Rolling Stops Bring Tesla’s Self-Driving To A Halt

Tesla is issuing a software recall over a feature that allows drivers to perform “rolling stops,” which could lead to crashes in intersections. A recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says a grand total of 53,822 vehicles—all models (S, X, 3, Y) built after 2016—will be affected by the recall. The report further states that the feature in question is one that was available through the beta settings for the company’s “Full Self-Driving” mode that has yet to be rolled out completely; meaning the feature can be activated by the driver. The rolling stop feature allows the car to roll through an intersection at a maximum speed of 5.6 mph without coming to a complete stop as long as there aren’t any other vehicles and pedestrians around. The roads at the intersection must also have a speed limit of 30 mph or less. The feature has been available since October 2020. The decision to pull the feature came following a January 10 meeting Tesla had with the NHTSA. Just 10 days after the meeting, Tesla filed a voluntary recall notice. The move now for the company is to roll out a new firmware update that will disable the feature. Drivers won’t have to bring their vehicles into a Tesla dealership for the update to take place, unlike other vehicles that typically need to be serviced by a technician while under recall. The company said the update will be handled over-the-air (OTA). Drivers, however, have yet to receive formal notice about the complaint. The report states that the company planned to notify dealerships by or around February 1, but drivers won’t be notified about the recall until March 28. It’s not clear at this time if dealers have been notified. News Daytona Beach attempted to reach out to dealers in the Orlando area to see if they have received notice, but we have yet to receive a response. This recall is also rather small compared to the other recall the company is currently facing. Another NHTSA recall report says Tesla is recalling over 817,000 of their S,X, 3, and Y models—2021-2022 model years—over the seat belt chime reminder not activating when the car is turned on. Again, drivers won’t need to visit a dealership as updates will be handled OTA.  The news of these recalls comes as Tesla faces further scrutiny about their autopilot. Just recently, prosecutors in California filed what may be the first felony charges against a Tesla driver whose car ran a red light and struck another car, killing two occupants, all while autopilot was engaged.  Months after those charges were filed, the NHTSA launched an investigation into a Tesla feature known as “Passenger Play” which allowed occupants to play video games on a Tesla’s infotainment screen—the main screen in the center of the cabin. Just a day after the NHTSA announced the investigation, Tesla sent out an over-the-air (OTA) update that locked occupants out of Passenger Play while the car was in motion.  According to AP, that investigation was started after an Oregon man filed a complaint saying he discovered he could play video games while driving.