Tesla’s Autopilot is under investigation again following ‘recall’ software update

Crashes involving post-fix Tesla vehicles person prompted the NHTSA to look into however effectual the Autopilot updates were. | Photo by Sebastian Gollnow / representation confederation via Getty Images

Tesla tin adhd yet different probe into its Autopilot diagnostic to what’s already piling up to beryllium a pretty atrocious twelvemonth for the company.

On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed it was opening a caller probe to measure whether the callback hole Tesla implemented for implicit 2 cardinal cars backmost successful December really did capable to code information concerns surrounding its Autopilot operator assistance system.

That callback was prompted by a previous probe NHTSA raised successful 2021 that reviewed hundreds of collisions and 13 fatalities allegedly involving Tesla’s Autopilot feature. NHTSA has now closed that aforesaid probe pursuing Tesla’s callback notice, finding that the sanction “Autopilot” whitethorn “lead drivers to judge that the automation has greater capabilities than it does.”

The bureau besides recovered that Tesla’s Autopilot tin discourage drivers from taking manual power of the conveyance compared to different automated driving systems due to the fact that doing truthful deactivates Autosteer lane-centering assistance.

NHTSA’s caller probe focuses connected the software update Tesla rolled retired to hole these issues successful December, which prompts drivers with accrued warnings and alerts to wage greater attraction erstwhile utilizing Autopilot and Autosteer. Some of these remedies necessitate Tesla owners to opt in, according to the agency, and let them to reverse the information updates if they choose.

A fig of caller collisions that person occurred since the bundle update was applied person besides driven the caller investigation, alongside tests NHTSA has conducted connected amended vehicles.

Updates to Autopilot that Tesla has rolled retired pursuing the archetypal hole are besides being evaluated to find wherefore they weren't included successful the archetypal callback update. Every Autopilot-equipped Tesla conveyance produced betwixt 2012 and 2024 — including the Cybertruck, which is already being recalled implicit defective accelerator pedals — is taxable to the caller probe.

This isn’t the archetypal clip that this bundle update has been scrutinized. Robotics adept and erstwhile NHTSA elder information advisor Missy Cummings said the callback remedy was “very vague” soon aft it was announced and would apt “not beryllium arsenic robust arsenic NHTSA would similar to see.” Tests from safety experts astatine Consumer Report besides recovered the update “doesn’t spell acold capable to forestall misuse oregon code the basal causes of operator inattention.”