Haunted car since FW update on 25/6/2026

[SteveUK]

Hi all,

Has anyone else experienced what I can only describe as a poltergeist since the software update? I applied one yesterday morning (25th June 2026).

Next time I drove it, after a few miles, the cruise control announced it no longer existed, and I only had speed limiter.
I got home, parked. Did the 10 second infotainment reboot. Nope, still no good, only had limiter.
This morning I come out, hoping that a sleep might have fixed it.. Nope. Still no cruise, and now the infotainment was showing the "Electric" and "Hybrid" buttons both in grey, and I couldn't switch. The car was in electric mode though. I stabbed the throttle to check I still had an engine, and it started, so I was then in Hybrid mode with no way to change back to electric.
I tried the infotainment 10 second reset again.
Nope, no better.
Continued my journey. Got a ping, big warning message telling me to pay attention as the "Electronic engine sound system was active", and a little Orange car with a speaker above it appears at 4 o'clock on the rev counter. Never seen that before in my life.
I then tried to turn on the radio, and discovered that didn't work either. Neither did mp3 playback from my USB stick.
I pulled over.
Unplugged the USB stick. Did every combination of car off/on, 10 second infotainment resets.
Tried starting the car, and everything was back, including cruise control.

Does anyone ever test these software releases? (I work in IT by the way).

 

[Syphon]

@James_R we may have our first poltergeist - any ideas?

 

[James_R]

Easiest thing to do is book it in with your local dealership

 

[Syphon]

Easiest thing to do is book it in with your local dealership

failing that exorcist ;-)

In all seriousness, hope you get it sorted.

 

[James_R]

You could try VWG assist? They don't carry holy water though...

 

[BoomerBoom]

Try locking the car for a few hours and then try again, mine did something similar just as I was starting a long journey last month. Nothing solved it until it had a long 'nap', then all was back to normal.

And no, they don't test updates or care how inconvenient the process - the car asks you if you want to change your settings, but this makes no difference to when the update is applied.

 

[Momochi]

Hi all,

Has anyone else experienced what I can only describe as a poltergeist since the software update? I applied one yesterday morning (25th June 2026).

Next time I drove it, after a few miles, the cruise control announced it no longer existed, and I only had speed limiter.
I got home, parked. Did the 10 second infotainment reboot. Nope, still no good, only had limiter.
This morning I come out, hoping that a sleep might have fixed it.. Nope. Still no cruise, and now the infotainment was showing the "Electric" and "Hybrid" buttons both in grey, and I couldn't switch. The car was in electric mode though. I stabbed the throttle to check I still had an engine, and it started, so I was then in Hybrid mode with no way to change back to electric.
I tried the infotainment 10 second reset again.
Nope, no better.
Continued my journey. Got a ping, big warning message telling me to pay attention as the "Electronic engine sound system was active", and a little Orange car with a speaker above it appears at 4 o'clock on the rev counter. Never seen that before in my life.
I then tried to turn on the radio, and discovered that didn't work either. Neither did mp3 playback from my USB stick.
I pulled over.
Unplugged the USB stick. Did every combination of car off/on, 10 second infotainment resets.
Tried starting the car, and everything was back, including cruise control.

Does anyone ever test these software releases? (I work in IT by the way).

May I know what "update" was involved?

Mine got the update alert today (as shown in the pic below), too busy to have it installed.

(Any online resource with information of each update, by the way?)

 

[SteveUK]

Try locking the car for a few hours and then try again, mine did something similar just as I was starting a long journey last month. Nothing solved it until it had a long 'nap', then all was back to normal.

And no, they don't test updates or care how inconvenient the process - the car asks you if you want to change your settings, but this makes no difference to when the update is applied.

It had a whole overnight nap after the cruise control vanished. I've had things magically clear like that, but no, next morning was just a continuation of things not working until I pulled over, turned it off, on, full infotainment reset and then back on again, and it's been fine ever since.

Dealer is a pain for a problem that's now gone away, I'm over 50 miles from anyone that can deal with the Hybrid model.

I have a friend who has the VAG diagnostic laptop, so we're going to see if we can pull any codes, but I suspect that it's a pure infotainment system config issue after the update.

