Nearly 2 million Tesla vehicles on US roads are recalled
After a two-year investigation by US safety regulators of 1,000 Autopilot crashes, Tesla is recalling nearly all 2 million of its US cars to limit its use.
The limitations on Autopilot hurt Tesla's efforts to market to buyers willing to pay more for self-driving cars.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned that Tesla's Autopilot system can mislead drivers and be misused in dangerous situations when the car's technology can't safely navigate the road. Over-the-air software updates will alert Tesla drivers to distracted driving while using Autopilot's “Autosteer” function. NHTSA says those notifications will remind drivers to stay focused and hold the wheel.
After the recall, Teslas with Autosteer will more frequently check the driver's attention level and disengage the feature if the software detects inattention, when the car is approaching traffic controls, or when Autosteer alone can't drive the car.
NHTSA posted a letter to Tesla stating that Tesla had agreed to the software update starting on Tuesday that will limit the use of Autosteer if a driver repeatedly fails to demonstrate readiness to resume control of the car.
Tesla touts its driver-assist features, including Autopilot and “Full Self Driving,” as safer than human-driven cars. However, NHTSA has studied Autopilot and Autosteer accidents for over two years.
The NHTSA found numerous accidents over the past few years that suggest these features do not live up to their names of Autopilot and Full Self Driving.
Tesla will notify car owners via letters and software updates.