--- title: "Glitch in 59,000 Teslas Fails to Call 911 When You Crash" description: "A call for a major Tesla recall has once again been issued after a massive glitch in its crash response system was discovered in Germany." date: "2022-07-05" modified: "2022-07-05" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-glitch-recall" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "911" - "electric vehicles" - "elon musk" - "emergency services" - "emergency sos" - "evs" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Glitch in 59,000 Teslas Fails to Call 911 When You Crash ![A call for a major Tesla recall has once again been issued after a massive glitch in its crash response system was discovered in Germany.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Achtung! Tesla **i**s in the crosshairs of a major recall once again, after German regulators discovered a massive bug in its crash response system. As [*Reuters* reported](), German authorities claim that more than 59,000 Tesla Models Y and 3 globally have a software glitch that fails to call emergency services when the electric vehicles crash, a bespoke system that comes built into the cars. It's not a great look — especially because, across the pond in the United States, [Tesla is facing a separate investigation]() into whether its driving assist feature has been plowing into emergency response vehicles. ## Recall Me While KBA, the German transit and motor watchdog, said that 59,129 Teslas globally have the issue, it's unclear how many of those cars are in Germany or how many total would be recalled in the country. Known as eCall, the system purportedly "automatically contacts emergency responders and communicates standard information to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in the event of a serious accident or emergency," [per Tesla's website](). Although this appears to be the first [major recall of Teslas]() over the eCall system specifically, issues with the emergency services appear to have plagued Tesla owners for years now, as evidenced by the [many forum posts]() about the EVs [showing a warning message]() [claiming that the system]() "needs service." ## Extenuating It also comes on the heels of other problems for the company and its CEO, Elon Musk. Over the weekend, [Tesla said that it delivered nearly 18 percent fewer cars]() in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the first — an announcement that came after Musk admitted his factories in Texas and Germany are "[losing billions of dollars]()" as the company tries to ramp up production amid supply chain shortages. All together, it's been a bad week for Tesla — and it's only Tuesday. **READ MORE:** [German road traffic agency says 59,000 Tesla vehicles have software glitch]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on Tesla issues:** *[Terrifying Video Shows Self-Driving Head Into Oncoming Traffic]()* ## 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]()