Tesla is Recalling its Full Self-Driving Software for ‘Rolling Through' Stop Signs

author: Eric Walz   

Electric automaker Tesla is recalling its "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) software that may cause the vehicle to not come to a complete stop at stop signs. The recall affects 54,000 vehicles with the beta version of its more advanced FSD autonomous driving feature.

The recall covers Model S sedans and X SUVs from 2016 through 2022, as well as 2017 to 2022 Model 3 sedans and 2020 through 2022 Model Y SUVs. 

Documents posted Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say that Tesla will disable the feature with an over-the-air software update. The update is expected to be sent out early this month.

The "rolling stop" feature was added in October so the vehicles behave more like human drivers at stop signs, where drivers often don't come to a complete stop before proceeding through an intersection. The rolling-stop feature allows Tesla vehicles to go through intersections with all-way stop signs at speeds up to 5.6 miles per hour, which essentially treats them as yield signs instead.

In order to try out the new feature, Tesla beta testers were required to "opt-in" to use a setting dubbed "Assertive Mode", which drew attention on social media and prompted NHTSA to raise questions with Tesla.

It's important to note that the Tesla vehicles with the recalled software will not simply fail to stop when required. The FSD software uses cameras and other data to ensure that no other vehicles or pedestrians are nearby before rolling through intersections with 4-way stop signs on roads with speed limits lower than 30 mph, which can result in a moving violation.

The recall also reveals that Tesla intentionally programmed its vehicle software to violate traffic laws in most states, by not coming to a complete stop as required. A spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association told the Associated Press that he is not aware of any state traffic laws that allow rolling stops. 

Tesla introduced the "rolling stop" feature in a software update that was sent out to the testing owners on Oct. 20, 2021. The NHTSA met with Tesla on Jan 10 and 19 to discuss how the software operates, the documents said. On Jan. 20, Tesla agreed to disable the rolling stops with the software update.

Tesla said last week that its not aware of any warranty claims, crashes, injuries or fatalities related to the recall.

Select Tesla drivers are currently beta testing the new FSD software on public roads, which extends the capabilities of Tesla's  Autopilot automated highway driving feature by enabling semi-automated driving on secondary roads. However, the system requires that the driver be ready to take over at all times, although some Tesla owners have pushed these boundaries and posted videos on social media showing how well Tesla vehicles can drive autonomously without intervention.

Roughly 60,000 beta testers are currently trying out the software while providing Tesla with valuable data to make improvements, which are delivered to the vehicles via OTA software updates.

Tesla's optional FSD package costs $12,000 on top of the price of the vehicle. The price increased by $2,000 last month. 

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk also tweeted last month that the monthly subscription cost of FSD will go up when it finally rolls out. Tesla announced in July of last year that a subscription to FSD would cost owners $199 a month once its ready.

Despite Musk's claims about its capabilities, FSD is still considered to be a SAE Level-2 system, which is the same as those offered by rival automakers GM and Ford. Tesla says that FSD "requires active driver supervision and does not make the vehicle autonomous." 

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.