Electric vehicle maker Tesla has announced a voluntary recall of over 2 million vehicles equipped with its controversial Autopilot advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), following pressure from the US safety regulator over concerns that drivers have too easily been able to misuse the semi-autonomous feature, leading to potentially dangerous situations.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Autopilot over two years ago after a spate of crashes where Tesla drivers had activated the ADAS system shortly before colliding with parked emergency vehicles. Whilst Tesla did not agree fully with the NHTSA’s analysis that Autopilot was too easily misused, the company has agreed to issue a voluntary recall and provide a software update in order to resolve the investigation.
Tesla’s recall covers the Model S sedan, Model X SUV, Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV – essentially every vehicle it has sold since 2016 except for the upcoming Cybertruck. It specifically relates to Autopilot’s Autosteer feature, which provides steering support to keep the vehicle centered in its lane.
Safety Experts Welcome Long Overdue Recall But Blast Tesla’s Previous Inaction
Consumer advocacy groups were quick to welcome the recall, but also highlighted that it was long overdue.
We’re glad to see this long-overdue recall happen for the sake of everyone’s safety on our roads,” said William Wallace, associate director of safety policy at Consumer Reports. “Tesla should’ve launched a broad recall for Autopilot at least five years ago, and delays like this are unacceptable.
“We know that drivers who have the ability to misuse a system such as Autopilot will do so unless the software prevents it,” added Kelly Funkhouser, manager of vehicle technology at Consumer Reports’ auto test center. “We hope that these new software updates will remove those temptations, and ensure that Autopilot can only be used where it’s appropriate.”
Over-The-Air Software Update Aims To Curb Misuse and Abuse
The software update, dubbed version 2023.44.30, is being beamed to affected Tesla vehicles over-the-air, meaning owners will not have to take their vehicles into service centers. Tesla documentation provided to the NHTSA indicates that the update will “increase the prominence of visual alerts, simplify engagement and disengagement of Autosteer, and implement new checks on using the software outside of controlled access highways and while approaching traffic lights and stop signs.”
Essentially, the update aims to make it much clearer to drivers when Autosteer is active whilst also restricting its functionality to limited situations like highways. If drivers do still find ways to inappropriately activate and use the ADAS on local roads or in urban areas, the system will now suspend their ability to use Autosteer after repeated infractions.
Consumer Reports indicated that they plan to download the new software update as soon as it is available for their Tesla test vehicle in order to fully evaluate the changes designed to curb abuse and limit Autopilot activations to appropriate highway situations.
The lengthy NHTSA investigation centered around Tesla’s approach of using an inattentive driver detection system rather than more direct means of determining if Autopilot was being misused. With the new safeguards in software version 2023.44.30, it seems Tesla has conceded that solely monitoring driver attention was not enough to prevent misuse and that restrictions also need to be placed on Autopilot itself.
Autopilot Under Increasing Scrutiny As ADAS Systems Proliferate Across Auto Industry
Tesla’s Autopilot has frequently attracted controversy ever since its launch over half a decade ago. The company itself describes Autopilot as a ‘driver assistance system’ and not a fully autonomous self-driving system. However, critics have long argued that the Tesla branding and marketing centered around ‘Full Self Driving’ have contributed towards over-confidence and misuse by drivers.
Consumer advocacy groups argue that the overdue recall of such a widely deployed level 2 ADAS system clearly highlights the need for greater regulation and standardization of advanced driver assistance technologies as they continue to proliferate across new vehicle lineups.
There have been growing calls for regulation such as compulsory driver monitoring systems to ensure human drivers remain engaged and ready to take back control when using these semi-autonomous technologies. Critics point out that Tesla’s seeming reluctance to voluntarily add such safeguards previously has unnecessarily put road users at risk – something this belated recall aims to now finally rectify.
