As automotive technology continues to advance, one controversial topic involves the feasibility of self-driving cars on the open road. While the system pushed these limits even further, many decried the system as unsafe for such open road use. Now, NHTSA seems to agree. The agency has issued an immediate recall for all models with FSD Beta installed.
Why NHTSA has recalled Teslas with full self-driving feature
According to incoming reports, the federal agency is recalling all Tesla models with a fully self-driving beta for safety reasons. Specifically, they state that FSD may “” at intersections. The agency found that Tesla’s full self-driving software works in several unsafe ways, such as, “traveling straight through an intersection while in a turning lane only, entering a stop-sign controlled intersection without stopping fully, or continuing into an intersection while at a steady yellow traffic light.” without being careful.”
. FSD has also been blamed for many accidents and deaths over the years.
The investigation into fully autonomous driving is still ongoing
Since 2021, both the NHTSA and the US Department of Justice have been investigating Tesla on a variety of fronts. One of the most important of these programs is their presentation of the full self-driving program and the problems associated with it.
Regulatory scrutiny has intensified in recent months, with requests for documents and internal communications coming in as early as two weeks ago.
Overall, the brand, led by CEO Elon Musk, has acknowledged that no one is responsible for ensuring the safety and reliability of FSD technology. For his part, Musk stated at a recent Tesla conference that “full self-driving is obviously improving very quickly.”
Even more damning than the statements of a Tesla engineer was a 2016 video showing the technology. The engineer also mentioned that the video showed capabilities that the technology did not yet have, such as stopping and starting at traffic lights.
For their part, Tesla warned drivers that they should keep their hands on the steering wheel and pay attention while driving. However, no eye-tracking technology has been implemented, unlike similar technologies from Ford, Cadillac, and others. This Tesla recall won’t address those concerns. However, the technology will be updated to improve basic traffic functionality.
NHTSA involved in Tesla recall
Starting in August 2021, NHTSA upgraded its investigation to an “engineering analysis,” looking at all 830,000 vehicles with the Tesla FSD Beta installed. This was deemed a necessary step before issuing a withdrawal request, but it has been a long time since this investigation began.
However, the agency appears to have finally found enough evidence to demand a recall of all Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles with FSD beta. In January, the agency told Tesla that it had identified concerns with fully autonomous driving in certain road environments.
Tesla disputed the issue, but eventually issued a voluntary recall out of “extreme caution.”
How will the Tesla FSD recall be managed?
An over-the-air software update will be pushed to approximately 363,000 models to help address these issues. Notifications will begin to be distributed on April 15th. To date, this is the only recall resulting from these investigations. However, both the Department of Justice and NHTSA plan to continue investigating Tesla for both work practices and safety concerns.
