Tesla recalls 817,000 vehicles in the US over a seatbelt alarm not sounding when the driver fails to buckle up – the second mass recall in three days
- Tesla had to issue the recall after experts noticed the alarm failed to sound
- There are only certain circumstances when it fails but it means the electric vehicles no longer meet US vehicle safety standards
- The Elon Musk-owned firm says it can fix the problem with an over the air update
- It says there have been no reports of injuries or damage caused by the fault
Tesla has been forced to recall 817,000 vehicles in the US, over an issue with the seatbelt alert system not warning drivers to buckle up.
This is a bad week for the Elon Musk-owned firm, which has been hit by two recalls in three days, and over 100 complaints of cars suddenly breaking without warning.
The latest massive recall was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as until it is fixed the affected vehicles no longer comply with ‘federal motor vehicle safety standards ‘on ‘Occupant Crash Protection.’
It means that without an audible chime activating to warn the driver they haven’t buckled up their seatbelt, they are put at increased risk of harm from a crash.
Some 2021-2022 Model S and Model X cars are affected, as well as Model 3’s from 2017 to 2022, and Model Y vehicles from 2020 to 2022.
Sales figures since 2017 suggest Tesla has sold just under a million cars in the US, so this 817,000 vehicle recall is a significant issue for the Texas-based firm.
Tesla said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue and would send an ‘over the air update’ in the coming days to fix the problem.
Many of the recent issues facing the car firm have been in its software, which could be a dent to the pride of founder Elon Musk, who recently tweeted: ‘Tesla is as much a software company as it is a hardware company, both in car and in factory.’
Some 2021-2022 Model S and Model X cars are affected, as well as Model 3’s from 2017 to 2022, and Model Y vehicles from 2020 to 2022
The latest massive recall was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as until it is fixed the affected vehicles no longer comply with ‘federal motor vehicle safety standards ‘on ‘Occupant Crash Protection’
Documents shared by the NHTSA suggest that the issue is limited to circumstances where the chime was interrupted in the ‘preceding drive cycle’, where the driver continued going, dismissing the alarm without buckling up.
This suggests that it is only a problem for Tesla drivers who failed to listen to the chime the first time around.
Tesla explained that even under those circumstances, once the driver hits 13 miles per hour the chime will sound again, and there is a visual reminder to buckle up.
However, safety standards in the US require that ‘the audible seat belt reminder chime to activate upon vehicle start’ and not turn off until the driver is strapped in.
Many of the recent issues facing the car firm have been in its software, which could be a dent to the pride of founder Elon Musk, who recently tweeted: ‘Tesla is as much a software company as it is a hardware company, both in car and in factory’
Documents shared by the NHTSA suggest that the issue is limited to circumstances where the chime was interrupted in the ‘preceding drive cycle’, where the driver continued going, dismissing the alarm without buckling up
TESLA AUTOPILOT: CAMERAS AND SENSORS LET THE CAR SEE THE ROAD
Autopilot uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to see and sense the environment around the car.
The sensor and camera suite provides drivers with an awareness of their surroundings that a driver alone would not otherwise have.
A powerful onboard computer processes these inputs in a matter of milliseconds to help what the company say makes driving ‘safer and less stressful.’
Autopilot is a hands-on driver assistance system that is intended to be used only with a fully attentive driver.
It does not turn a Tesla into a self-driving car nor does it make a car autonomous.
Before enabling Autopilot, driver must agree to ‘keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times’ and to always ‘maintain control and responsibility for your car.’
Once engaged, if insufficient torque is applied, Autopilot will also deliver an escalating series of visual and audio warnings, reminding drivers to place their hands on the wheel.
Any of Autopilot’s features can be overridden at any time by steering or applying the brakes.
This means that the Tesla models, all of which were built after 2017, and most since 2020, fall foul of the letter of these regulations.
It can be fixed with a simple software update, which Tesla says will be delivered to cars in the coming days.
This problem was spotted at the South Korea Automobile Testing and Research Institute on January 6, with Tesla agreeing to a recall on January 25.
This is one of the largest recalls for the firm, covering all models in its lineup and the vast majority of cars it has sold since 2017.
While the issue appears to be an easy one to fix, and fairly limited in its real world applications, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Tesla.
The firm announced just yesterday it was recalling 54,000 vehicles over a problem with its self-driving software that lets them roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt.
Tesla announced it would disable the feature with an over-the-internet software update.
The rolling stop feature, that was being tested by a number of drivers, lets vehicles go through junctions with a stop sign at up to 5.6 miles per hour.
The documents say Tesla agreed to the recall after two meetings with officials from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
NHTSA officials are also investigating more than 100 complaints from drivers about ‘phantom braking’ where the vehicle suddenly stops without warning.
This is a persistent issue for the firm, which prompted Musk to say in October that it would roll-back its self-driving software due to the problem.
Since then the number of incidents has spiked, with more 107 complaints to the NHTSA in the past three months alone – compared to 34 in the two years before.
The regulator is also investigating a string of incidents where cars using Autopilot have crashed into emergency vehicles.
All of that is on top of other recalls for physical problems with the cars, including with the cameras, trunk and suspension.
