PSA: I just read that modern cars can have over 100 million lines of code, which is more than a fighter jet.

I found this fact in a trade magazine article about software in the shop. It said a new luxury car can have that much code running everything from the radio to the brakes. On one hand, it makes sense with all the new tech and safety features we install. On the other hand, it feels crazy that a simple check engine light now needs a computer with more code than a plane. It really changes what 'mechanic' means these days. What's the most complex software issue you've had to diagnose on a newer model?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelas782mo ago

My buddy's new truck bricked itself because a sensor software update failed at the dealership.

abby_chen2mo ago

Oh man, that's rough for your buddy @angelas78. Just to clarify, a failed update shouldn't completely brick a modern truck. The main computer probably went into a limp mode to protect itself. The dealership just needs to reflash the module with a factory scan tool, it's a pain but it's fixable.

park.riley1mo ago

Sounds like a pretty standard dealership problem to me.