Tesla Recalls Nearly 2 Lakh Vehicles Over Rearview Camera Software Glitch

Tesla has issued a recall for nearly 2 lakh vehicles due to a software glitch affecting the rearview cameras. The glitch, identified as a potential safety risk, may cause the camera to fail to display an image when the vehicle is in reverse. The recall applies to specific 2023 Model Y, S, and X vehicles equipped with the "Full Self-Driving" computer 4.0 and running software versions 2023.44.30 through 2023.44.30.6 or 2023.44.100.

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According to documents released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla acknowledges that software instability could lead to the camera image not displaying, increasing the risk of a potential collision. The company has emphasised that the problem has been resolved through an online software update, and owners will be notified by letter starting March 22.

Tesla has said that, as of the latest information available, there have been no reported crashes, injuries, or fatalities associated with the camera glitch. The specific condition manifests as a blank rearview camera display when the vehicle is shifted into reverse.

The timeline of events leading up to the recall reveals that Tesla began receiving reports of camera feed issues on December 26th, 2023. Subsequent investigations, spanning from December 27th, 2023, to January 5th, 2024, pointed to a potential correlation between i2c transaction instability and the rearview camera's failure to initialise. Tesla identified a possible root cause as a prior revision to the i2c driver, deployed in late December 2023 as part of software release 2023.44.30.

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To address the issue, Tesla initiated an over-the-air software update on December 28th, 2023, targeting a subset of affected vehicles and subsequently rolling out to all impacted vehicles on January 3rd, 2024. After completing a review of manufacturing records on January 8th, 2024, Tesla confirmed the risk assessment and implemented a containment hold on new, undelivered vehicles to rectify the problem before customer delivery.

A voluntary recall determination was officially made on January 12th, 2024. As of January 22nd, 2024, Tesla has identified 81 warranty claims potentially related to the described condition, with no reported crashes, injuries, or deaths linked to the issue.

Written by: - RONIT AGARWAL