Tesla Recalls 362,000+ Self-Driving Vehicles Because of Software Error
In February 2023, Tesla recalled more than 360,000 cars and issued a warning that its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) feature–still in beta–“may cause crashes,” according to CNBC.
This is not the first Tesla recall but it’s a major setback for the company’s efforts to develop a car able to drive itself.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software, a $15,000 add-on, can assist drivers in a variety of ways but not take over driving entirely, has been involved in near misses and irregular driving behavior on roads and drawing the attention of regulators.
A recent version of the company’s FSD beta may cause vehicles to “act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution,” according to the NHTSA’s website.
The vehicles may also respond inappropriately to “changes in posted speed limits.”
It’s a major setback for the company, and came right as Musk announced an investor day to take place only a couple of weeks later.
The NHTSA has already been investigating Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system and the dozens of crashes involving parked emergency vehicles.
It’s also not the first FSD beta-related recall. Last year, Tesla recalled over 50,000 vehicles after a version of its FSD feature allowed vehicles to perform “rolling stops,” which is in violation of California laws.
Which is too bad, because more EVs on the road means reduced smog and, eventually, UCLA.
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