The renowned electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is recalling approximately 200,000 cars in the United States after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discovered self-driving 4.0 software instability affecting rearview camera functionality.
According to the NHTSA, Tesla is recalling specific 2023 Model S, X, and Y vehicles equipped with the full self-driving 4.0 software due to this identified bug. The agency reported that the software glitch prevented the rearview camera image from displaying properly. Despite the recall news, Tesla shares saw a slight increase in premarket trading on Friday.
The NHTSA indicated that the total number of vehicles affected by the recall is 199,575, with Tesla’s reference number being SB-24-00-002. Customers with inquiries are directed to contact Tesla’s customer services. As a response to the issue, Tesla has already issued a free over-the-air self-driving 4.0 software update to affected vehicle owners, as confirmed by the NHTSA. Tesla EV Owners can expect to receive a mail notification of the recall starting March 22.
The recall followed investigations by the NHTSA into several fatal accidents involving Tesla vehicles operating on Autopilot. The announcement also coincides with Tesla’s somber financial forecast earlier in the week, where the company expressed expectations of significantly lower vehicle volume growth in 2024 compared to the previous year as it focuses on introducing its “next-generation vehicle” in Texas.
Additionally, Tesla has been aggressively reducing the prices of its vehicles, with recent cuts in Europe reaching up to 8.1%. This strategy comes as Tesla faces increased competition, notably from BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle giant backed by Warren Buffett, which surpassed Tesla as the largest EV maker by sales in the fourth quarter.
