9 ms·

Tesla recalls 26,681 U.S. vehicles over windshield defrosting software

diebeforei485 5y ago
We need a better word for "recall" when it's a software update to fix it. In the future there might be something requiring an actual physical fix, but people might see the headline and assume it's just another software update - because most Tesla "recalls" have been software updates.
- nonfamous 5y ago
  Not just a software update, but an over-the-air software update. Owners won’t need to take their vehicles to a service center, receive and install hardware updates, or do anything at all in fact. The problem will be fixed one night, likely without their knowledge. “Recall” doesn’t suggest anything like that.
- chickenpotpie 5y ago
  Agree and disagree. I agree the language is confusing, but also I personally don’t care which one it is from a safety standpoint. Even thought it’s a software update, I want that to carry the same negative connotation as a hardware problem. I’m genuinely getting worried about the attitude of “it’s just a software update no big deal.” It’s our lives at stake either way and I don’t really care what the root cause is. If my car isn’t working, that’s not ok
- bdcravens 5y ago
  Many recalls are just software fixes. The big differentiator in many minds is whether the fix is OTA, or requires a dealer to plug in to your car's computer. OTA is becoming more common however. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/car-recalls-can-be-inconvenience-drivers-automakers-are-using-new-n1272689 https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/car-recalls-can-be-in...
Rygian 5y ago
"Recall" carries the strong connotation that the vehicle must be driven to an authorized dealership/garage for fixing. There should be a better word for software issues fixed over the air.
- gvb 5y ago
  "Recalled In Place"
- tromp 5y ago
  soft recall vs hard recall? as in software vs hardware...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- lolsal 5y ago
  How about "security patch/fix/update"?
- bdcravens 5y ago
  So just call it a bug?
- netsharc 5y ago
  A few months ago Tesla got into trouble because they were silently fixing a big issue with a quiet OTA patch, the law says for such things the manufacturer needs to issue a recall: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-asks-tesla-recall-autopilot-driving-system-80552870 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-asks-tesla-reca...
jondwillis 5y ago
Tangential, I am on a cross country trip with FSD 10.8.1 which has been recalled. Yesterday the entire visual interface and sound interface froze on me while stopped at a light while driving, somehow got into R-everse and I almost backed into a car behind me when the light changed. A soft restart fixed it, and I have cabin video of the entire incident. Anyone know how to signal boost this without being overly annoying? My software is two full versions behind and won’t update yet. Super unsafe, not that updating will guarantee to make it safer. Seemed like a memory leak or something to me, as the car computer got slower and slower over a couple of hours. Whole thing is on twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1291302858 https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1291302858 around 6h:20m
- huslage 5y ago
  Contact the tesla beta team.
  - jondwillis 5y ago
    Do they have an email address or another direct line of communication?
    - toomuchtodo 5y ago
      Email fsdbeta at tesla dot com
- polygloty 5y ago
  @6:21:21
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- tragictrash 5y ago
  It looks like right before that happened, you pushed up on a stick to the right of the steering wheel. Did that put it in reverse? Anyone with a tesla comment?
emptybottle 5y ago
Full self defrosting is right around the corner, if regulators don’t block us it will be GA within a quarter.
- LegitShady 5y ago
  General artificial defrosting is finally within our grasp!
  - MaxikCZ 5y ago
    General aviation needs defrosting aswell!
onphonenow 5y ago
It's crazy that regulators still make folks bring cars back to dealers for recalls. Why not just let tesla do OTA updates instead of these massive recalls. Seems stupid.
- kgc 5y ago
  Many of these recalls are just over the air updates.
  - onphonenow 5y ago
    A recall is a return or call back of product to the manufacturer for repair. That is the definition of a recall (call back). Software updates are routinely carried out and don't require a recall of the vehicle to the dealer or manufacturer. So recalling these vehicles is ridiculous by the authorities.
    - nomel 5y ago
      They're not following our definition of the word. OTA is being used for the update, just as with the previous "California stop" "recall". This whole concept is fairly new, so it shouldn't be surprising that a large bureaucracy is a bit behind.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
      Not automotive, but in my area of expertise (21CFR): "Recall means a firm's removal or correction (emphasis mine) of a marketed product that the FDA considers to be in violation of the laws it administers and against which the agency would initiate legal action, e.g., seizure. "
yumraj 5y ago
Somebody set us up the frost Main defroster not turn on Elon: all your Teslas are belong to us You have no chance to drive FSD for great Future reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us
- HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
  As an ancient /.'er it's sad that this has to be explained. Sigh. Still upvoted.
  - yumraj 5y ago
    To be honest I debated that, but realized that many may not know what this is.
flyingfences 5y ago
In my first car, I defrosted the windshield by twisting a knob with a physical linkage to the baffle in the airbox; it blew on the windshield and I could see where I was going. I have a newer car now, with a button going into some electronic HVAC controller. Some cars now have touchscreens with user-facing software to control it all. It's not an improvement. I wish I could still get a decent car with mechanical climate controls.
- msrenee 5y ago
  I need to buy a vehicle with a back seat in the next couple years and I'm not sure where to start. I don't want a touch screen control panel. I want knobs and buttons. I want to be able to repair most of it myself. My current vehicle is a base model from 2005 and I don't know whether I can get a vehicle under 5 years old that isn't loaded down with tech. If you know of anything, I'd love to hear about it.
  - flyingfences 5y ago
    I don't know of anything that's actually the "old-school car" we're looking for, but I've been hearing that the new Civic has knobs and buttons (electronic, not directly mechanical) for the important controls and has a surprisingly roomy back seat and trunk.
    - msrenee 5y ago
      I'd rather stick to a couple years old at the most recent. My husband loves his old Civic though. If it ever gives out on him, it's good to know there'll be some options out there.
      - flyingfences 5y ago
        With the market as it is now, cars a few years old cost almost as much as new cars; it may be worth considering.
        5y ago
lancesells 5y ago
My car has a physical button that I press to defrost the window. I'm guessing this triggers some software to turn on the defrosting fans. Is this the same thing in the Tesla except it's a digital button? I can't read the article but I've rarely seen defrosting being described as software. Wondering if this is something different.

