Tesla Recalls 2 Million Vehicles for Autopilot Safety Issue

Tesla is recalling more than 2 million vehicles due to concerns with the company’s Autopilot system.

The recall comes while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also probing several crashes involving Teslas fitted with the technology, including some with stationary first responder vehicles, and in June it demanded detailed information from the company on Autopilot.

According to the NHTSA, the recall involves vehicles equipped with Tesla’s Autosteer feature, which, when engaged, the advanced driver assistance feature may not be sufficient enough to prevent driver misuse leading to a crash.

“In certain circumstances when Autosteer 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, there may be an increased risk of a crash,” it said. 

The recall impacts 2,031,220 vehicles and includes 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer.

The recall comes days after Tesla’s Elon Musk took exception to a Dec. 10 story in the Washington Post headlined: “Tesla drivers run Autopilot where it’s not intended – with deadly consequences.” 

Related:Tesla Investigated for Automated Driving Software Features

In a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the automaker said: “While there are many articles that do not accurately convey the nature of our safety systems, the recent Washington Post article is particularly egregious in its misstatements and lack of relevant context.”

Tesla’s automated driving software is currently the subject of a U.S. Justice Department investigation. Tesla confirmed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing in late October that the company has been issued subpoenas for documents related to its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features.