Tesla has improved their vehicle recall rate drastically, accounting for only 2.7% of all recalls in 2023 so far
Not a Tesla App
At Tesla's Investor Day 2023, a promise was made to enhance quality control and production standards. This year's sharp decline in recalls proves Tesla's fulfillment of that promise. Such commitment is vital, especially for an automaker that has always been in the spotlight, not just for its innovation but also for its challenges and the attention its CEO draws. A recent article by Barron's highlights that Tesla's recalls have seen a significant drop in 2023 compared to 2022.
Reduction in Recalls
While Tesla recalled 3.8 million vehicles in 2022, the figure stands at around 439,000 for 2023 so far, potentially setting the pace to hit about 550,000 by the end of the year. This suggests a marked improvement in Tesla's quality control and production standards.
The nature of Tesla recalls also distinguishes the company from others. Many of Tesla's recalls, like the recent one related to a warning light for detecting low brake fluid on Model X, are rectified through over-the-air (OTA) software updates. These OTA updates are efficient, cost-effective, and less disruptive for customers.
Elon Musk has emphasized the inappropriateness of the term "recall" for OTA updates, pointing out its anachronistic nature. In February, he posted on X: The word "recall" for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong! As more manufacturers integrate advanced technology, we might see a shift in understanding and categorizing recalls.
Comparison with Other Automakers
It's essential to place these figures in context. The same Barrons chart indicates that other leading automakers have had their fair share of recalls. In 2023, major U.S. automakers collectively recalled over 16 million vehicles; in 2022 this figure was almost 19 million. Hence, when compared proportionally, Tesla's recall rate was higher than average in 2022 but considerably lower than the competition in 2023.
Given the emerging nature of the electric vehicle market and Tesla's prominence as a frontrunner, its operations have enhanced scrutiny. Recalls make headlines, not merely because of potential safety concerns but also because of the changing dynamics of the automobile industry with the advent of EVs. Both consumers and investors must understand recalls within this evolving context.
Tesla's proactive approach and OTA software updates set it apart. The declining number of recalls indicates Tesla's commitment to improving quality and safety, aligning with the company's goals outlined during its Investor Day event. Seeing how terminology and perceptions around recalls adapt will be interesting as the industry evolves.
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Tesla software update 2024.44.3 has started rolling out to customers in larger waves recently and it brings several new features - including Actually Smart Summon to Europe and the Middle East, as well as improvements to Autopark. But that’s not all, it also adds a new Blind Spot Monitoring feature to the new Model 3, and potentially the Cybertruck, but that’s still to be determined.
We previously covered the Blind Spot Warning While Parked as part of our preview notes for update 2024.44, but now that it's going out to customers, it's time to see it in action.
If the vehicle’s door open button is pressed, and a vehicle or object is near or incoming, the vehicle’s Blind Spot Warning Light (2024 Model 3 and Cybertruck) will illuminate, an audible tone will ring and the door won’t open. A message will also be displayed on the center displaying, letting driver’s know why the door didn’t open.
Pressing the button a second time will allow you to override the warning and open the door normally, providing a way to get out in case you just parked close to a nearby vehicle or obstacle.
The object detection for this new feature includes cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and other objects - like things including traffic cones, bollards, strollers, and other large obstacles that FSD and vision-based Autopark detect during normal operation. Of note - this only works for the front two doors. Thanks to X user Max, who did some testing for us, It does not work for the rear passenger doors.
Optional Feature
The feature is optional - it’ll be enabled by default for safety, but if you need to enable or disable it, you can do so under Controls > Safety. For now, the feature is only available on the 2024 Model 3, but we expect it to roll out to the Cybertruck at least. However, there’s no reason why it can’t be added to other vehicles as well, minus the small red dot. We expect Tesla to eventually add this feature to all Tesla vehicles, but it’s currently not a part of update 2024.44.
Enhauto’s S3XY Buttons & Commander
If that’s not enough safety and vision for you, Enhauto, the makers of the popular S3XY Buttons and Commander recently put out a new software update for the 2024 Model 3, which makes some fantastic use of the ambient lighting.
With Enhauto’s solution, users are able to tie their ambient lights to Autopilot use, turn signals or even if a vehicle is their blind spot. Check out the video below for this awesome implementation, where the ambient lights turn red when another vehicle approaches.
Maybe Tesla will integrate something like this into a future update? We’ve been hoping for more customizability with their ambient lighting - it's an easy safety win and a demonstration of Tesla’s do-more-with-less attitude.
I look forward to @enhauto updates more than Tesla...
Ambient light effects....
I set default color to white. Blinks green on turn signals Turns blue on FSD activation Yellow if someone in blind spot Blinks red if turn signal on and blind spot activity detected.
The feature is now possible thanks to what Wes Morrill, Cybertruck’s lead engineering, points out is a huge rewrite of Tesla’s Trip Planner, which not only makes it much more accurate but will now allow users to choose their arrival charge percentage.
More Accurate Trip Planner
When you navigate to a destination, your Tesla will automatically calculate when, where, and how much you need to charge. While the process seems straightforward, Tesla deserves a lot of credit for creating a simple user experience because a lot goes into accurately determining this information.
Tesla has to calculate many moving pieces in order to accurately predict when and where you should stop. First, it needs to consider your driving efficiency and wind direction, terrain elevation, traffic, vehicle speed, and ambient temperature. It also needs to predict the best Superchargers to stop at, taking into account congestion and charger speed.
This morning, in response to Dan Burkland, Wes shared that Tesla had significantly rewritten the backend portion of Trip Planner. These improvements, made by several engineers, were designed to improve Trip Planner’s accuracy and open the door to future features.
It sounds like these changes are mostly server-side, so thanks to their OTA connection, more accurate predictions should be available to all vehicles—no vehicle update is required.
Arrival State of Charge
Along with Tesla’s improvements to Trip Planner, Wes also stated that these improvements allow for a popular feature request — the ability to select your desired charge level at arrival.
Up until now, Tesla’s Trip Planner tried to get you to your destination as quickly as possible, which usually meant arriving with a low state of charge.
While this was fine if you have a charger at your destination, it’s not great if you don’t, or it could be even worse if there are no chargers nearby.
Max de Zegher said on X that he has heard the requests for a selectable arrival state of charge. Wes later clarified this by saying that these improvements to Tesla’s Trip Planner now allow for additional features to be added, such as “desired arrival charge.”
Actually trip planner got a huge rewrite on the back end. I had a great conversation with one of the engineers working on this over a morning run a few weeks back, it's pretty neat. The rewrite also unlocks additional features, like desired arrival charge.
Given that Max de Zegher’s comments came last night and Wes Morrill commented this morning, this feature request likely won’t arrive with the upcoming Holiday Update. Tesla actually hinted at such a feature being added in their last app update, so it does seem like they’ve already planned for it.
Although ‘Arrival State of Charge’ was on our wishlist for the Holiday Update, it looks like it may arrive soon after the holidays.
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