Tesla recalls nearly 595,000 vehicles over boombox feature that makes disturbing sounds for pedestrians

Content

The boombox has already triggered a recall
What models does this review apply to?

NHTSA is recalling Tesla again over the Boombox feature on its vehicles. A feature that warns pedestrians of the nearest Tesla should turn off sounds when the vehicle is moving at low speeds.

Tesla is recalling nearly 595,000 vehicles due to the ability to play user-customizable sounds on an external speaker while driving.

Tesla electric vehicles are equipped with this external speaker, which plays the sounds required by law to alert pedestrians that a vehicle is nearby. Previously, the speaker could be used to play a user-provided sound clip, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not like if there were vehicles behind the wheel. Specifically, the NHTSA states that this violated mandatory safety requirements for pedestrian warning sounds when this feature was used.

The boombox has already triggered a recall

This is the second wave of recalls issued for this particular feature, the first of which occurred in February and removed the ability for users to play throttle sounds, music and other sound clips when drivers shift into gear, neutral or reverse. However, this did not limit the playback of sounds when the vehicle is unoccupied.

Tesla vehicles equipped with the package, despite not being able to drive on public roads on their own, have the ability to use a feature called "challenge". This feature allows owners to activate the car and have it sneak up on them at low speeds in parking lots, sometimes to no avail. Despite disabling the Boombox feature while someone was driving and driving, the previous recall did not disable it during a vehicle call and therefore sounds could still be played when the vehicle was moving at low speeds.

What models does this review apply to?

The second recall concerns some 2020-2022 Model Y, S and X vehicles, as well as 3-2017 Model 2022. A fix for the violation will be released via an over-the-air update at no cost to owners.

Tesla recently found itself under the microscope of federal regulators. While only four models are available to the public right now, the automaker has amassed more than a dozen reviews since October 2021, largely due to its software features like Boombox and Autopilot.

Even though CEO Elon Musk complains that the police are ruining a good time, every automaker has a basic set of rules to follow, including those designed to protect people with disabilities who may not be able to hear an approaching silent electric car. .

**********