Tesla is recalling nearly all of its vehicles sold in the U.S. because some warning lights in the instrument panel are too small.
The recall of about 2.2 million vehicles announced Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a sign of increased scrutiny of electric vehicle manufacturers.
The agency also Upgraded survey for 2023 Tesla’s steering problem has been investigated through engineering analysis, moving one step closer to a recall.
The document was posted on Friday. The agency said the warning light recall will be done through an online software update.
These include 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck.
The agency said the font size for brake, parking and anti-lock brake warning lights is smaller than required by federal safety standards.
This can make important safety information difficult to read and increase the risk of a collision.
Tesla has already started releasing software updates, and owners will be notified by letter starting March 30th.
NHTSA said it discovered the problem during a routine safety compliance audit on Jan. 8.
Tesla has identified three warranty claims that may be related to this issue, but there are no reports of crashes or injuries.
Tesla stock, which has been on a downward trend since July and fell after last week’s fourth-quarter results, fell another 2.7% in early trading on Friday, its lowest level since May of last year.
In December, NHTSA pressured Tesla to recall more than 2 million vehicles to update software and fix defective systems to ensure driver caution. When using autopilot.
According to the document, the update will enhance warnings and alerts for drivers.
The recall came later 2 years of research NHTSA investigated a series of crashes that occurred while using Autopilot, a partially automated driving system.
The agency said its investigation found that Autopilot’s methods of determining whether drivers are paying attention may be inadequate and could lead to “foreseeable abuse of the system.” Says.
The added controls and warnings “further encourage drivers to comply with ongoing driving responsibilities,” the document states.
But safety experts said the recall, while a good move, still puts the blame on the driver and doesn’t solve the underlying problem of Autopilot not responding to stopped vehicles.
Tesla’s driver monitoring system relies on detecting hands on the steering wheel, so it won’t prevent drivers from checking out, they say.
Tesla says on its website that its Autopilot and “fully self-driving” systems cannot drive the vehicle, and that a human driver must be ready to intervene at any time.
In February last year, NHTSA also Forced Tesla to recall Approximately 363,000 vehicles are equipped with that “fully self-driving” system because they can misbehave near intersections and don’t always adhere to speed limits.
The recall was part of a larger investigation into Tesla’s self-driving system.
CEO Elon Musk’s claims that he can prove to regulators that cars with “fully autonomous driving” are safer than humans and rarely require humans to touch the controls have been called into question.
Musk at one point promised that autonomous robotaxis would be available in 2020.
The latest measures are expected to push that development further into the future.
Additionally, Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million Model S, X, 3, and Y electric vehicles. exported to China If you are having problems with auto-assisted steering and door latch controls.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced the recall in early January. Tesla Motors in Beijing and Shanghai said it would use remote upgrades to resolve the issue.
The recall is due to a defect in the automatic steering assist function, and affects 1.6 million imported Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y vehicles.
The notice states that when the automatic steering function is activated, drivers may misuse the combined driving function, increasing the risk of an accident.
The recall, which corrects the door unlock logic control of imported Model S and Model X EVs, affects 7,538 vehicles manufactured between October 26, 2022 and November 16, 2023.
Required to prevent the door latch from opening in the event of a collision.
Tesla was the world’s top seller of electric cars last year, but China’s BYD surpassed it in the fourth quarter.
BYD is a leader in the rapidly growing Chinese market.
The steering research upgrade, also announced in a document Friday, covers more than 334,000 Tesla vehicles.
The investigation began last July after the agency received more than a dozen complaints about loss of steering control in a 2023 Model Y and three vehicles.
Currently, the agency has received 115 complaints, and when it requested information from the company, it received an additional 2,176 complaints.
According to agency documents, drivers report a loss of steering control, often accompanied by a message indicating that power-assisted steering has been reduced or disabled.
Some people complained that they couldn’t turn the steering wheel, while others said they needed more force.
A message seeking comment was left with Tesla on Friday.
In one case, a driver told NHTSA that he was unable to make a right turn and collided with another vehicle.
The agency said there are multiple allegations that Tesla vehicles obstructed intersections and roadways.
More than 50 vehicles had to be towed, according to consumer complaints.
