Tesla has recalled every vehicle equipped with its famous “Full Self-Driving Capability” software after government safety regulators warned that it’s unsafe to use. The recall, however, is not straightforward and not the end of Full Self-Driving Capability. The controversial software remains the target of a series of government investigations, and post-recall, the company will still sell it, and drivers will still use it.
Owners don’t need to bring their Tesla models in for service. Tesla will fix the problems remotely with a software update.
Tesla’s Three Systems
Full Self-Driving Capability is the most extensive and expensive of Tesla’s three driver-assistance programs. The company offers three levels of driver-assistance software:
Autopilot is standard on all Tesla models, though it has sometimes been an added-cost option. It includes an intelligent cruise control that matches the car to the speed of the surrounding traffic. A lane-centering function helps keep the vehicle in the center of its lane.
Enhanced Autopilot is a $6,000 option. It adds navigating highway on- and off-ramps and interchanges on top of what Autopilot can do. It also adds a self-parking system and includes a “summon” function that lets owners call the car to them at parking lot speed from nearby.
Full Self-Driving Capability is now a $15,000 option. Tesla says it will read and react to traffic lights and stop signs and steer around some turns with the driver’s “active supervision.”
Tesla says Full Self-Driving Capability is in “beta testing” and requires owners to sign a complex waiver to engage it.