We need a better word for "recall" when it's a software update to fix it. In the future there might be something requiring an actual physical fix, but people might see the headline and assume it's just another software update - because most Tesla "recalls" have been software updates.

nonfamous 5y ago
Not just a software update, but an over-the-air software update. Owners won’t need to take their vehicles to a service center, receive and install hardware updates, or do anything at all in fact. The problem will be fixed one night, likely without their knowledge. “Recall” doesn’t suggest anything like that.
chickenpotpie 5y ago
Agree and disagree. I agree the language is confusing, but also I personally don’t care which one it is from a safety standpoint. Even thought it’s a software update, I want that to carry the same negative connotation as a hardware problem. I’m genuinely getting worried about the attitude of “it’s just a software update no big deal.” It’s our lives at stake either way and I don’t really care what the root cause is. If my car isn’t working, that’s not ok
bdcravens 5y ago
Many recalls are just software fixes. The big differentiator in many minds is whether the fix is OTA, or requires a dealer to plug in to your car's computer. OTA is becoming more common however. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/car-recalls-can-be-inconvenience-drivers-automakers-are-using-new-n1272689 https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/car-recalls-can-be-in...

Rygian 5y ago

"Recall" carries the strong connotation that the vehicle must be driven to an authorized dealership/garage for fixing. There should be a better word for software issues fixed over the air.

gvb 5y ago
"Recalled In Place"
tromp 5y ago
soft recall vs hard recall? as in software vs hardware...
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
lolsal 5y ago
How about "security patch/fix/update"?
bdcravens 5y ago
So just call it a bug?
netsharc 5y ago
A few months ago Tesla got into trouble because they were silently fixing a big issue with a quiet OTA patch, the law says for such things the manufacturer needs to issue a recall: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-asks-tesla-recall-autopilot-driving-system-80552870 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-asks-tesla-reca...

