Tesla Recalls Thousands of Vehicles Over Full Self Driving Beta Software Error

Tesla has voluntarily recalled nearly 11,704 vehicles after identifying a software error that could cause a false forward-collision warning or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake system. According to a report on TechCrunch, all the affected vehicles had early access to Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving Beta,” the automaker’s advanced driver-assistance system.

Details of the Recall

The system, which is still in beta mode and requires the driver to be attentive at all times, has been released to thousands of customers in recent weeks. Tesla has said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the software error.

The over-the-air update, released on Oct. 23, introduced what a regulator called “a software communication disconnect” between the two onboard chips. Tesla said it began receiving customer reports the very next day.

According to the safety recall report, the communication disconnect could result in the video neural networks that operate on that chip running less consistently than expected.

This inconsistency could “produce negative object velocity detections when other vehicles are present, which could, in turn, lead to false forward-collision warnings and automatic emergency braking events.” 

The vehicles part of this recall include certain Model S, Model X, and Model 3 cars made between 2017 and 2021, and some Model Y vehicles manufactured between 2020 and 2021.

The recall announcement comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent Tesla a letter criticizing the company for issuing safety-critical software updates to its Autopilot software without also filing recall notices. In this particular case, Tesla issued an official recall even though it had already fixed the problem.

Serious Safety Concerns

It appears that Tesla complied with the law in this case, fulfilling the legal requirement for companies to report a safety defect to NHTSA and initiate a recall within 5 days. However, this is how Tesla should’ve handled its Autopilot updates as well tied to the issue of the driver-assist system failing to detect emergency vehicles.

It is important to remember that even the Full Self-Driving system, which is currently in the beta phase, still doesn’t make the vehicles fully automated. 

However, the name is misleading, just like Autopilot. It appears that Tesla pushed out the system before adequate testing because, clearly, there were problems the very next day. This is certainly an argument for why cars should not be beta-tested on public roads.

Our auto defect lawyers have consistently maintained and still firmly believe that consumers should not risk their lives and limbs so Tesla or other automakers can get their products out and maximize their profits. These companies continue to put their profits before public safety.