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This, Android things, for example, is only offering guaranteed updates for 3 years which is not nearly enough support time... and people usually Volvos for 15-20+ years... Even Microsoft understands this better.

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Is there a reason why head-unit of the infotainment system cannot be easily upgraded?

Everything in a car has to be certified for safety. Infotainment systems integrate deeply with cars - they consume and expose a lot of information that isn't guaranteed to be expressed over standard protocols, and most of them aren't even in consistent sizes or shapes.

Yet I can buy a double DIN head unit running android auto and just whack it in my 2012 corolla.

I think the major problems here aren't safety or engineering, they are purely economic.

There is a difference between can and should. Third party entertainment systems should not be a problem. In reality they are because of bad designs.

What about product liability?

An Android Things IOT device is guaranteed 3 years of updates. This is hosted on GCP and Google picks up the cost for this. However, if an OEM wants to extend the service beyond 3 years they have the option to do so (for a price I think).

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