Tesla to recall 362,000 cars with its ‘fully self-driving’ system

Tesla is recalling more than 362,000 cars equipped with its fully autonomous driver assistance system after government regulators found it increased the risk of crashes.

The company’s technology, which can steer, accelerate, brake and change lanes on its own, allows vehicles to travel above legal speed limits and cross intersections in an “illegal or unpredictable manner”, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday in documents posted on its website.

Tests and analysis by the safety agency have shown that a system component that directs cars on city streets could create “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety due to insufficient compliance with road safety laws”. The agency said Tesla was not aware of any deaths or injuries caused by the defects identified by the agency.

The safety agency noted that the recall only addresses one set of issues it had with Full Self Driving and that it continues to investigate the system and less advanced technology that Tesla calls Autopilot.

Despite their names, none of the systems can drive cars on their own, and Tesla is telling owners of its cars to be ready to take control at a moment’s notice while using its driver-assist technology. It also asks car owners to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

Security experts have often raised concerns about Tesla systems and similar technologies offered by other automakers. One of their biggest fears is that people will get so sleepy thinking their car drives itself that they won’t be able to take control if the technology malfunctions or handle certain traffic conditions.

Data released by the federal safety agency last summer showed that six people died and five were seriously injured in nearly 400 incidents from July 1, 2021 to May 15, 2022, involving cars using advanced driving assistance. Tesla’s technology, which is installed in far more cars than systems offered by other automakers, has been used in 273 crashes, including five fatalities.

The safety agency said Thursday that Tesla had accepted the recall and planned to correct the defects through an over-the-air update of the affected vehicles, according to a letter posted on the agency’s website. The recall affects all four models made by the company and covers vehicles produced from 2016 to 2023. The automaker intends to notify owners of the recalled vehicles by mail no later than April 15.

The safety agency said Tesla disagreed with regulators’ analysis, but the company agreed to a voluntary recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

The agency is investigating 41 crashes since 2016 involving Tesla vehicles that used the company’s advanced driver assistance systems, including 14 that resulted in a total of 19 fatalities.