Purpose The paper addresses evolution of fuzzy systems for core applications of automotive engineering. Methods The presented study is based on the analysis of bibliography dedicated to fuzzy sets and fuzzy control for ground vehicles. A special attention is given to fuzzy approaches used in the following domains of automotive engineering: vehicle dynamics control systems, driver and driving environment identification, ride comfort control, and energy management of electric vehicles. Results The bibliographical analysis, supplemented with statistics of relevant research publications, has allowed to allocate the most important fuzzy application cases for each domain. In particular, it concerns driver identification, human-machine interface, recognition of road conditions, and controllers of vehicle chassis and powertrain systems. It is found out that fuzzy methods have the primary use most of all for tasks requiring identification and forecasting procedures, especially in conditions of limited informational space. Additional observation that can be also derived from the presented survey points to reasonable integration of fuzzy technique with other control engineering methods to improve the performance of automotive control systems. Conclusions In the aggregate the performed review indicates that fuzzy computing can be considered as a versatile tool for automotive engineering applications of different nature.