Elon Musk’s Electric Car Company, Tesla, has been in the news lately, and not for good reasons.
The company has been under scrutiny for its vehicles catching fire. Now, the US government has ordered Tesla to recall over a million cars in the country.
A Software Bug in Tesla’s Automatic Windows
According to BBC news, a software bug affecting the automatic windows in about 1.1 million Tesla cars in the US has been discovered. The issue has been traced to a defect in the window-closing mechanism.
Usually, when the window senses an obstruction (like a hand), it should stop and reverse to avoid accidents.
However, with the affected cars, the window goes up even if an obstruction is detected. This could lead to severe accidents and legal troubles for Tesla.
Elon Musk is Confident that a Recall is Not Necessary
A long list of reasons connected cars can be problematic, but one good thing about them is that some of their issues can be resolved through an Over-The-Air (OTA) update. Elon Musk believes this is also the case with the window issue.
The defect was first detected during product testing in August. It affects several models built between 2017 and 2022, including Model 3 sedans, several Model Y SUVs released between 2021 and 2022, Model S sedans, and Model X SUVs.
Tesla has already started rolling out the update to its customers since September 13th, but which models have received it needs to be clarified. If the OTA update resolves the issue, Tesla might not need to recall the cars.
The Last Thing Elon Musk Needs Right Now
With all the drama surrounding Tesla, the last thing Elon Musk needs is to recall over a million cars. He’s already dealing with issues on Twitter, and a recall could be a significant blow to the company.
However, Tesla has been proactive in addressing the problem, and it remains to be seen whether a memory will still be necessary.
Other websites have also covered this story, including The Verge, which reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the issue. NHTSA is a federal agency that oversees vehicle safety in the US.
According to The Verge, Tesla has received multiple complaints about the automatic windows, and the issue is not limited to the US. The publication also reported that Tesla’s stock had taken a hit following the recall news.
“Under certain circumstances, the windows can fail to automatically reverse when an object, such as a hand or limb, is detected in the window opening, presenting a risk of injury.
The software update released by Tesla in September 2022 addresses the issue, but the investigation is ongoing.”
Conclusion
Tesla is currently facing a challenging time with issues related to vehicle safety and product defects.
The company has taken steps to address the problem with the automatic windows through an OTA update, but it remains to be seen whether a recall will be necessary.
The memory could be a significant setback for the company, which has already been scrutinized for its vehicle safety standards.
