Tesla has announced a recall of its Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software after federal safety regulators discovered that the advanced driver-assistance system could cause crashes and unsafe driving around intersections. The recall affects certain Tesla vehicles, including the 2016-2023 Model S, Model X; 2017-2023 Model 3; and 2020-2023 Model Y equipped with the software. As many as 362,758 vehicles are affected. Tesla has stated that it will release a free over-the-air software update to fix the issue.
While Tesla vehicles come with Autopilot, a driver-assistance system, the FSD feature costs an additional $15,000. It includes several automated driving features that still require the driver to be ready to take control at all times. The FSD system is also supposed to handle steering on city streets, recognize and react to traffic lights and stop signs, and include the parking feature Summon and Navigate on Autopilot. This active guidance system navigates a car from a highway on-ramp to an off-ramp, including interchanges and lane changes.
The FSD Beta system could allow the vehicle to act unsafely around intersections, such as entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without stopping or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which discovered the issue during engineering analysis and testing of the system. In response to the recall, Tesla met with the NHTSA several times to discuss concerns and proposed over-the-air improvements.
The recall addresses a specific set of concerns identified by the NHTSA. It does not address the full scope of the NHTSA’s investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot and associated vehicle systems, which remains open and active. In January, the U.S. Department of Justice asked for documents related to Tesla’s branded Full Self-Driving and Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system.
The FSD Beta software has been a controversial issue for Tesla, from Musk’s promises around its capabilities to its rollout and safety concerns. The FSD feature has attracted scrutiny from regulators and sparked some concerns among critics, including Tesla’s use of the “Full Self-Driving” branding for a feature that is still far from autonomous driving.
Despite the controversy, Tesla has continued to tout the feature’s capabilities, with Musk recently tweeting that FSD is “getting good” and that a “wide release” is imminent. However, the recall of the FSD Beta software is a reminder that there are still significant safety concerns around the technology and that it is not yet ready for widespread use on public roads.
The recall is also a significant setback for Tesla, which has invested heavily in autonomous driving technology and promised to deliver fully self-driving cars soon. The company’s continued struggles with the technology could undermine investor confidence and raise questions about the viability of Tesla’s business model.
Overall, the recall of the FSD Beta software is a reminder that while autonomous driving technology has the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry, there are still significant safety concerns that need to be addressed before the technology can be widely adopted. As the industry continues to grapple with these issues, we will likely see more recalls and setbacks in the years to come.
