Electric vehicle leader Tesla kicked off February with another recall, this time for malfunctioning beta software causing cars to run stop signs. Tesla will recall 53,822 cars to fix a problem with the company’s new “Full Self-Driving” feature. The software allows the car to keep rolling through an intersection without making a full required stop.
Tesla has reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the company is “not aware of any warranty claims, field reports, crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition.”
CEO Elon Musk recently stated that “Full Self-Driving software remains one of our primary areas of focus.” The EV maker’s unfinished consumer testing methods are now being reviewed by the California DMV and the NHTSA over safety concerns.
Other Recent Recalls
At the end of December Tesla announced a much larger recall affecting about 475,000 cars due to safety defects. About 356,000 were Model 3 vehicles and 119,000 were Model S units. The company revealed to the NHTSA that its rearview camera wiring can be damaged from opening and closing the trunk. In such a case, the driver won’t have access to a rearview image on their screen, creating a dangerous driving condition.
Due to the series of recalls issued by Tesla, the NHTSA is increasing its oversight of the company. Last August the safety agency opened an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, which has features designed to make driving more effortless. But the agency has now logged 11 cases of Tesla vehicles crashing into stopped fire trucks and police cars, relating to how the Autopilot system responds to flashing lights. One of the crashes led to a fatality.
So far Tesla has recalled nearly 1 million vehicles over the past few decades. A decade ago the company dealt with reports of its cars catching on fire, but there hasn’t been a fire problem since 2018. That same year the company recalled 123,000 Model S cars due to steering problems. Another 7,600 cars were recalled last November relating to how air bag cushions could easily tear.
Tesla’s Progress
Currently there are about 290 million Tesla models on American roads. Despite the company’s series of recalls, it recently released upbeat news of its profit margin rising to 27.4 percent and quarterly net income of $2.3 billion. But Tesla also warned about supply chain issues and the chip shortage. With the earnings report, Musk announced Tesla would not be introducing any new models in 2022. He said the company is shifting attention to robot manufacturing.
Dil Bole Oberoi
