Few people expect a routine shopping trip to end in a state of automotive limbo they can’t escape from. But that's where one Volkswagen owner says she found herself after her EV began installing a software update, and apparently wouldn't move an inch until it was finished.
In a TikTok clip from creator @onelucky_wife, she and her husband find themselves playing the waiting game in the car that’s parked outside a barbecue restaurant and essentially twiddling their thumbs until the unexpected software update is completed. After more than an hour and a half, their patience had been worn down to nothing.
“This bastard decides it wants to do an update, and we can’t leave. We can’t do anything,” she wrote in the caption of clip that’s been viewed more than 8,300 times.
Going Nowhere Fast
The creator later elaborated in the comments that the software update began after she and her husband finished a late lunch and returned to the vehicle. Instead of heading home, they were left sitting in one of the most conspicuous spots in the parking lot with little to do but watch the update inch along.
“We went to have a late lunch and then came out and the car was doing an update and we could not drive or do anything,” she explained.
As the minutes stretched into hours, frustration gave way to embarrassment since the Volkswagen was parked roughly 15 feet from the restaurant's entrance, leaving them convinced they looked suspicious as families came and went around them.
“The most embarrassing part was that we were parked front and center about 15 feet away from the door of the restaurant, so we looked like pigs watching families eat for over two hours,” she wrote. “They had no clue we were stuck there and I was just waiting for cops to show up to figure out what our problem was.”
Responding to another commenter, the creator said nothing in the vehicle was operational other than the air conditioning, adding that even the climate control gradually became “really warm and humid” while they waited. The ordeal has also shaken her confidence in the vehicle.
“Now I’m terrified to drive this SOB because I don’t want it to happen again,” she wrote. “I sincerely don’t have the time to be sitting flat on my ass in a plaza for hours on end.”
Commenters quickly broadened the discussion into a debate over modern cars and the software required to keep them running. Some seized on the incident as another reason to avoid electric vehicles altogether.
“I want an electric car,” one commenter joked, calling back to the husband’s sarcastic comment in the video, prompting the creator to reply, “BRO... exactly how he looked saying it!!!”
Another commenter countered by saying a brand-new gasoline-powered Volkswagen had also prompted an update that day, raising the possibility that the issue wasn't unique to EVs. Questions from commenters about whether the Volkswagen had become completely inoperable prompted the creator to confirm they had no control over it while the update was in progress.
Like A Smartphone On Wheels
While the experience struck many viewers as inconvenient and unreasonable, cars becoming temporarily unavailable during a software installation is increasingly part of owning a connected vehicle. Over-the-air updates allow automakers to fix bugs, improve battery management, add features and even complete some safety recall repairs without requiring owners to visit a dealership.
Consumer Reports advises drivers to treat vehicle software updates much like those on a smartphone, with the critical difference that before accepting an update, owners should make sure they won't need the vehicle for a while. This is because many installations disable some or all vehicle functions until they're complete.
Another best practice is leaving the vehicle parked in an area with a strong cellular connection and resisting the urge to interrupt an update, even if the progress bar appears stalled.
That advice shows us how integral OTA updates have become as part of vehicle maintenance. General Motors recently began requiring owners of certain 2025 and 2026 models to install over-the-air updates within 45 days to maintain warranty coverage for damage related to skipped software updates.
What remains unclear is whether the experience shown in the viral TikTok reflects that intended process or a software problem. It does highlight how important it has become for drivers to learn when their cars may require extended non-driving time to get its systems up to date and in sync.
Motor1 reached out to the creator via direct message and comment on the clip.
Update June 29: Via email, a Volkswagen spokesperson told Motor1 the company is "aware of a recent over-the-air software update released for ID.4." They said customers were informed in advance to find a convenient time for the update, as installation could take as much as three hours.
"This update is not installed automatically," the Volkswagen spokesperson added. "Drivers are presented with prompts in the vehicle and must actively confirm and select 'Install' before the installation process begins."
Continuing, the spokesperson said, "We understand the frustration that an unexpected lengthy installation may cause, so moving forward we have enhanced our customer communications by including installation time approximations in the release notes that are available both in the myVW app and in the vehicle. Combined with our proactive notifications, these additional touchpoints will help customers make more informed decisions about whether to proceed with an update immediately or defer it to a more convenient time."
They further suggested that Volkswagen drivers with questions about software updates reach out to the company online or via phone.
