Tesla recalls all of its over 2 million US vehicles due to autopilot flaws

[Daniel Sims]

What just happened? Multiple controversies have emerged regarding the self-driving features in Tesla vehicles throughout 2023, but the latest recall is the most far-reaching. Although it affects every car the company has sold in the last decade, the word "recall" might be outdated, given Tesla's solution.

Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have announced a recall of every vehicle the company has sold in the US. The situation dwarfs two prior Tesla recalls from earlier this year, this time amounting to over two million cars.

In practical terms, users will soon receive an over-the-air update that promises to fix the problem without requiring them to bring their vehicles to the shop. Tesla has employed this solution before, indicating that referring to its software problems as "recalls" is an anachronistic legal technicality.

After spending over two years investigating eleven accidents involving autosteer, the NHTSA determined that Teslas don't sufficiently ensure drivers remain attentive while self-driving systems are engaged. Autosteer is supposed to give users visual and audio alerts when road conditions limit its effectiveness or prevent it from activating. Furthermore, it assumes drivers remain fully alert and keep both hands on the steering wheel.

The patch to update the software to version 2023.44.30 introduces more prominent alerts and additional controls. Autosteer also receives new safety checks and a simpler on/off switch. The recall and update affect all Tesla Model S, X, 3, and Y vehicles manufactured and sold between October 5, 2012 and December 7, 2023. Cars built and sold after that period ship with the latest software pre-installed.

A smaller recall affecting the same models occurred in February, requiring Tesla to update 365,000 vehicles due to a problem with the Full Self-Driving Beta. An employee leaked 100GB of company data in May, highlighting over 1,000 safety incidents. Another recall in October concerned a software flaw in the brake fluid detection system in over 54,000 Model X cars.

Tesla isn't the only company dogged by safety problems with autonomous vehicles lately. The founder of the robotaxi company Cruise recently resigned after numerous traffic incidents throughout the year resulted in the revocation of the company's California operation permit and the suspension of operations nationwide.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/101198-tesla-recalls-all-over-2-million-us-vehicles.html

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Just to add, Autopilot was delivered in 2015 only to vehicles produced after a certain date in 2014 (maybe August or September), but the number of US vehicles not affected by this recall would be in the tens of thousands.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Garbage QC at Tesla and a lot of lies from the Felon over the tech.

 

[loki1944]

Autopilot in vehicles is retarded

 

[mbk34]

So the update simply checks that the driver is just paying attention to the road more frequently?

 

[hahahanoobs]

Love this.

Anything allowing you to drive without hand(s) on the wheel in 2023 is useless tech if you ask me. Tech is too new and drivers are just not ready and able. They suck. Needs another 10 years in the oven.

Only two options should be full manual or full auto with hands off option available only after FSD or equivalents can be 99.9% trusted and fully approved.

Car companies currently ommiting or removing Apple Car Play and Android Auto cause the average driver still can't act right.

 

[mountains]

Wait. This "recall" is going to make drivers keep both hands on the wheel? It's pretty common to drive with one hand on the wheel, especially on the open road. Surely I am misunderstanding this!

I am not anti-Tesla. They actually are pretty impressive in many categories, but between this and that study that says they have the worst online privacy of any manufacturer, when all automotive manufacturers are terrible and unregulated in online privacy, makes me want... older cars.

 

[Bobbydpue]

Wait. This "recall" is going to make drivers keep both hands on the wheel?

"Wait. This "recall" is going to make drivers keep both hands on the wheel?" Noone said that.

"the NHTSA determined that Teslas don't sufficiently ensure drivers remain attentive while self-driving systems are engaged"

"The patch to update the software to version 2023.44.30 introduces more prominent alerts and additional controls. Autosteer also receives new safety checks and a simpler on/off switch. "

 

[axiomatic13]

Bluecruise on my F-150 Lightning is far safer. It has regular and IR cameras watching your hands and eyes at all times. Look away at all, and in a couple of seconds you get warnings. You can go hands free, but only if you are in an area that Bluecruise says is "serviced." Serviced means that no construction has been in this area for x amount of time that could have caused a detour that the service might not be aware of. You still must always be looking down the road. That never stops while Bluecruise is on.

 

[mountains]

It has regular and IR cameras watching your hands and eyes at all times.

While I can appreciate that this may somewhat increase safety, for someone who still has not ceded their right to privacy, this sounds... like not what I want. A lot.

And consider the recent Techspot article on the study that says automotive online features are the worst privacy offenders of ANY online category. It is pretty much completely unregulated. And it will stay unregulated if we do not fight back.