Tesla is recalling 362,000 vehicles in the US due to concerns that its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta software did not adequately adhere to traffic safety laws. The recall affects Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y vehicles equipped with the FSD Beta software. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requested the recall, citing that the software could cause crashes by allowing vehicles to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner.
Tesla will release a free over-the-air (OTA) software update to address the issue. The automaker has stated that it is not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the recall issue. The recall covers vehicles manufactured between 2016 and 2023, and the FSD Beta software is used by hundreds of thousands of Tesla customers.
Despite the recall, Tesla does not agree with the NHTSA’s analysis of the issue. The move is a rare intervention by federal regulators in a real-world testing program that the company sees as crucial to the development of cars that can drive themselves. The setback for Tesla’s automated driving effort comes ahead of its March 1 investor day, during which Chief Executive Elon Musk is expected to promote the EV maker’s artificial intelligence capability and plans to expand its vehicle lineup.
NHTSA has an ongoing investigation into 830,000 Tesla vehicles with Autopilot. Last year, Tesla recalled nearly 54,000 vehicles with FSD Beta software due to concerns over rolling stops. Both Tesla and NHTSA state that FSD’s advanced driving features do not make the cars autonomous and require drivers to pay attention.
Possible situations where the issue could occur include traveling through certain intersections during a yellow traffic light or making a lane change out of certain turn-only lanes to continue traveling straight. While Tesla says that in “certain rare circumstances, the feature could potentially infringe upon local traffic laws or customs while executing certain driving maneuvers,” both the automaker and NHTSA emphasize that FSD’s advanced driving features are not meant to make the cars autonomous, and drivers are still required to pay attention.
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For Digital Products and Services: Maurisys Software.
