Tesla is recalling more than 2 million vehicles in the United States to rectify software and fix a flawed system designed to ensure driver attentiveness when using the Autopilot feature. The recall, prompted by a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) following accidents involving Autopilot, aims to enhance warnings and alerts to drivers, limit Autopilot functionality in certain areas, and address the system’s method of ensuring driver attention.
Documents released by U.S. safety regulators on Wednesday indicate that the NHTSA investigation found shortcomings in Autopilot’s driver-monitoring approach, leading to “foreseeable misuse of the system.” The software update, part of the recall, intends to encourage drivers to adhere more closely to their driving responsibilities. However, safety experts argue that the recall places responsibility on the driver without addressing the underlying problem of Tesla’s automated systems struggling to detect and avoid obstacles.
The recall covers Tesla models Y, S, 3, and X produced between October 5, 2012, and December 7, 2023. The update, aimed at certain affected vehicles, began on Tuesday, with the remaining vehicles scheduled to receive it later. Despite the recall, Tesla’s shares experienced a more than 3% decline on Wednesday.
The Autopilot feature, encompassing Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control, will undergo limitations in terms of where Autosteer can be engaged. The update includes heightened visual alerts, simplified Autosteer activation, and additional checks for controlled access roads and approaching traffic control devices. Drivers may face suspension from using Autosteer if they repeatedly fail to demonstrate continuous and sustained driving responsibility.
While safety advocates view the recall positively, some express disappointment, stating that it doesn’t address the lack of night vision cameras for driver monitoring or Teslas’ difficulty in detecting and responding to obstacles. The compromise, according to experts, doesn’t fully resolve safety concerns associated with Tesla’s Autopilot system.
NHTSA, in its statement, emphasised that the investigation remains open to monitor the effectiveness of Tesla’s remedies and ensure the highest level of safety. Autopilot, despite its name, is a driver-assist system and not capable of fully autonomous driving. The NHTSA has been actively investigating Tesla crashes involving automated systems, with at least 17 fatalities reported in 35 incidents since 2016.