Tesla Drivers Upset That Government Wants Their Cars to Be Safer
Tesla owners on Wednesday learned that the automaker was recalling some 2 million vehicles amid a years-long investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into their Autopilot technology, and reactions were all over the map. While some downplayed it as less serious than it sounded, others were dismayed by looming alterations to the driver-assistance system.
On the one hand, some customers were not too fazed by the size or nature of the recall. After all, it’s an “over-the-air” fix that will be performed remotely — they won’t have to drive into a dealership for it. In fact, some Tesla drivers think the headlines have been overblown. “When a software update is considered a ‘recall’ ugh,” griped one Tesla owner on Reddit. “All this does is get the anti-Tesla media salivating, I’m sure NHTSA was pushed to ensure this was the case.”
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At the same time, other Tesla fans are balking at the details of the update itself, which will add measures to ensure drivers continue to pay attention while the Autopilot feature (intended for use in accelerating, steering, and braking on highways) is engaged. In the Tesla community, such audio and visual alerts — including those when the car cannot detect a driver’s hands on the wheel — are commonly referred to as “nags,” and the prospect of further safeguards was met with irritation from many who find them a distracting hindrance.
“Got to love government always making things less enjoyable,” tweeted a disappointed customer on Wednesday. Another said he was beginning to question the subscription cost of Basic Autopilot to Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability — about $200 per month — noting that the steering wheel sensor system was already bothersome. Particularly peeved was a man who tweeted: “So now it will become more of a nag. Between it and my wife I almost can’t use it. I will be stepping up my nagging defeat efforts. Been using [Autopilot] since 2015. I don’t need more nagging!” Meanwhile, a redditor on r/TeslaMotors called the upcoming fixes “a great example of pretending to make things safe in a way which will just make things less safe.” They added, “If any drivers need more nagging it is the ones NOT using autopilot.”
great more nags. Got to love government always figuring out how to make things less enjoyable
— Nick Elliott (@NickTBLFan) December 13, 2023
Tesla’s recall is voluntary and something of a compromise with federal regulators, who are continuing to look into how the misuse of Autopilot may contribute to accidents. Earlier this year, a Washington Post investigation revealed that the driver-assistance system had been “involved in far more crashes than previously reported,” and the paper this week examined eight “fatal or serious” Tesla collisions in which Autopilot was activated on roads where “it could not reliably operate.” The latest software changes are supposed to prevent drivers from enabling the feature in those areas — and if a user receives enough “strikes” for inattention, they may be locked out of the feature, just as they can be with the more advanced FSD system.
But some Tesla drivers indicated that they planned to circumvent the update, which the company has already begun to implement in certain cars. “For older cars maybe I’ll skip this update,” tweeted one. “I like [Autopilot] the way it is.” A redditor announced, “So I guess no more software updates for me. Not applying this one.” They explained that they’ve avoided previous updates as well: “I have the car begging me to do a software update for months now and I just don’t approve it. I stopped allowing the minor release updates to apply after a couple of them reset all of my custom settings.”
In the same Tesla subreddit, a driver voiced their concern at Tesla possibly requiring a cabin camera — it’s a small lens above the rearview mirror that determines inattentiveness — to use Autosteer, a component of the Autopilot feature. “I refuse to allow an internal camera controlled by Tesla in my car,” they wrote. “If they require its use for Autosteer then you can guarantee I’ll be jailbreaking the car.” They also shared a Reuters article from April about how Tesla employees had been found to internally share sensitive images and videos recorded by customers’ vehicle cameras.
And in a Discord for Tesla owners, several members groused about forthcoming limits to where they might engage Autopilot features, indicating that they currently use it on roads where they aren’t supposed to. “Annoying that Autosteer is going to be straight up disabled on certain roads now,” wrote a user. “I have a bad feeling they might limit it to highway only now.” Replying to a comment on Autopilot being restricted to highway driving, another wrote, “AP working everywhere is part of the appeal to me.”
Discussion in the group was not without some finger-pointing, however, with many blaming the dreaded software tweaks on irresponsible drivers. “Well the game is over, people ruined the luxury of not being nagged constantly by Autopilot,” read a typical complaint. A similarly aggrieved party took the criticism further: “Honestly, so many of you are so negligent and treat this new driving experience as if it’s already completely capable of taking over for you,” they scolded. “You deserve to be nagged every [five] seconds on every drive. Even if Tesla does achieve full autonomy, everyone who has abused up to that point should be barred from enjoying its final form.”
Frustrations extended to yet unfulfilled promises from Tesla and CEO Elon Musk (who has yet to publicly comment on the recall) of a fully autonomous driving system — what FSD is meant to become. (The California Department of Motor Vehicles has filed a complaint accusing the company of falsely advertising both this and its Autopilot tech.) “FSD, and even regular AP, still being in beta after almost [seven] years is one massive joke,” a redditor fumed. In the Discord chat, a customer vowed, “If Elon doesn’t get actual FSD and Autopark working, next time I buy a car it isn’t going to be a a Tesla unless the range is reasonable.”
“Looks like you’re getting another car then,” a user replied. “LOL.”
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