WASHINGTON--Tesla is recalling over 2 million vehicles in the U.S.to install new safeguards in its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system, after a federal safety regulator cited safety concerns. The largest-ever Tesla recall appears to cover nearly all vehicles on U.S. roads to better ensure drivers pay attention when using the system. Tesla's recall filing said that Autopilot's software system controls "may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse" and could increase the risk of a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has spent over two years investigating whether vehicles produced by the electric automaker led by billionaire Elon Musk adequately ensure drivers pay attention. Acting NHTSA Administrator Ann Carlson praised Tesla for agreeing to the recall. "One of the things we determined is that drivers are not always paying attention when that system is on," she said at a U.S. House hearing. Carlson said the agency opened a safety probe in August 2021 when she kept hearing about fatal crashes involving use of Autopilot. "My immediate response was, 'We have to do something about this,'" she said. Separately, Transport Canada said Tesla will recall 193,000 vehicles to address the Autopilot issue. It was not immediately clear if China will demand a recall. Tesla shares were flat Wednesday afternoon. Tesla's Autopilot is intended to enable cars to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within their lane, while enhanced Autopilot can assist in changing lanes on highways but does not make vehicles autonomous. One component of Autopilot is Autosteer, which maintains a set speed or following distance and works to keep a vehicle in its driving lane. Tesla said it did not agree with NHTSA's analysis but would deploy an over-the-air software update that will "incorporate additional controls and alerts to those already existing on affected vehicles to further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility whenever Autosteer is engaged." U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal said the recall "is critically needed to make Tesla’s cars safer, but it is egregiously overdue... We urge NHTSA to continue its investigations to spur necessary recalls, and Tesla to stop misleading drivers and putting the public in great danger." NHTSA said its investigation into Autopilot will remain open as it monitors Tesla’s remedies. Tesla did not respond to a question on the extent of the recall worldwide or give more precise details of the new safeguards.
