What to know about vehicle software updates

What to know about vehicle software updates

Your car needs updates just like your smartphone does.

Cars today are more tech-heavy than ever, often relying on software rather than hardware to operate important features. But as with any complex piece of computing, there are so many lines of code in play that the software can be prone to bugs. Just like your smartphone or computer, the fix for these bugs often comes in the form of a firmware or software update.

While squashing bugs is the primary goal of software updates, manufacturers will also use software to improve a vehicle's features and even bring features to the car that weren't previously there. With this in mind, CarMax shares what you need to know about vehicle software updates.

Firmware vs. Software

There are two types of t