Tesla Recalls Nearly All U.S. Vehicles Over Autopilot Safety Defects
Electric vehicle maker Tesla has issued a sweeping recall of nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S., according to an announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The recall covers over 2 million Tesla Model S, X, 3 and Y cars and comes after a two-year NHTSA investigation into defects with the autopilot advanced driver assistance system. Regulators determined that autopilot software controls "may not adequately adhere to traffic safety laws and driver attentiveness responsibilities."
Specifically, the investigation centered around crashes that occurred while autopilot was activated, including several fatal accidents. NHTSA concluded that Tesla's autosteer system allowed vehicles to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through a stop sign without stopping.
In a recall filing, Tesla stated they will release over-the-air software updates to vehicles that introduce new driver monitoring safeguards and address detected safety defects. Acting NHTSA Administrator Ann Carlson praised Tesla's recall cooperation while stating the action shows "the critical role robust vehicle safety oversight plays for the public.”
However, some autonomous vehicle experts argue the recall does not go far enough. Professor Phil Koopman of Carnegie Mellon University told the Associated Press that lacking hardware upgrades for older recalled models is “disappointing” since they will still enable misuse and lack adequate driver monitoring abilities. But this marks Tesla's largest ever recall covering the vast majority of vehicles they have sold domestically.
The sweeping action represents the growing scrutiny autonomous and advanced driver assistance tech continues facing over safety assurances. It follows California's recent move to suspend testing for General Motor's self-driving unit, Cruise, also citing traffic violations. As regulators take harsher stances toward shortcomings, companies like Tesla will need to prioritize resolving defects to build public trust around autonomous capabilities.
(Sources: Al Jazeera, Associated Press)
