The reason computers originally became popular in cars was to help with fuel efficiency. So it could figure out the proper fuel-to-air mixture and engine timing on-the-fly. Everything else could be done through physical wires, switches, and electric servos.
The problem is manufacturing and repairing all those wires, switches, and servos becomes cumbersome. So manufacturers moved to modular pods that could be plugged together via bus harnesses. That way, you can pop out a malfunctioning box and be back up, instead of requiring the corner mechanic to become an automotive engineer.
The problems started when each of those boxes were made to be closed and proprietary, requiring custom integration and tools. The vehicle makers became systems integrators, wanting to lock out competitors by forcing all repairs to go through their dealer network and using their expensive parts.
If someone figures out how to get all the benefits of modularization without all the negatives of vendor lock-in, and throw out the pointless telemetry collection, that would be a great place to start.