DETROIT –
Tesla has issued a recall that routinely despatched a software program replace fixing a security downside in its electrical automobiles, apparently heading off a looming confrontation with U.S. security regulators.
However recall paperwork posted on the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration web site Tuesday do not deal with one other security challenge specified by the company when it demanded that Tesla clarify why it wasn’t doing remembers for safety-related software program updates performed over the web.
The recall covers practically 12,000 Teslas with a glitch within the “Full Self-Driving” software program that may make the vehicles cease for no good cause. The corporate’s paperwork says the issues with computerized emergency braking can enhance the danger of different automobiles hitting Teslas from behind.
The recall covers all 4 Tesla fashions — the S, X, 3 and Y. Tesla paperwork say a software program replace despatched on Oct. 23 launched the glitch.
Firm paperwork say Tesla began getting experiences from house owners the subsequent day about phantom braking. In a matter of hours, the corporate says it canceled additional updates or reverted the software program to a earlier model. That disabled emergency braking on among the automobiles.
On Oct. 24, the corporate traced the trigger to a communication disconnect between two laptop chips. It developed one other software program replace to repair the issue and despatched it out on Oct. 25, in keeping with the paperwork. The corporate stated it voluntarily agreed to do a recall on Oct. 26.
The transfer seems to point out that Tesla now will challenge a recall when it pushes out software program updates to repair questions of safety. It additionally units a precedent for different automakers that they do the identical.
On Oct. 12, regulators despatched a letter to Tesla demanding to know why the corporate did not recall its automobiles when it despatched a software program replace to repair an issue with its Autopilot partially automated driving system. The replace addressed detection of emergency automobiles parked on roads whereas crews responded to crashes.
The NHTSA opened an investigation of Autopilot in August after getting experiences of a dozen crashes into emergency automobiles. The investigation covers 765,000 automobiles, nearly all the things that Tesla has offered within the U.S. for the reason that begin of the 2014 mannequin yr. Of the dozen crashes which are a part of the probe, 17 individuals have been injured and one was killed.
Tesla had till Monday to elucidate why it did not challenge a recall for the Autopilot replace. As of early Tuesday, NHTSA had not posted any paperwork detailing Tesla’s response.
The company stated conversations with Tesla proceed “to make sure that any security defect is promptly acknowledged and addressed in keeping with the Nationwide Visitors and Motor Car Security Act.” The assertion did not say if Tesla responded to the company’s questions on the Autopilot software program replace.
Messages have been left early Tuesday searching for remark from Tesla.
Tesla did a software program replace in late September that was supposed to enhance detection of emergency automobile lights in low-light situations. The company says Tesla is conscious that federal legislation requires automakers to do a recall in the event that they discover out that automobiles have security defects.
Tesla says that Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” are driver-assistance programs and can’t drive themselves, regardless of their names. The automaker says drivers should be able to intervene at any time.
