Tesla is recalling all 53,822 of its electric cars with a “full self-driving” feature after it was determined the vehicles were programmed to roll through stop signs.
All Tesla Model S, X, Y and 3 with the beta version of the self-driving software will all be recalled as the technology has proved to be inconsistent.
“It drove like a 9-year-old who had only driven in [Grand Theft Auto] before, and got behind the wheel,” John Bernal, who owns a Tesla Model 3, told CNN of when he first got full self-driving early this year. “Now I feel like I’m driving with my grandma. Sometimes it might make a mistake, like, ’No, Grandma. That’s a one-way, sorry.’”
The technology has allowed cars to roll through stop signs since its release in October 2020. The feature only activated when the roads entering an all-stop intersection had a speed limit of no more than 30 mph.
“If all the above conditions are met, only then will the vehicle travel through the all-way-stop intersection at a speed from 0.1 mph up to 5.6 mph without first coming to a complete stop,” the recall document states.
Tesla disabled the function after meetings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this month.
“The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with defects posing unreasonable risks to safety, including intentional design choices that are unsafe. If the information shows that a safety risk may exist, NHTSA will act immediately,” the agency said in a statement.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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