push and the seemingly endless supply of new firmware they are publishing for dealers to install after customers bring in a complaint.
So far I’m not a fan of the global B program. It seems like every vehicle using this software has had far more issues than before. Hopefully they soon get it figured out because a lot of first time GM owners, and even some long time faithful are saying they will never own a GM again due to the headaches it’s caused. Maybe I’m being too cautious, but I’ve personally delayed the purchase of a truck this year in hopes they get the bugs worked out.
Same here. I want a new Canyon badly, but am holding off until they get more bugs figured out. My Silverado can last me a few more years
I think that battery drain is not limited to the models mentioned. I had the same battery drain in my 2022 C8 Corvette.
Again, keep the infotainment system and give me a good Bose AM FM stereo!
with 8 track tape deck
With the AM FM radio please include a CD and cassette deck. Please omit the so called “infotainment” but retain the rear view camera.
My 2021 Corvette had the battery destroyed after an update. Locked out of the car. Once I got in, purchased a new battery at my expense, had GM and Dealership both reject my claim for reimbursement. My original Corvette battery was tested and the test said to replace, no longer hold a charge.
What irked me most was, GM and Concierge denied to acknowledge it happened. Dealership said there is zero mechanism to complain or have it be counted as an OTA problem.
Car was less than 2 years old and fully under warranty.
I love my car, despise incompetence.
Any OTA updates, when I dare risk them, are done with windows down, doors open, hoods open. Most recent OTA caused front end lift to stop working, and other problems.
Can we get SD memory card updates? USB updates?
I thought the battery had at least a 3 year warranty. !?
what is true is that fixing something yourself means GM can reject your claim.
And that was the excuse GM and Dealer used to deny any claim and absolve themselves.
Put yourself in my place, Saturday night, parking lot in town , OTA notice comes in, car dies, trapped away from home.
Any trip to Chevy dealer for me is one hour travel minimum, on a good day,
For me when I go to the dealer I have travel time, waiting time, rental time, drive home. One whole entire day to drop off car.
Repeat whole process for pickup.
Is dealer nice and accommodating about it , sure?
Is it a waste of time and a pain, yes.
Every single tiny thing requires a trip to the dealer.
And I will never forget how at 1700 mile visit that took three weeks to replace leaking transmission Car had paint gouged on left rear quarter and on wing, and the extra miles during service visit.
How do you think that feels?
Solution? Plan another service visit, which starts whole process over again while they repaint.
I accept replacing my own battery, for peace of mind.
No one cares about my Corvette as much as I do.
your first mistake was replacing the battery by yourself. Once you do that, you can kiss the warranty goodbye on anything you repair yourself. Have it towed to the dealer. Make GM pay all fees.
what GM will not do is compensate you for time wasted.
GM will not acknowledge consumer reported problems, or even investigate.
The number of problems could be far greater than we see reported.
I am terrified of being stranded by an OTA, over the air update.
This is not any information that is useful at all. Why waste our time and yours even writing about nothing.
You have too much idle time. Get out and do something useful.
I bought my colorado (2023) on June 19th. Had it 11 days and the ota failed. Didn’t drain my battery like other people but it did throw so many different codes that I couldn’t drive it. It spent the next 11 days at the dealership while the service techs walked around like “Doh, I don’t know what to do. ” Had to have an engineer from Wentzville to come and fix it.
So to see this written up as something about to change hopefully for the good only to see that there is no relevant content at all in this article. Total waste of my time.
I don’t think this is completely global B problem. I had a 2019 canyon diesel. It had capability to do OTA because surprise surprise, one day it popped up in the screen. Not knowing any better, because nobody ever even told me anything about this, I pushed the button to update. Another surprise, the vehicle wouldn’t start during this update. I had to wait. I’m glad I wasn’t going to the hospital in a hurry. So it finally updated. Later another surprise. The battery is completely dead one morning. They replaced the battery but I don’t think it was a bad battery. I do monitor voltage on the system and I worked my entire career for gm. Retired quite a few years ago so don’t have any inside knowledge of this but something was wrong even back in 2019.
PS my 2021 Sierra had an ota for infotainment and the nav system then had a “card not found” error. Nothing fixed it until they replaced the card. So another mystery.
Interesting, my wife’s 2019 Equinox Premier had a completely dead battery one morning a year or two ago.I found no reason for it to be drained, nothing was left on and no other hints of problems. I knew nothing about any computer update so I charged the battery myself and it’s been fine ever since.
I replaced the original factory installed Delco battery in my 2012 Silverado after nine years because it was too old. It was still starting with no problems but with a 60 mile round trip commute each day and winter coming on, I didn’t want to be stranded. No telling how long it would have lasted. Needless to say I replaced it with a new Delco battery! This is still my daily driver and has provided great service since new, it’s never been back to the dealer other than for the airbag warranty. I will keep this truck a long time and probably give it to my 11 year old grandson when he’s 16.
As a dealer technician I can tell you that when the customer vehicle gets bricked, they are not happy especially when the vehicle has 1600 miles on it. What blows my mind is the amount of BS we as dealer tech’s have to go through to fix their mistakes and not get paid nearly enough time that it takes to fix it! We don’t wave a magic wand and Wahla ! It’s fixed it take lots of time! Yes, the customer clicks on the box to allow OTA updates to take place, but they didn’t sign up for dead batteries and radio with blank screens. transmissions that will not shift. I sure hope none of these vehicles were first responders that needed to respond to a call….. How is it that a vehicle that is so new has that big of an update that it can brick multiple modules? none of these bug fixes were detected and addressed during pre-testing that they claim they do and couldn’t be fixed prior to manufacturing or a running change during assembly?
Get flawless OTA updates to our Tesla. Guess they have better engineers designing their system. We will be shopping for a new EV soon. GM EVs not on our shopping list.
What does it tell you when the young engineers that GM is getting cheap from India are not car people, but do prefer to drive BMWs.
Starting to think we need a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer for this OTA battery drain issue. This will sound crazy but I am seeing a pattern of OTA hacks with battery drain then your vehicle is stolen. Has anyone else seen this pattern?
Just curious has there been any update to this story or are they still “trying to figure it out”? My 2023 Canyon has been telling me that my security patch is over a year old and I’m running Android Auto version 12 (which I believe it should be 14 at this point). With so many glitches in the software I really hope they can get this straightened out….soon