NHTSA talks to Tesla about replacing cameras

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was communicating with Tesla regarding faulty autopilot cameras in some electric vehicles the company produced in Fremont, California. Tesla changes cameras in vehicles?

Tesla is replacing repeater cameras in some of its US-made vehicles after finding faulty printed circuit boards inside. The company has not issued a voluntary recall so far but is dealing with replacements based on goodwill for eligible customers.

Tutoring cameras are installed in the front fenders of Tesla vehicles in front of the side mirrors. When the cameras do not work properly, drivers may see blank or intermittent video on their car's central display, lose the visibility of their vehicle's blind spots, or receive warnings that Tesla's autopilot function is limited.

Autopilot is Tesla's brand for the standard driver assistance system. Also, the system is not complete without a driver.

Although the manufacturer of electric vehicles has not yet voluntarily recalled the cameras, it has authorized service employees to replace defective units for qualified owners on the basis of goodwill - that is, at the expense of the company.

NHTSA is aware of the problem and has discussed this with the manufacturer. In addition, NHTSA monitors all data sources, including consumer warning reports and complaints.

The Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design defects that pose an unreasonable risk to safety.

NHTSA is empowered with powerful enforcement tools to protect the public, investigate potential security issues, and respond when it finds evidence of non-compliance or unreasonable security risk.

We urge the public to notify NHTSA if they think their vehicle has a safety flaw that is not part of the current recall.