Tesla Recalls 362,758 Vehicles Due to FSD Crash Risk

(Image: Tesla) Tesla is recalling 362,758 of its vehicles due to crash risks associated with its autonomous driving software, referred to as Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta. The recall was announced via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website Thursday. According to Tesla’s notice, some 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles with FSD Beta installed are affected.

FSD Beta is reportedly mishandling the very scenarios autonomous driving software should be equipped to handle. The NHTSA says FSD Beta “may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.” The system might also respond “insufficiently” to speed limit changes while failing to account for the driver’s manual speed adjustments.

To resolve the issue, Tesla will issue free over-the-air software updates to impacted drivers. Good thing, too; those with access to FSD Beta have already paid $15,000 upfront (or $199 per month as a subscription) for the option. They’ve also worked to obtain and maintain a high “Safety Score,” which Tesla software uses to determine a driver’s personal eligibility for the FSD Beta program.

(Credit: Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images)

Autonomous vehicles (or those equipped with the option) should be able to navigate situations as inherent to the driving experience as intersections and speed limits are. Failure to do so safely suggests bigger FSD problems than most likely anticipated. As noted in December, Tesla’s experimental autonomous driving software has never progressed beyond Level 2 self-driving ability as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Given that there are five levels and no production car has made it past Level 2–Mercedes just announced the first vehicles expected to reach Level 3 in 2024, which is still not where we need to be–it’s quite easy to see that Teslas can’t fully drive themselves even when equipped with FSD. Legislators feel the same way: California Senator Lena Gonzalez sponsored a bill last year that would ban Tesla from calling its software Full Self Driving in the state, and governor Gavin Newsom signed it quickly.

Also concerning is that someone with insider knowledge has expressed concern over FSD Beta’s capabilities (or lack thereof). Last spring, a member of Tesla’s Autopilot team published a YouTube video depicting his personal Model 3 hitting a bollard following an FSD failure. That video cost the employee his job.

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