Tesla Recalls Nearly All US Cars to Fix Autopilot Defect
Tesla is recalling nearly all vehicles sold in the US — a total of more than 2 million — to update software and fix a defective system that's supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention when using Autopilot.
US safety regulators say the update will increase warnings to drivers and even limit the areas where basic versions of Autopilot can operate.
The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the partially automated Autopilot driving system was in use. Some were deadly.
The agency says its investigation found Autopilot's method of making sure that drivers are paying attention can be inadequate and can lead to "misuse of the system."
But safety experts said that, while the recall is a good step, it still makes the driver responsible and doesn't fix the problem that Tesla's automated systems have with spotting and stopping for obstacles in their path.
The recall covers models produced between October 5, 2012, and December 7, 2023.
The attempt to fix the Autopilot system seemed inadequate to Dillon Angulo, who was seriously injured in a 2019 crash with a Tesla using the technology on a Florida road where it isn't supposed to be used.
"This technology is not safe, we have to get it off the road," said Angulo, who is suing Tesla as he recovers from injuries that included brain trauma and broken bones.
Autopilot can steer, accelerate and brake automatically in its lane, but is a driver-assist system and cannot drive itself, despite its name. Independent tests have found that the monitoring system is easy to fool, so much that drivers have been caught while driving drunk or even sitting in the back seat.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Tesla said safety is stronger when Autopilot is engaged.
NHTSA has sent investigators to 35 Tesla crashes since 2016 in which the agency suspects the vehicles were running on Autopilot. At least 17 people have been killed.
