Why Does My Car Say “Not Equipped With Uconnect”? Answered

We've been getting quite a lot of questions from our readers asking to explain why the majority of Dodge and Jeep cars say "Not Equipped With Uconnect" when you push that "phone" button on your radio. So, we've decided to answer this question by writing this small article. We hope you'll find it helpful.

Not equipped with Uconnect message highlights

• Common reasons:no Uconnect in your car
• How to fix:install Uconnect if you want
• Possible consequences:seeing this message pretty often
• Priority level:Low
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Possible
• Repair price range:$0-$1,500

First of all - what's Uconnect?

Uconnect is a special technology that, you might think from its name, is not only used for connecting your phone to the vehicle. It's a large and really efficient function that offers navigation, hands-free, entertainment in your vehicle as well as connectivity. We wouldn't say it's the best technology in the world, but it's certainly not bad.

We should tell you that the Uconnect system has so many questions that to answer them we would need to write a 100K word article. It's so hard to master all the features of the program that people keep asking questions when they give up attempts to do it with their instructions and manuals.

But what pisses them off the most is when their Chrysler, RAM, Dodge, Jeep, or Fiat simply says "Not Equipped With Uconnect" when they push that phone button to connect the phone or to check what the button actually can do.

Why do you see the "Not Equipped With Uconnect" message?

If you hit that Uconnect button and see this miserable message, you should know that your vehicle is not equipped with Uconnect - that is a straightforward explanation. But why, you may ask, do these Chrysler guys put this button on the radio?

The answer is also straightforward - they don't want to make different radios for budget trims and better trims - they want to make just one model of the radio and that's why you have this phone button in your car that does nothing more than showing you the annoying message that your vehicle is not equipped with Uconnect.

Yeah, that's just like a snap on your face, we would say. But we also think that this is the way for Chrysler to sell their Uconnect modules which cost at least $300 and plus another $150 for installation at the dealer.

One day will come and you'll think that you earn enough money to buy this Uconnect block and never read this humiliating "Not Equipped With Uconnect" message anymore. And this works - the Uconnect block is one of the best-sold parts at Chrysler dealers.

Uconnect or another infotainment system?

So, if your vehicle is not equipped with Uconnect, you basically have two choices: you can buy a Uconnect module from a dealer and have it installed or you can buy an aftermarket infotainment system to replace your OEM radio in the vehicle.

We would go for the first option because of these reasons:

• you will save the OEM radio which is not bad at all;
• everything will look original which is usually better for interior design;
• the Uconnect is not a bad system at all, its functionality is at a decent level;
• also, you won't need to dig in the wires or pay hundreds of dollars for someone to do that;
• you have no risks of shortcuts and other mishaps with aftermarket equipment.

But to tell you the truth, the Uconnect system is not the most efficient option for your car. It won't cost you a lot to install, and this is one more advantage. For a whole new infotainment system, you'll probably pay over $1,500 to have a decent one. The Uconnect module will cost you $300-500 depending on the type and version.

Can you install the Uconnect module by yourself?

Unfortunately, no. You can buy one on eBay from a dealer or from a scrapyard. But installing this thing is not that easy. You will need to install and connect everything and then you will have to change the settings of the radio and all other units that take part in the Uconnect infrastructure.

The best thing to do is to go to the dealer of your car brand and have it installed there. Or just keep driving with this "Not Equipped With Uconnect" message which gets on your nerves pretty much.

We won't tell you what exactly you will have with the Uconnect module - it's a lot of things. But whether they are worth the money and effort, we don't know. This is something you should decide for yourself.

Is there something bad in Uconnect?

Well, you may be reading this article and counting up your money simultaneously. Maybe, in a neighboring tab in your browser, you already have a dealer's website open for contact details. Wait a minute, let us tell you something about Uconnect.

We know about such disadvantages of this system:

• Your satisfaction depends mainly on the version - the newer the system, the better it works, but older systems are just horrible.
• Voice control is not that easy to master. But people who have done that say that Uconnect is probably the best voice-controlled infotainment ever.
• If the system shuts out, you have no radio, no AC, no GPS, everything dies together with Uconnect;
• Sometimes, you will need to reboot the system - to turn the vehicle off and then on again to stop the Uconnect from glitching.

Not enough? Read some forums! You'll find plenty of pissed-off owners of RAM, Dodge, and Chrysler cars swearing their exquisite language towards Uconnect.

Final words

So, if you are constantly getting this annoying message saying that your vehicle is not equipped with Uconnect, it's time to get it all sorted out. Now you have a couple of ways to get rid of this message. The cheapest one - don't touch that phone button! The most expensive way is to buy a new infotainment system, and the optimal one is to buy and have installed a Uconnect module.