Tesla is recalling over two million vehicles in the United States equipped with its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system. The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) raised concerns about the system’s vulnerability to foreseeable misuse. The NHTSA has been investigating Tesla for more than two years to determine whether its vehicles adequately ensure driver attention when using the Autopilot system.
According to Tesla’s recall filing, the company acknowledged that the Autopilot’s software controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse, potentially increasing the risk of a crash. The NHTSA emphasized the importance of driver monitoring systems considering that humans tend to over-trust technology.
Tesla’s Autopilot is designed to enable cars to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically within their lane. However, it is essential to note that Autopilot does not make the vehicles autonomous. The system includes features like Autosteer, which maintains a set speed or following distance and helps keep vehicles in their driving lane.
While Tesla stated that it does not agree with the NHTSA’s analysis, the company intends to deploy an over-the-air software update. This update will incorporate additional controls and alerts to encourage drivers to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility when engaging Autosteer.
The NHTSA began its investigation into Autopilot in August 2021 after identifying several crashes involving Tesla vehicles colliding with stationary emergency vehicles. The regulator upgraded its investigation in June 2022. As a result of its findings, the NHTSA concluded that Tesla’s Autopilot system can provide inadequate driver engagement and usage controls, leading to foreseeable misuse of the system.
Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened over three dozen special crash investigations involving Tesla vehicles, on many occasions suspecting the use of driver-assistance systems like Autopilot. These investigations have resulted in 23 reported crash deaths.
In response to the NHTSA’s findings, Tesla will roll out a software update to approximately 2.03 million Model S, X, 3, and Y vehicles in the United States, ranging from the 2012 model year onwards. The update will include enhanced visual alerts, simplified engagement and disengagement of Autosteer, and additional checks upon engaging the feature. Tesla also stated that if drivers repeatedly fail to demonstrate continuous and sustained driving responsibility while Autosteer is engaged, they may face eventual suspension from using the feature.
Tesla’s shares were down 1% in premarket trading following the announcement of the recall.
It should be noted that this recall is limited to the United States, and it remains unclear whether Tesla will conduct similar actions outside the country.
The NHTSA’s investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system will continue as it monitors the implementation and effectiveness of Tesla’s proposed remedies. Tesla has previously faced criticism from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for lacking system safeguards, while the NHTSA has been criticized for failing to ensure Autopilot’s safety.
In October 2022, Tesla revealed that it had received subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department related to its Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Autopilot systems. The company is currently under criminal investigation regarding claims that its electric vehicles can drive themselves.
Earlier this year, Tesla recalled 362,000 U.S. vehicles to update its FSD Beta software after the NHTSA found that the vehicles did not adhere adequately to traffic safety laws and could potentially cause crashes.
While a previous investigation into Autopilot by the NHTSA in 2017 did not result in any action, the current inquiry is ongoing, and the NHTSA will closely monitor the effectiveness of Tesla’s remedies.
In conclusion, Tesla is recalling over two million vehicles in the United States to address concerns regarding the potential for driver misuse of its Autopilot system. The recall comes after a lengthy investigation by the NHTSA and aims to enhance the system’s safeguards. Tesla will deploy an over-the-air software update to incorporate additional controls and alerts, encouraging drivers to maintain their responsibility while using the Autopilot system. The investigation into Autopilot will continue as the NHTSA monitors Tesla’s proposed remedies.
