“There may be an increased risk of a crash,” the agency wrote, in some situations when the system is engaged “and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged.”
The NHTSA said Tesla will send out a software update to fix the problems affecting its 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. The recall covers nearly all of the vehicles Tesla sold in the United States, the Associated Press reported.
The investigation will remain open “to support an evaluation of the effectiveness of the remedies deployed by Tesla,” the NHTSA said. Austin-based Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment early Wednesday.
On Sunday, a report by The Washington Post revealed at least eight fatal or serious wrecks involving Tesla Autopilot on roads where the driver assistance software could not reliably operate, according to an analysis of two federal databases, legal records and other public documents.
In user manuals, legal documents and communications with federal regulators, Tesla has acknowledged that Autosteer, Autopilot’s key feature, is “intended for use on controlled-access highways” with “a center divider, clear lane markings, and no cross traffic.”