Safety advocates complain that Tesla should not be allowed to test the vehicles on public roads with untrained drivers, and that the Tesla software can malfunction, exposing other motorists and pedestrians to danger. Most of the other car companies with similar software test with trained human safety drivers.
This means that the Tesla models, all of which were built after 2017, and most since 2020, fall foul of the letter of these regulations
Alain Kornhauser, faculty chairman of autonomous vehicle engineering at Princeton University, said the recall is an example of the NHTSA doing its job as the nation’s road safety watchdog.
The recall ‘shows that they can be effective even if Tesla should have been more responsible in the first place,’ he said.
In November, the NHTSA said it was looking into a complaint from a Tesla driver that the full self-driving software caused a crash.
The driver said the Model Y went into the wrong lane and was hit by another vehicle. The SUV gave the driver an alert halfway through the turn and the driver tried to turn the wheel to avoid other traffic, according to the complaint.
But the car took control and ‘forced itself into the incorrect lane,’ the driver reported.
No one was hurt in the crash on November 3 in Brea, California, according to the complaint.
In December, Tesla agreed to update its less sophisticated autopilot driver-assist system after the NHTSA opened an investigation.
The company agreed to stop allowing video games to be played on centre touch screens while its vehicles are moving.
HISTORY OF FIRST RESPONDER CRASHES CAUSED BY TESLA AUTOPILOT
January 22, 2018 in Culver City: A Tesla Model S hit the back of a fire truck parked at an accident in Culver City around 8:30 am on Interstate 405 using the cars Autopilot system. The Tesla, which was going 65mph, suffered ‘significant damage’ and the firetruck was taken out of service for body work.
May 30, 2018 in Laguna Beach: Authorities said a Tesla sedan in Autopilot mode crashed into a parked police cruiser in Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jim Cota says the officer was not in the cruiser during the crash. He said the Tesla driver suffered minor injuries.
The police SUV ended up with its two passenger-side wheels on a sidewalk.
December 7, 2019 in Norwalk, CT: A 2018 Tesla Model 3 on Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut using the Autopilot driver assistance system rear-ended a parked police car.
December 29, 2019 in Cloverdale, IN: A 2019 Tesla on Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana hit the back of a parked firetruck.
The Tesla driver, Derrick Monet, and his wife, Jenna Monet, both suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital for immediate medical care. Jenna ultimately succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at Terre Haute Regional Hospital.
June 30, 2020 in West Bridgewater, MA: A Weston, Massachusetts man driving a Tesla hit a Massachusetts State Police cruiser that was stopped in the left lane of Route 24 in West Bridgewater. A trooper who was on the scene reported that the driver, Nicholas Ciarlone, faced a negligent driving charge and was arraigned in September 2020.
July 15, 2020 in Conchise County, AZ: A Tesla Model S hit an Arizona Department of Public Safety patrol car, resulting in the patrol car rear-ending an ambulance that was on the scene of an earlier car accident. No one was seriously injured, but the Tesla driver was taken to the hospital for injuries.
August 26, 2020 in Charlotte, NC: A Tesla driver watching a movie crashed into a Nash County Sherriff’s Office deputy vehicle in Charlotte, North Carolina on US 64 west.
The driver, Devainder Goli, of Raleigh, was accused of violating the move-over law and watching television while operating a vehicle.
February 27, 2021 in Montgomery County, TX: The driver of a Tesla rear-ended a police cruise during a traffic stop in Montgomery County, Texas. Five deputy constables were injured during the accident, which happened around 1:15 am on Eastex Freeway near East River Road.
The Tesla driver was not injured, but was taken into custody on a DWI charge.
March 17, 2021 in Lansing, MI: A Tesla on autopilot crashed into a Michigan State Police car. Troopers from the Lansing Post had been investigating a crash involving a car and a deer on I-96 near Waverly Rd in Eaton County at around 1:12am.
While investigating the crash, a Tesla driving on autopilot struck the patrol car, which had its emergency lights on.
Neither the driver of the Tesla – a 22-year-old man from Lansing – nor the troopers were injured at the scene. Police issued the unidentified man a citation for failure to move over and driving while license suspended.
May 15, 2021 in Arlington, WA: A Tesla driving in Arlington, Washington hit a police vehicle that resulted in ‘significant damage’ to the police car.
There were no injuries reported from the incident.
May 19, 2021 in Miami, Florida: Three people were hospitalized after a Tesla hit a parked Miami-Dade County Department Transportation Road Ranger truck that was blocking the left lane of I-95 to help clear the debris of an earlier crash.
The driver of the Tesla was transported to a nearby hospital with with severe, albeit non-life-threatening, injuries.
July 10 2021 in San Diego: A woman drove her Tesla onto a stretch of Highway 56 that had been closed to investigate an earlier fatal accident. That saw her Tesla smash into a parked, unoccupied highway cruiser.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI, and her passenger was injured.
August 28, 2021 in Orlando: A Tesla Model 3 struck a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser that had pulled over to help a broken-down car. The 27 year-old driver and his passenger both suffered minor injuries. The trooper did not get hurt.
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