Tesla on Thursday announced that it would recall nearly 363,000 US vehicles with its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software which did not sufficiently adhere to traffic safety rules and could cause crashes.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) warned that the FSD could violate traffic laws at some intersections “before some drivers may intervene.”
“The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle 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,” said the recall notice, posted on NHTSA’s website.
The present “full self-driving” technology allows for the steering, braking, and acceleration of a vehicle on local roads, but it necessitates the presence of a human driver who is ready to take over at any point due to the system’s potential for making judgment errors.
According to the notice, Tesla will make an effort to address issues with the FSD feature, which costs a total of $15,000, by means of a software update called over-the-air. Tesla will release the OTA software update free of charge.
Although Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not yet commented on the issue’s nature or extent, he tweeted that “the word “recall” for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong!”
But NHTSA stated that “manufacturers must initiate a recall for any repair, including a software update, that remedies an unreasonable risk to safety.” The federal agency noted that it will “continue to monitor the recall remedies for effectiveness.”
Models being recalled
Vehicles requiring the recall include Model S and Model X from 2016 to 2023, Model 3 from 2017 to 2023, and Model Y from 2020 to 2023, all of which are equipped with FSD Beta software or have pending installation.
Investor day
The setback comes almost two weeks before the company’s Investor Day, scheduled for March 1st, where CEO Elon Musk is anticipated to showcase the electric vehicle manufacturer’s AI capabilities and its strategy to broaden its vehicle range.
Tesla shares plunge
Following this blow to the feature that is central to the automaker’s business model, Tesla shares were down 1.6% at $210.76 on Thursday afternoon.