Tesla releases security update for 2 million Autopilot cars

Tesla started distribution Software update for more than two million vehicles to fix an issue with Autopilot. The compilation is delivered to units sold in the United States.

The fix in the 2023.44.30 package is Tesla’s response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) recall order. The organization has investigated a number of crashes over the past two years involving company vehicles on autopilot, an inherent feature of every car from the manufacturer.

“In certain cases, when Autosteer is activated, the significance and extent of the feature’s controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver abuse,” the agency said in its recall statement.

The update is distributed to models that support Autosteer, a Tesla Autopilot feature available on models:

• Model S (2012-2023);
• Model X (2016-2023);
• Model 3 (2017-2023);
• Model Y (2020-2023).

Update aims to avoid recall

In response, Tesla disputed the NHTSA analysis and released the free update to prevent the vehicles from being recalled. According to the company, the package includes “additional checks and warnings for affected vehicles to encourage the driver to continue driving responsibly even when Autosteer is activated.”

The update also includes more prerequisites to enable Automatic Redirection. If these are not met, autopilot mode may be completely disabled. The company explains that the build has been gradually rolled out since Tuesday (12).

Tesla has faced a number of recall requests in recent years. For example, in February 2023, NHTSA also ordered a recall of 360,000 vehicles due to automatic steering malfunctions.