– Feds investigating if Tesla’s 2023 Autopilot recall was effective
– Tesla recalled 2 million Autopilot-equipped vehicles with a software update last year
– Prior report found Autopilot was connected to hundreds of crashes before the recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating whether Tesla’s 2023 Autopilot recall was successful. In December, Tesla recalled over 2 million vehicles equipped with Autopilot through a software update. Prior to the recall, Autopilot was linked to hundreds of crashes.
Despite the recall, crashes involving Autopilot technology continued to occur, prompting the federal investigation. The NHTSA opened a new probe into the “crash events” related to Tesla vehicles. A report released by the regulator detailed investigations into 956 Tesla crashes between January 2018 and August 2023, resulting in 29 fatalities.
The recall aimed to fix Autopilot with a software update after regulators expressed concerns about driver misuse of the technology. The NHTSA will conduct tests on the recalled vehicles to determine why Tesla’s fix was made optional, allowing owners to easily reverse it. Additionally, Tesla released subsequent updates to Autopilot that were not included in the initial recall.
Despite struggling with sales and financial issues, Tesla’s stock price rose following CEO Elon Musk’s announcements about new products, including more affordable cars and the company’s venture into self-driving robo-taxis. The reaction of regulators to Tesla’s plans for ride-hailing vehicles remains uncertain.