Tesla’s December recall of over 2 million vehicles to enhance Autopilot safety features is now under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) scrutiny. Following 20 accidents involving cars with the updated Autopilot software, the NHTSA has raised significant concerns and initiated an investigation. The agency has set a deadline of July 1 for Tesla to provide detailed responses and documentation.
The recall impacted nearly all Tesla models on U.S. roads, including the Y, X, S, 3, and Cybertruck vehicles with Autopilot, ranging from 2012 to 2024 models. Its primary goal was to ensure that drivers using the driver assistance system remained fully attentive and ready to take control at any moment. Despite Tesla’s repeated emphasis that Autopilot is intended for attentive drivers with hands on the wheel, the NHTSA is delving deeper into the system’s functionality post-recall.
The NHTSA’s investigation includes requests for comparative data from Tesla, focusing on post-recall vehicle operations, specifically regarding the issued hands-on driving warnings. Tesla’s extensive recall measures did not alleviate concerns raised by 20 crashes and early NHTSA testing findings. One issue of interest is the option for drivers to choose between single or double-pull activation of Autopilot, which can be changed while driving and is not the default setting for post-recall vehicles.
While Tesla has implemented additional safety measures, such as addressing high-speed captive turn lane collisions, the NHTSA’s recent observations highlight a “critical safety gap” tied to the system’s weak driver engagement. The NHTSA’s previous investigation in August 2021 found numerous Tesla collisions with fatalities and serious injuries attributed to foreseeable driver misuse of Autopilot. Additionally, the agency noted that Tesla’s December recall allows drivers to reverse the software upgrade quickly.
