Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year
I’ve had software recalls for Toyotas and Hondas, both of which involved physical recall paperwork and required me to visit a dealer to install the new software.
Just because a software recall can be remedied over the air it doesn’t make it any less of a recall. As others have said, there’s a legal definition to a recall. They are issued by the NHTSA and require specific legal responses from the manufacturer.
Recall is a legal term for the car industry which includes stuff like reporting obligations. So if the defect meets the severity level of a recall it should be called as such, even if it is ‘just’ a software update. Ambiguous terms for safety violations are dangerous and may cost lives.
Rear view cameras have been federally required on passenger vehicles since module year 2018 in the US market. So yeah, regardless of the error, it’s a recall because the result makes the vehicle noncompliant.
I can’t imagine the threshold here isn’t different though. If each of these recalls required hardware modifications Tesla would either hide the data or lawyers would be able to argue they weren’t major safety violations. I think it’s a plus that many things can be fixed expediantly with software updates and the threshold to do so is low.
NHTSA are the ones who investigate safety issues and issue recall notices. Once they have done that then the manufacturer has very specific legal requirements to follow. Hiding data from them would eventually come to light, and that would be very bad. Look at the diesel emissions scandal for one example. Volkswagen payed billions in fines for that, and a dozen or so employees including the CEO have been indicted. A few have pled guilty and been sentenced to jail.
The Cybertruck has no rear view mirror when the back cover is down.
So any reversing requires the use of the backup camera.
The car also accelerates really fast, and weighs 7,000 pounds.
It’s also an $80,000+ car that was preordered by a lot of people without test driving it. So it’s primary driver is someone who makes risky and impulsive decisions.
So a really fast, heavy car that can’t see behind it without a reverse camera, driven by impulsive people makes me think the reverse camera should definitely come up really fast.
I mean… the normal speed for seeing behind your car is the speed of light, so that may come a bit short of expectations.
In any case, I agree that by itself it’s not a big deal. After the broken windshield wiper, the pieces that fall off and the sticky accelerator one may… you know, infer a pattern. Which, really, is the news here.
It can be? You literally just download the OTA update and the vehicle installs it from your own home. “Recall” implies that you have to go into the shop but that’s simply not true.
A Tesla always updates over the air (I suppose unless that’s the part that’s broken). It’s arguably the most important safety feature on a car mostly defined by its software. I have a ten year old chevy that needs a software update, but like you said I’ll need to make an appointment to have someone else download it and manually install that software for me, which sounds super archaic and dumb when it’s spelled out like that.
Maybe they don’t have an immutable backup firmware and are worried about bricking some part of the car if the update fails, or it’s a hold over from their old car recall process.
Well, it’s because it’s an old car company doing software, something they’re universally bad at. Legacy car companies being bad at software is why Apple Carplay and Android Auto exist.
We gotta stop calling software updates recalls. Yeah I get that it’s fun to bash on the Cybertruck but this isn’t really that interesting.
Now that sticky accelerator pedal… yikes.
I’ve had software recalls for Toyotas and Hondas, both of which involved physical recall paperwork and required me to visit a dealer to install the new software.
Just because a software recall can be remedied over the air it doesn’t make it any less of a recall. As others have said, there’s a legal definition to a recall. They are issued by the NHTSA and require specific legal responses from the manufacturer.
Recall is a legal term for the car industry which includes stuff like reporting obligations. So if the defect meets the severity level of a recall it should be called as such, even if it is ‘just’ a software update. Ambiguous terms for safety violations are dangerous and may cost lives.
Recall is also the plural term for a group of Cybertrucks.
Rear view cameras have been federally required on passenger vehicles since module year 2018 in the US market. So yeah, regardless of the error, it’s a recall because the result makes the vehicle noncompliant.
I can’t imagine the threshold here isn’t different though. If each of these recalls required hardware modifications Tesla would either hide the data or lawyers would be able to argue they weren’t major safety violations. I think it’s a plus that many things can be fixed expediantly with software updates and the threshold to do so is low.
NHTSA are the ones who investigate safety issues and issue recall notices. Once they have done that then the manufacturer has very specific legal requirements to follow. Hiding data from them would eventually come to light, and that would be very bad. Look at the diesel emissions scandal for one example. Volkswagen payed billions in fines for that, and a dozen or so employees including the CEO have been indicted. A few have pled guilty and been sentenced to jail.
Yeah… But these are multi-ton vehicles and when they crash people die. Unlike when your computer crashes.
I don’t think “the backup camera is a little slow to turn on” is the smoking gun you are looking for though.
The Cybertruck has no rear view mirror when the back cover is down.
So any reversing requires the use of the backup camera.
The car also accelerates really fast, and weighs 7,000 pounds.
It’s also an $80,000+ car that was preordered by a lot of people without test driving it. So it’s primary driver is someone who makes risky and impulsive decisions.
So a really fast, heavy car that can’t see behind it without a reverse camera, driven by impulsive people makes me think the reverse camera should definitely come up really fast.
Someone dumb enough could easily flatten someone backing up with that bug.
I’m sure it happens even with perfectly functional cameras.
Sure, it still happens regardless, it just makes it easier and more likely to happen.
I mean… the normal speed for seeing behind your car is the speed of light, so that may come a bit short of expectations.
In any case, I agree that by itself it’s not a big deal. After the broken windshield wiper, the pieces that fall off and the sticky accelerator one may… you know, infer a pattern. Which, really, is the news here.
If it’s just software, why can’t it be downloaded?
It can be? You literally just download the OTA update and the vehicle installs it from your own home. “Recall” implies that you have to go into the shop but that’s simply not true.
Some can be, some the manufacturer doesn’t want to risk it so they make you take it into a dealership to update from a USB.
A Tesla always updates over the air (I suppose unless that’s the part that’s broken). It’s arguably the most important safety feature on a car mostly defined by its software. I have a ten year old chevy that needs a software update, but like you said I’ll need to make an appointment to have someone else download it and manually install that software for me, which sounds super archaic and dumb when it’s spelled out like that.
Maybe they don’t have an immutable backup firmware and are worried about bricking some part of the car if the update fails, or it’s a hold over from their old car recall process.
Well, it’s because it’s an old car company doing software, something they’re universally bad at. Legacy car companies being bad at software is why Apple Carplay and Android Auto exist.