EV giant Tesla Inc TSLA is recalling 2.03 million vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer after deeming the feature’s controls to be insufficient to prevent misuse.
What Happened: The company said in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that there might be an increased risk of crash when the feature is engaged but the driver does not assume responsibility to take over as needed.
The over 2 million vehicles recalled include Tesla’s higher-end models S and X as well as its lower-end Model 3 and Y vehicles made between 2012 and 2023.
As a remedy, Tesla will release a software update free of charge.
The recall is a result of an investigation commenced by the NHTSA in Aug. 2021 based on eleven incidents involving stationary first-responder vehicles and Tesla cars with autosteer enabled. Tesla decided to recall the vehicles to close the investigation though it does not agree with the agency's analysis, it noted in the filing.
Why It Matters: Autosteer is part of Tesla's suite of advanced driver assistance features called autopilot. When coupled with Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, it provides steering, braking, and acceleration assistance to Tesla drivers on controlled-access highways. However, even when the autosteer is engaged, the driver is responsible for taking over as necessary.
Despite the different measures in place to ensure that the driver is paying attention even while autosteer is engaged, they might be insufficient to prevent misuse, Tesla said in its recall filing.
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