Tesla Recalls Over 2 Million U.S. Cars for Autopilot Fix

 Tesla has recalled more than 2 million vehicles—nearly all the cars it has sold in the U.S. to date—to fix a flaw in its Autopilot system after an investigation by federal regulators found that it failed to adequately detect if the driver was paying attention while the system was engaged.

                The recall affects nearly all electric vehicles Tesla has sold in the U.S.
 

KEY FACTS

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice, the recall affects 2,031,220 Teslas, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y.

Despite its name, Autopilot is a driver assistance feature and is not designed to operate fully autonomously without human input.

According to the NHTSA, “the prominence and scope of the feature’s controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse.”

The recall follows a two-year investigation into Tesla’s driver-assist features after it was linked to several accidents, including some that caused fatal injuries.

To remedy the issue, Tesla will start delivering an automatic software update to all the affected vehicles starting Wednesday, the notice adds.

The software fix has already been incorporated into new cars on Tesla’s production line since December 7.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Tesla’s share price fell to $234.05 in premarket trading, down 1.25%.

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“Automated technology holds great promise for improving safety, but only when it is deployed responsibly…Today’s action is an example of improving automated systems by prioritizing safety,” the NHTSA said in a press statement.


KEY BACKGROUND

Tesla’s self-driving claims have been subject to scrutiny from federal investigators who suspect the Autopilot feature as the cause of several crashes across the country, some of which have resulted in deaths of both drivers and pedestrians. More than 360,000 Teslas were recalled in February, due to safety concerns over the more advanced Full Self-Driving feature. In July, the NHTSA opened a wider investigation into 830,000 Tesla vehicles—including the Models Y, X, S and 3 sold between 2014 and 2022—to assess the Autopilot system. That probe is ongoing.

BIG NUMBER

35. That is the total number of Tesla crashes the NHTSA has probed since 2016 for suspected issues related to the driving assist system, the Associated Press reports. These crashes have resulted in at least 17 deaths.