I have just had a chat with a MG Motor Australia media spokesperson who confirmed that:
“There is a new software update for the MG4 range as part of planned upgrades previously flagged”.
“The latest update applies to the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system, particularly for when cars are turning across traffic. This update will provide a more optimal driving experience for all owners.”
“Owners are kept up to date with essential and optional software updates through a combination of marketing EDMs’ if they’ve opted in or through the dealer network when they come in for their scheduled service”.
“Some dealers may be proactive in reaching out via phone however this is at the discretion of the dealer and their approach to the customer”
To answer a reader question, all MG4 Australian cars have Forward Collision Warning (FCW) as part of MG Pilot.
Also if your MG dealer doesn’t know about this update tell them it is:
Bulletin “# AS-TEC-07022024-01”
Subject “MG4 AEB Software Update”
Author “Technical Dept”
Date “7th February 2024”
From memory there around 80 MG dealers across Australia. Like any large group of human beings there will be a mixture of great, average and mediocre people you’ll deal with and the service quality will vary a lot.
If you don’t like the service at your local MG dealer try another one instead after checking the MG4 Owners Australia facebook group to find out which nearby MG dealerships have a reputation for offering better customer service.
You can choose to do servicing for your MG4 at a 3rd party which can handle EV’s but I don’t recommend that as they won’t have be able to apply any MG software updates to your car.
As explained before by me MG Dealers are not owned by MG Motor Australia. They are independent businesses who buy MG cars from MG Motor Australia and then sell them to people like you.
So since car updates are time consuming and require monitoring you can expect a per hour cost if you ask an MG dealer to apply all available MG4 updates to your car outside a scheduled service visit.
A recent post on MGEVS forum by a person saying they’re an Australian MG4 owner said they were quoted $196/hour for an on demand software update to their car. If your local MG dealer has quoted a per/hour cost for software updates please share it here as a comment.
On the other hand another Australian MG4 owner pointed out some good points about manual software updates.
“At least they also can’t force changes with regressions that we don’t want onto us like other manufacturers can. If there’s a reason for the update then they will do it for free, they pretty much have to if it’s the only solution to what would be a warranty repair job. For example this week I got an upgrade from R04 to R11 (Essence 64) by saying carplay was playing up (which it was occasionally)”.
As a side note only some MG dealers offer a free 1000km courtesy service to check everything is OK with the car after you’ve driven it for a bit.
Check on the MG4 Owners Australia facebook group to find out which MG4 dealers do offer the 1000km courtesy service and buy your car from there if possible.
The price difference for the 1000km check is huge. Some MG4 owners have told me they got it free from the dealer they bought the car at, some paid $80 which is reasonable and some were quoted $900 which is ridiculously high for a basic checkup.
I asked the MG Motor Australia media spokesperson about the cost of ad hoc software update requests by MG4 owners, will each dealer decide what to do separately?
Their reply was:
“During the Warranty Period, any customer who completes a Scheduled Service for their Eligible Vehicle at a Participating MG Dealer will be eligible for a software update if available and necessary unless they already have the latest release installed.
“Customers are able to update the software in their Eligible Vehicles without completing a Scheduled Service in which case the cost of the update will be at the dealer’s discretion”.
My analysis: When MG tells their dealers a specific update should be applied for free then it will be done for free, like recently when a small batch of Aussie MG4 Excite 51 owners needed a One Pedal Driving software update.
Notice the word “necessary” in the answer.
From what Aussie buyers have told me so far some MG dealers will install all the available software updates for an MG4 that’s in for servicing and other dealers will only install some updates or none. It completely depends on what the dealer thinks is “necessary”.
I personally think this update is necessary and if you own an Australian MG4 you should book an appointment with a dealer to get this Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system update , especially if you have experienced a phantom braking incident which can be quite scary.
Leave a Reply