Tesla Recalls 2+ Mil to Stop Autopilot Abuse

No Autosteer Without Hands on Wheel.

Tesla has been obliged to summon nearly all of its vehicles sold in the US attendant to safety deficiencies connecting with its Autopilot technology. This affects more than two million cars and includes the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y possessing Autosteer. The automaker will address the problem with a wireless software upgrade.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) has been investigating the company’s Autopilot technology since 2021, and it has concluded that the system does not provide enough protection against drivers misusing the feature. According to the Safety Recall Report issued by NHSTA, Autosteer’s controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse” in certain circumstances. The agency has recommended that the company take additional steps to ensure that drivers do not misuse the system.

Tesla announced a new software update that will bring additional controls to alert drivers about remaining engaged while using Autosteer, as well as simplify the engagement and disengagement of the feature. The update also includes the ability for the software to suspend drivers from using Autosteer if it detects that they are “failing to demonstrate continuous and sustained driving responsibility while the feature is engaged.”

In accord with the chronology of occurrences in the recall, it has become apparent that the NHTSA began to interact with Tesla regarding its outcomes on the 16th of October. The report illuminates that although Tesla were not in agreement with the organization’s interpretation regard Autosteer, nonetheless they consented to voluntarily provide a recall and introduce the remedy. To safeguard the power of the update, NHTSA will persist observing the investigation.

Tesla recently released version 2023.44.30 of its full self-driving software, and it’s free of charge. However, the company had to issue a recall in February for all its vehicles due to the possibility that the software could cause “a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner.”

Source: NHTSA