jondwillis 5y ago

Tangential, I am on a cross country trip with FSD 10.8.1 which has been recalled. Yesterday the entire visual interface and sound interface froze on me while stopped at a light while driving, somehow got into R-everse and I almost backed into a car behind me when the light changed. A soft restart fixed it, and I have cabin video of the entire incident. Anyone know how to signal boost this without being overly annoying? My software is two full versions behind and won’t update yet. Super unsafe, not that updating will guarantee to make it safer. Seemed like a memory leak or something to me, as the car computer got slower and slower over a couple of hours. Whole thing is on twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1291302858 https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1291302858 around 6h:20m

huslage 5y ago
Contact the tesla beta team.
- jondwillis 5y ago
  Do they have an email address or another direct line of communication?
  - toomuchtodo 5y ago
    Email fsdbeta at tesla dot com
polygloty 5y ago
@6:21:21
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
tragictrash 5y ago
It looks like right before that happened, you pushed up on a stick to the right of the steering wheel. Did that put it in reverse? Anyone with a tesla comment?

emptybottle 5y ago

Full self defrosting is right around the corner, if regulators don’t block us it will be GA within a quarter.

LegitShady 5y ago
General artificial defrosting is finally within our grasp!
- MaxikCZ 5y ago
  General aviation needs defrosting aswell!

onphonenow 5y ago

It's crazy that regulators still make folks bring cars back to dealers for recalls. Why not just let tesla do OTA updates instead of these massive recalls. Seems stupid.

kgc 5y ago
Many of these recalls are just over the air updates.
- onphonenow 5y ago
  A recall is a return or call back of product to the manufacturer for repair. That is the definition of a recall (call back). Software updates are routinely carried out and don't require a recall of the vehicle to the dealer or manufacturer. So recalling these vehicles is ridiculous by the authorities.
  - nomel 5y ago
    They're not following our definition of the word. OTA is being used for the update, just as with the previous "California stop" "recall". This whole concept is fairly new, so it shouldn't be surprising that a large bureaucracy is a bit behind.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
    Not automotive, but in my area of expertise (21CFR): "Recall means a firm's removal or correction (emphasis mine) of a marketed product that the FDA considers to be in violation of the laws it administers and against which the agency would initiate legal action, e.g., seizure. "

yumraj 5y ago

Somebody set us up the frost Main defroster not turn on Elon: all your Teslas are belong to us You have no chance to drive FSD for great Future reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us

HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
As an ancient /.'er it's sad that this has to be explained. Sigh. Still upvoted.
- yumraj 5y ago
  To be honest I debated that, but realized that many may not know what this is.

flyingfences 5y ago

In my first car, I defrosted the windshield by twisting a knob with a physical linkage to the baffle in the airbox; it blew on the windshield and I could see where I was going. I have a newer car now, with a button going into some electronic HVAC controller. Some cars now have touchscreens with user-facing software to control it all. It's not an improvement. I wish I could still get a decent car with mechanical climate controls.

msrenee 5y ago
I need to buy a vehicle with a back seat in the next couple years and I'm not sure where to start. I don't want a touch screen control panel. I want knobs and buttons. I want to be able to repair most of it myself. My current vehicle is a base model from 2005 and I don't know whether I can get a vehicle under 5 years old that isn't loaded down with tech. If you know of anything, I'd love to hear about it.
- flyingfences 5y ago
  I don't know of anything that's actually the "old-school car" we're looking for, but I've been hearing that the new Civic has knobs and buttons (electronic, not directly mechanical) for the important controls and has a surprisingly roomy back seat and trunk.
  - msrenee 5y ago
    I'd rather stick to a couple years old at the most recent. My husband loves his old Civic though. If it ever gives out on him, it's good to know there'll be some options out there.
    - flyingfences 5y ago
      With the market as it is now, cars a few years old cost almost as much as new cars; it may be worth considering.
      - 5y ago

lancesells 5y ago

My car has a physical button that I press to defrost the window. I'm guessing this triggers some software to turn on the defrosting fans. Is this the same thing in the Tesla except it's a digital button? I can't read the article but I've rarely seen defrosting being described as software. Wondering if this is something different.