Tesla Faces Recall in China Over Autopilot Concerns

China Demands Autopilot Changes

Tesla is facing a recall in China as regulators demand changes to its Autopilot driver assistance system. This comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States investigated 2.1 million Tesla vehicles and required updates to the Autopilot system. Now, China’s regulators are adding an additional 1.6 million cars to the recall list, citing concerns about the misuse of Autopilot’s self-steering Autosteer function.

Enhanced Warnings for Drivers

Tesla is responding to the criticism by strengthening audio-visual warnings for drivers to improve their understanding of when Autopilot is engaged and when they need to take control. Chinese regulators believe these changes are necessary to reduce the risk of collisions.

Over-Air Updates

All Tesla models sold in the United States and China are affected by the recall. However, the fix does not require physical technicians to work on individual cars. Instead, Tesla will roll out over-air updates to address the concerns raised by regulators in both countries.

Door-Locking Software Update

In addition to the Autopilot recall, Tesla is also updating the door-locking software for a small number of Model S and X vehicles in China. A similar recall has already been announced for 120,000 vehicles in the United States due to concerns about doors automatically unlocking and opening during a crash.

No European Recall Yet

As of now, there is no indication that Europe will join the Autopilot recall. While Autopilot is standard on European Tesla models, the systems are configured differently to comply with local regulations and have unique driver monitoring and warning functions.