Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW YORK: American company Tesla has recalled nearly 363,000 electric vehicles because of problems with their driver-assistance technology that heighten the crash risk, according to a United States (US) regulatory announcement on Thursday.
According to the AFP, the recall affected a range of Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y Tesla autos between 2016 and 2023, equipped with “Full Self-Driving Beta” technology, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice.
To remedy the problem, Tesla would release a software update that can be implemented remotely.
NHTSA notice said that issues with Tesla’s FSD Beta system mean vehicles could undertake maneuvers that “could potentially infringe upon local traffic laws and customs, which could raise the risk of a collision if the driver does not intervene,”.
The driver-assistance system “may allow the car to act unsafe around intersections” by not coming to the complete stop at a stop sign, traveling straight in a turn-only lane, and running an orange light, NHTSA said in a letter to Tesla.
The NHTSA letter said that the system “may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits,”.
Tesla shares decrease
Tesla shares fell around 5% following the announcement.
Elon Musk, the company’s Chief Executive, downplayed the setback on Twitter, agreeing with a user who said the term “recall” shouldn’t be used for issues that can be addressed without significant repair.
Elon wrote that “the word ‘recall’ for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong!”
The action comes as United States regulators investigate Tesla’s driver assistance programs on several fronts.
The previous month, Tesla disclosed the Department of Justice opened an investigation into its driver-assistance program. That is famous for an ongoing NHTSA review of Tesla’s “Autopilot” following several safety incidents.
Musk has touted Tesla’s driver-assistance programs, which haven’t progressed as quickly as he said they would.
In 2019, Musk said that the company would be able to produce a fully autonomous vehicle within a year, an outcome that has still not come to pass.
