Fiat Chrysler US to recall vehicles to prevent hacking

(Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler is recalling about 1.4 million vehicles in the United States to update software for radios to prevent hacking.

The announcement by FCA US LLC, formerly Chrysler Group LLC, comes after cybersecurity researchers used the Internet to turn off a car's engine as it drove, escalating concerns about the safety of Internet-connected vehicles.

The researchers used Fiat Chrysler's telematics system to break into a car being driven on the highway and issue commands to the engine, steering and brakes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and members of Congress have expressed concern about the security of Internet-connected vehicle control systems.

Two Democrats introduced a bill on Tuesday that would direct the NHTSA to develop standards for isolating critical software and detect hacking as it occurs.

FCA said in its recall announcement on Friday that it was unaware of any injuries related to software exploitation.

The recalled vehicles include the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Cherokee SUVs from model years 2014 and 2015 and 2015 Dodge Challenger sports coupes, among others.

FCA said affected customers will get a memory stick to upgrade vehicle software that will provide additional security.

The NHTSA said it could not immediately comment, while FCA could not be immediately reached for comment.

(Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan and Sweta Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Ted Kerr)

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