NHTSA Recalls 362,000 Teslas Over Full Self-Driving Crash Risks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls every Tesla in the US equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta due to unpredictable driving behaviors that increase crash risks. Tesla issues a free over-the-air software update to fix the unsafe system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls over 362,000 Tesla vehicles in the United States that operate on the Full Self-Driving Beta software. The safety agency determines that the expensive $15,000 add-on allows Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y vehicles to act in unpredictable and unlawful ways, significantly increasing the risk of a crash.
Specific unsafe behaviors include driving straight through intersections while in a turn-only lane, failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs, and proceeding through yellow lights without proper caution. The system also responds incorrectly to posted speed limit changes and does not adequately account for a driver's decision to exceed the speed limit. Standard Tesla Autopilot systems remain completely unaffected by this recall.
Tesla voluntarily administers this recall out of an abundance of caution and reports 18 related warranty claims but no injuries or deaths. The automaker resolves the issue by deploying a free over-the-air software update to all affected vehicles in the coming weeks, and owners receive official notification letters by April 15.