 

[SteveUK]

May I know what "update" was involved?

Mine got the update alert today (as shown in the pic below), too busy to have it installed.

(Any online resource with information of each update, by the way?)

I don't know how useful this is to you, your screen looks nothing like mine (2021 Seat Leon PHEV)

 

[James_R]

2020-2024 vehicles use MIB 3
2024-Present vehicles use MIB "4"

 

[Momochi]

I don't know how useful this is to you, your screen looks nothing like mine (2021 Seat Leon PHEV)

I believe your photo shows the current hardware and software/firmware configuration, while my pic posted a few days ago was about the details of the software update being pushed to me via OTA.

(Anyway I later updated it on Tuesday while loading my grocery shopping at Sainsbury's, and so far no issue.)

 

[Momochi]

2020-2024 vehicles use MIB 3
2024-Present vehicles use MIB "4"

I always got confused - Google Gemini keeps telling me if there is no lighting element in the bar containing the temperature and volume buttons under the screen it must be MIB3.... My buttons do not light up anytime, yet my Leon left the factory in April 2025....

 

[James_R]

Do you have a picture of the software information on the infotainment system?

 

[Momochi]

Do you have a picture of the software information on the infotainment system?

Hi james, below the pic I told back in late March this year.
VIN: VSSZZZKL7SRxxxxxx
Thanks.

 

[James_R]

You have an MIB "4", the latest software for that unit is 2768.

I have a Tiguan with the same unit installed, I don't recall if the volume and temp controls light up.

 

[SteveUK]

I've got mine booked in for a service and exorcism tomorrow. I'm going to ask for the Infotainment and modules to have their software updated, as the weird behaviours I mentioned before have gone away, but it's invented a new, even more annoying "features", hopping in and out of "Engine must run for extended period" mode, again and again and again, literally every few seconds.
I've got a new 12v battery to go in it too.

 

[James_R]

I've got mine booked in for a service and exorcism tomorrow. I'm going to ask for the Infotainment and modules to have their software updated, as the weird behaviours I mentioned before have gone away, but it's invented a new, even more annoying "features", hopping in and out of "Engine must run for extended period" mode, again and again and again, literally every few seconds.
I've got a new 12v battery to go in it too.

Don't just ask for them to be updated as you don't tend to get anywhere.

There needs to be a specific fault and a supporting update bulletin for them to update the module(s).

Usually I'd recommend mentioning that the ambient lights have been flickering and the infotainment screen keeps going blank.

There are known fixes for those issues in the form of a baseline software update package, that should cover all available updates for anything outstanding on the vehicle.

Unfortunately yours is a pre-UNECE model, so the baseline update packages don't always apply.

 

[SteveUK]

Got it back.
Infotainment still shows 1790... I'm very "pissed".
Car drove normally from the dealer. Everything worked normally. I used EV mode for a while, perfect. Then I tried Hybrid, worked exactly as I would expect.
Then I stopped for petrol.
And upon restarting it immediately started doing the "engine must run", then shutting it down, again and again and again! FFS!

 

[BoomerBoom]

If the car has a fault then you shouldn't expect it to be fixed by a service, or any updates applied unless there is a recall campaign. I very much doubt that updating the information system will change anything you'd actually notice.

I try to combine servicing and warranty faults, by notifying them of the fault when booking the service, but always find the car has to be brought back due to parts. Most bugs you might think are software are actually faulty modules, even if it is software it seems easier to change the whole module.

 

[James_R]

If the car has a fault then you shouldn't expect it to be fixed by a service, or any updates applied unless there is a recall campaign. I very much doubt that updating the information system will change anything you'd actually notice.

I try to combine servicing and warranty faults, by notifying them of the fault when booking the service, but always find the car has to be brought back due to parts. Most bugs you might think are software are actually faulty modules, even if it is software it seems easier to change the whole module.

Between 1790 and 1989 there are significant improvements.

I'd also say that around 75% of vehicle issues I deal with are resolved with software updates, VWG won't pay for a module to be replaced if there's an update available and the majority of time, there is.

When you replace a module it has usually has the same version of software or older, so all the same inherent issues. The issue has to be an obvious hardware defect to warrant replacing it, then it needs updating to the current version as best practice anyway.