Tesla to roll out software updates for over 2 million vehicles in the U.S. to resolve Autopilot ‘defect’

Tesla is pushing software updates to nearly every Tesla car sold in the United States to address a defect in the company’s Autopilot system, making it the largest-ever in Tesla history

Tesla is rolling out software updates for almost every Tesla car sold in the United States to address a flaw in the Autopilot system, marking the largest recall in the company’s history. The update will impact over two million vehicles in the United States equipped with Tesla’s Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system.

The move comes in response to safety concerns raised by a safety regulator, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a recall notice on Monday. The recall covers nearly all Tesla vehicles on U.S. roads, including the majority of Model S, Y, X, and 3 units ever sold in the country, aiming to rectify a defect in the Autopilot system, Reuters reported.

The NHTSA initiated a two-year investigation into a series of collisions involving Tesla vehicles using Autopilot, which comes standard on all new Teslas. The recall is a result of concerns raised during this investigation about whether Tesla vehicles ensure that drivers remain attentive when using Autopilot.

According to the recall statement from the NHTSA, there are instances when the controls of the Autosteer feature may not be prominent enough to prevent driver misuse, potentially leading to an increased risk of collisions.

“In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature’s controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse,” the agency said in the recall statement, adding that this could lead to an “increased risk of a collision.”

Tesla acknowledged in its recall filing that the Autopilot’s software controls may be insufficient to prevent driver misuse, thereby raising the risk of crashes. The Acting NHTSA Administrator, Ann Carlson, emphasized the importance of driver monitoring systems accounting for the tendency of humans to overly trust technology, as reported by Reuters in August.

Tesla said in a recall filing that Autopilot’s software system controls “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse” and could increase the risk of a crash

Tesla’s Autopilot is designed to enable cars to automatically steer, accelerate, and brake within their lane. While enhanced Autopilot can assist in lane changes on highways, it does not make vehicles fully autonomous.