In the last decade, vehicles have moved from standalone systems towards being connected with other vehicles and infrastructure. This increased vehicle connectivity has exposed in-vehicle communication systems to cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities (Linkov et al., Frontiers in psychology 10:995, 2019). Nearly all feature-rich contemporary cars include electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, in-vehicle network, user interface (UI), global positioning system (GPS), vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs), CarPlay/Android Auto, sensors, actuators, and multiple user interactions via Bluetooth, smartphone apps, and mobile internet. Thus, vulnerability increases due to the multiple interfaces of the cars, such as smart devices, and numerous network interactions along with GPS and sensor networks. This paper aims to provide insights into this intricate concern by reviewing several related studies focusing on possible cyber-attacks on smart cars and the possible defense mechanisms. It also attempts to provide solutions to the specific cybersecurity and privacy issues facing innovative vehicles by outlining the cybersecurity and privacy challenges that remain to be resolved to help make smart cars successful on the roads in the future.