The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently disclosed that Tesla announced a recall of more than 2.03 million vehicles, It covers Model S from 2012 to 2023, Model X from 2016 to 2023, Model 3 from 2017 to 2023, and Model Y from 2020 to 2023. The reason for the recall is that the autopilot control system is insufficient to prevent misoperation.

According to the findings, Tesla fell short in maintaining driver engagement and ensuring that drivers remained attentive when the system activated autopilot. In addition, the agency warns that fully automated driving (FSD Beta) can cause vehicles to engage in unsafe behavior near intersections, such as going straight in a turn-only lane, failing to come to a full stop at an intersection where a full stop is required, or rushing into an intersection when a yellow light comes on. These actions pose an unnecessary risk to road safety.

Tesla plans to address the issue through Over-the-Air updates and said it will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the recall. However, it did not give a clear answer in response to a question about whether the recall would take place outside the United States.

It should be noted that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has expressed dissatisfaction with the use of the word "recall" and suggested that OTA software updates should stop being called "recalls" because these updates are not physical recalls, and the use of the word "recall" may cause unnecessary psychological stress to owners and negatively impact brand reputation.

The recall has renewed public concern and discussion about the safety of autonomous driving. In the future, the automotive industry will continue to work to improve the safety performance of autonomous driving to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. At the same time, it is also necessary to strengthen the formulation of regulations and improve the supervision mechanism to ensure that autonomous driving technology can be standardized application and development.