The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shared a letter that can confirm Tesla is recalling over 2 million of its EVs due to their Autopilot feature, which, according to investigations that stretch back to years ago, is dangerous and could result in crashes.
According to the letter, which is dated December 12, the recall applies to vehicles that go back all the way to the year 2012, including the Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Model Y:
- TESLA/MODEL 3/2017-2023
- TESLA/MODEL S/2012-2023
- TESLA/MODEL X/2016-2023
- TESLA/MODEL Y/2020-2023
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature’s controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
This is followed by a statement from the NHTSA that warns how Autopilot may lead to accidents:
In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Tesla plans to remedy this with an over-the-air (OTA) software update, which will be available free of charge, with owner notification letters expected to be mailed February 10, 2024, per the NHTSA’s letter.
“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,” NHTSA said in a statement.
The recall happens to come just days after The Washington Post published a story about how Tesla drivers could run Autopilot where it’s not supposed to be used, leading to fatal consequences, such as this event from 2019:
A Tesla driving on Autopilot crashed through a T intersection at about 70 mph and flung the young couple into the air, killing Benavides Leon and gravely injuring Angulo. In police body-camera footage obtained by The Washington Post, the shaken driver says he was “driving on cruise” and took his eyes off the road when he dropped his phone. …It occurred on a rural road where Tesla’s Autopilot technology was not designed to be used.
Tesla called the publication out in a tweet shortly after the story was published, however, calling the reporting “egregious” and pointing to an article that showed how Tesla managed to earn a 5-star safety rating from Euro NCAP last year:
While there are many articles that do not accurately convey the nature of our safety systems, the recent Washington Post article is particularly egregious in its misstatements and lack of relevant context.
— Tesla (@Tesla) December 12, 2023
We at Tesla believe that we have a moral obligation to continue…
“In the 4th quarter of 2022, we recorded one crash for every 4.85 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology,” the company noted in a roundup of “important facts, context, and background.”
“Whether the driver chooses to engage Autosteer or not, the driver is in control of the vehicle at all times,” Tesla added. “The driver is notified of this responsibility, consents, agrees to monitor the driving assistance, and can disengage anytime.”