--- title: "Feds Blast Tesla for Massive Autopilot Issue in 2 Million Cars" description: "Tesla is being forced to issue software patches for more than two million of its cars over a major problem with its Autopilot feature." date: "2023-12-13" modified: "2023-12-13" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-autopilot-recall-nhtsa" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "autopilot" - "autosteer" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Feds Blast Tesla for Massive Autopilot Issue in 2 Million Cars ![Tesla is being forced to issue software patches for more than two million of its cars over a major problem with its Autopilot feature.]() *\Image: Sean Gallup via Getty / Futurism\* ## Head Automatic Tesla is once again in trouble with the US government, and this time the Elon Musk-owned company is being forced to issue software patches for more than two million of its cars over an apparently major problem with its Autopilot feature. In a [recall notice](), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that 2,031,220 Teslas of various models potentially had a defect in their [Autosteer technology](), which the regulator says made an insufficient effort to make sure drivers are paying attention when it's engaged. "In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged," the NHTSA's notice reads, "the prominence and scope of the feature’s controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the... advanced driver-assistance feature." This isn't exactly surprising to anyone who's paid attention; there have been a [growing number of deaths]() linked to Autopilot, especially when drivers [misuse the feature](). ## Caller ID As the agency explains in its notice, Tesla agreed to the recall — which, to be clear, does not mean all Tesla drivers need to physically take their cars back to the dealership, but rather that a software patch will be engaged to fix the issue — but claims that it does not agree with the NHTSA's assessment of the Autosteer problem. Nevertheless, Tesla did agree to an "over-the-air" — read: remote — software update. "The remedy will incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever Autosteer is engaged," the notice describes, "which includes keeping their hands on the steering wheel and paying attention to the roadway." The [*Associated Press* estimates]() that the software update will affect nearly all of the company's electric vehicles sold in the US. And that's a gigantic number of cars to be cruising around with faulty assisted driving software — but then again, this is far from the first time [Autopilot has been in trouble]() [with the feds](), nor the first time [Tesla has had to]() do [voluntary recalls](), either. **More on Tesla:** *[Tesla Unveils New Humanoid Robot]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()