Tesla Woes Mount with German Software Recall

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

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7th July 2022

German regulators have demanded a recall of more than 59,000 Tesla vehicles following the discovery of a system software glitch.

Our sister website, IoT World Today, reports that the country’s Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) agency published a notice warning Model Y and Model 3 owners of a bug with the eCall first responder safety system on the vehicles. This system, mandatory in the European Union area, alerts emergency services in the event of a serious accident.

However, the KBA says a bug is stopping the system working as it should. A total of 59,129 vehicles are affected globally, including Model Y models produced at the automaker’s much lauded Berlin Gigafactory. All the vehicles involved were produced in 2022, although it is uncertain how many of those have been registered in Germany. Affected owners were advised to contact the manufacturer or visit an authorized repair shop for a software update.

This recall follows on from several other technical recalls in the US including for more than 50,000 cars prone to failing to stop at signs in Full Self Driving Beta mode and nearly half a millions vehicles recalled because of a potential rear view camera defect all on top of the building investigation into failings with the Autopilot system by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Meanwhile Reuters reports that Tesla’s commercial challenges, including production shortages and inflation, could hit the automaker’s bottom line this week as it reported a fall in deliveries for the first time in two years.

Tesla blamed Chinese pandemic lockdowns for just 254,695 vehicles delivered in the second quarter, down about 18% from the first quarter. Supply chain hold-ups at the company’s newer facilities in Texas and Germany also hurt production.

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_