Tesla recalls 363,000 vehicles equipped with "Full Self-Driving" tech
Tesla is recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with its "Full Self-Driving" system to fix problems with the way it ignores posted speed limits and behaves around street intersections.
Tesla's recall covers some 2016-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles, as well as 2013 through 2017 Model 3s, and 2020l through 2023 Model Y vehicles. The recall came after U.S. safety regulators expressed concerns about the way Tesla's system responds in four areas along roads.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that Tesla will address the concerns with an online software update in the coming weeks.
Focus of Super Bowl ad
Tesla's self-driving system's was at the center of a Super Bowl ad this month by The Dawn Project, a nonprofit group that campaigns for the development of computer software that's safe for people
The 30-second spot claimed that Tesla's self-driving technology is built on "woefully inept engineering" and poses a treat to pedestrians and drivers. The software also can cause the electric car maker's vehicles to swerve into oncoming traffic or drive on the wrong side of the road, the group claimed.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving system, which is being tested on public roads by as many as 400,000 Tesla owners, makes unsafe actions such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs, or going through an intersection during a yellow traffic light without proper caution, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
"FSD beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash," NHTSA said.
Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations department, could not be reached for comment. The automaker discloses on its website that its cars cannot drive themselves and owners must be ready to intervene at all times.
Crash probes
Tesla has received 18 warranty claims that could be caused by the software from May of 2019 through Sept. 12, 2022. But the electric vehicle maker told the agency it is not aware of any deaths or injuries.
NHTSA said in December that it's investigating two crashes from November in California and Ohio involving Tesla's automated driving systems. The agency has launched probes into 35 separate crashes, 19 of which were fatal, into Tesla's self-driving features since 2016.
In a statement, NHTSA said it found the problem during tests performed as part of an investigation into "Full Self-Driving" and "Autopilot" software that take on some driving tasks.
Shares of Tesla fell about 2% in Thursday afternoon trading. The stock has rallied about 71% in the year to date, reversing 2022's hefty loss.
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