Tesla’s latest recall is also its biggest.
The EV giant is recalling two million cars in the U.S. due to an Autopilot software issue that can increase the risk of accidents, according to The New York Times. The company is now working to update the function that ensures drivers are focused on the road while using the program.
The recall affects nearly every vehicle and model the company has sold in America between October 5, 2012, and December 7 of this year, according to a public notice posted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The company began issuing a software update on Tuesday that is supposed to remedy the issue.
The Tesla Cybertruck is the company’s only current model not affected by the recall
Tesla
The move comes on the back of a two-year investigation by the NHTSA into a series of crashes, some of which were deadly, that occurred when Autopilot and its Autosteer function was engaged. As part of the probe, the agency looked into 956 crashes where the software was allegedly in use, according to Reuters, and wound up focusing on 322 of the accidents.
The investigation found that the methods that Autopilot, a Level 2 advanced driver’s assistance software suite, uses to monitor whether a driver is paying attention to the road while using the system are inadequate. As a result of the “defect,” the agency claims “there may be an increased risk of a collision.”
Tesla, which the NHTSA says has fully cooperated with the investigation, will now address the issue with over-the-air software updates. The fix will add additional controls to help ensure that drivers are alert and aware while the software is in use. Additionally, it will limit where the Autosteer feature can be used. Tesla began issuing the “over-the-air software remedy” to certain vehicles on Tuesday night and plans to update the remaining vehicles later. Letters alerting affected Tesla owners to the recall will be mailed in February.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Robb Report on Wednesday morning.
The recall is Tesla’s fourth in the last two years, though this is by far the biggest, according to the Times. In May, the company was forced to recall 1.1 million vehicles in China because of acceleration and braking issues. Three months earlier, 362,000 cars equipped with the company’s Full Self-Driving software were recalled after U.S. regulators found that it also increased the risk of accidents. Last year, 54,000 EVs that feature the same software were recalled to disable a feature that allowed them to roll through intersections without stopping in certain conditions.
