AAOS OTA Upgrade Failure: Device Stuck in Bootloader After Slot Switch (Android Automotive 13.0.0_2.

harish_12 — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:10:06 GMT

Hi NXP Support Team,

Issue Report:Android Automotive 13.0.0_2.3.0 (Linux 6.1.36_2.1.0 BSP) → Android Automotive 14.0.0_1.1.0 (LF_v6.1.55 BSP) OTA Upgrade Failure (A/B Slot Switch Stuck in Bootloader)

**Environment:**

* Source Version (Working):

* Android Automotive OS: 13.0.0_2.3.0
* BSP: Linux 6.1.36_2.1.0
* Target Version (Upgrade):

* Android Automotive OS: 14.0.0_1.1.0
* BSP: LF_v6.1.55
* Build Type:

* userdebug (both source and target builds)
* Hardware Platform:

* i.MX8Q (mek_8qxp mek)

---

**OTA Package Details:**

* OTA Type: A/B OTA (payload.bin based)
* Payload Location:

```
/data/ota_package/payload.bin
```
* Properties File:

```
/data/ota_package/payload_properties.txt
```

---

**OTA Command Used:**

```
update_engine_client \
--payload=file:///data/ota_package/payload.bin \
--update \
--headers="$(cat /data/ota_package/payload_properties.txt)"
```

---

**Observed Behavior:**

1. OTA update process completes without immediate errors.
2. Device reboots after update.
3. Active slot changes:

```
getprop ro.boot.slot_suffix
_a → _b (expected behavior)
```
4. However, device does NOT boot into Android 14.
5. Device gets stuck in bootloader loop:

```
U-Boot SPL 2023.04 (May 01 2026 - 15:11:21 +0530)
Normal Boot
Trying to boot from MMC1
Authentication key not yet programmed
Booting from bootloader_b...
```

(Repeats continuously)

---

**Additional Observations:**

* Before OTA:

```
getprop ro.build.version.release
13
```

* After reboot:

* Slot switches correctly
* But Android userspace never comes up

Please let me know if any additional logs or details are required.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards,
Harish K

Re: AAOS OTA Upgrade Failure: Device Stuck in Bootloader After Slot Switch (Android Automotive 13.0.

AldoG — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:18:12 GMT

Hello,

Are you testing using a secured device (close)?
Also, make sure that the header equals to the exact content of payload_properties.txt. No more "space" or "return" characters.

Best regards/Saludos,
Aldo.

topic AAOS OTA Upgrade Failure: Device Stuck in Bootloader After Slot Switch (Android Automotive 13.0.0_2. in Other NXP Products

AAOS OTA Upgrade Failure: Device Stuck in Bootloader After Slot Switch (Android Automotive 13.0.0_2.

Re: AAOS OTA Upgrade Failure: Device Stuck in Bootloader After Slot Switch (Android Automotive 13.0.