Tesla cars recalled for self-drive problems

Tesla is recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with its “Full Self-Driving” system to fix problems with the way the vehicles negotiate intersections and follow posted speed limits, according to a federal filing Thursday.

The system “may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections,” including traveling straight through intersections from a turn lane and proceeding through steady-yellow traffic lights, according to the filing. The system’s errors “could increase the risk of a collision if the driver does not intervene,” the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

The recall includes certain Model 3, Model X, Model Y and Model S units manufactured between 2016 and 2023. Tesla is expected to fix the issue through an over-the-air software update by April 15, the agency said.

While Musk didn’t address specifics of the Thursday filing, he tweeted that the term “recall” was “flat wrong” since the issues can be fixed with the software update. The agency’s concerns raise new questions about a system that Tesla CEO Elon Musk sees as critical to the company’s longterm prospects.

The company’s automated-driving technology is already under scrutiny from Washington. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been looking into the technology handles crash scenes since 2021 after a dozen collisions with first responders and other vehicles. The agency also opened an investigation last year into complaints of Tesla cars with Autopilot driver assist that suddenly brake at high speeds.

The agency said in a separate statement Thursday that its investigations of Tesla’s Autopilot remain active. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it first notified Tesla on Jan. 25 about “potential concerns related to certain operational characteristics of (Full Self-Driving) Beta in four specific roadway environments” and requested that the automaker file a recall.

Tesla met with the agency multiple times in the following days. The company did not concur with the agency’s analysis but decided Feb. 7 to move forward with the recall “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the agency.

Representatives of Tesla didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg.

Tesla identified 18 warranty claims between May 2019 and September 2022 that “may be related” to the conditions the agency was concerned about, but also told the agency it is not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the defect.

“It’s encouraging that Tesla is not trying to fight this and is working with NHTSA,” said Missy Cummings, a professor at George Mason University who specializes in autonomous systems and spent a year at the agency. “It’s a good sign that the company is maturing.”