Tesla recalled 362,758 cars on Thursday after identifying flaws in its driver assistance software that can cause the vehicle to act in potentially dangerous ways at intersections.
The recall covers all models in the range, S, X, Y and model 3 equipped with or planned to receive FSD (Full Self-Driving) software, but in different manufacturing periods, going back, for some, to 2016.
The FSD, which is in the testing phase, is a so-called level 2 software, which is more about driving assistance than autonomous driving.
According to the advisory issued by the United States Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA), software glitches, when activated, can cause the vehicle to continue straight when stopped in a lane that theoretically requires spin.
A car with the FSD software activated can also go through an intersection with stop signs without coming to a complete stop, or through an intersection with steady amber lights without slowing down.
Affected vehicles may also “not react sufficiently to posted changes in speed limits” or fail to intervene when a driver exceeds the maximum speed limit, according to the agency.
To remedy these defects, Tesla plans to proceed with a software update, at its expense, the notice indicates. This recall does not require you to return your vehicle to a Tesla checkpoint.
The term “reminder” is incorrect according to Elon Musk
“The term ‘reminder’ for a software update is anachronistic and just plain wrong,” Elon Musk tweeted in response to the announcement.
In June 2022, NHTSA released a report stating that Teslas equipped with driver assistance software, active at some point during the previous 30 seconds, had been involved in 273 traffic accidents in the United States.
The US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Tesla’s driver assistance systems, according to a document published in late January by the securities market regulator, the SEC.
In the document, Tesla recalled that the FSD and the other software, known as “Autopilot,” were “designed to be used by an alert driver whose hands are on the wheel and who is ready to regain control at any time.”
But for several years now, the head of the manufacturer, Elon Musk, has regularly gone much further in his statements.
Starting in 2019, it thus promised the launch, within a year, of a vehicle capable of guaranteeing fully autonomous driving, without the intervention of a passenger. No vehicle in the range is currently equipped with such software.
Source: BFM TV
