Tesla recalls 53,822 'Full Self-Driving' cars over vehicles running stop signs

Tesla is recalling 53,822 cars and SUVs in U.S. because their "Full Self-Driving"(FSD Beta) software lets them roll through traffic signals without coming to a complete stop.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the recall covers some 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. 

Tesla will perform an over-the-air software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, NHTSA said. The agency added it "maintains regular discussions with all manufacturers to discuss potential safety concerns of these types of systems."

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Twitter "there were no safety issues" with the function. "The car simply slowed to ~2 mph & continued forward if clear view with no cars or pedestrians," Musk wrote.

NHTSA noted federal law "prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with defects posing unreasonable risks to safety, including intentional design choices that are unsafe."

Last week, Tesla said the number of FSD beta vehicles in the United States increased to nearly 60,000 from a few thousand at the end of September. Tesla has been testing the improved version of its automated driving software on public roads, but the carmaker and the regulator have said the features do not make the cars autonomous.

Tesla said as of Jan. 27 it was not aware of any warranty claims, crashes, injuries or fatalities related to the recall.

Tesla informed the auto safety agency it released on Oct. 20 an updated version to introduce the "rolling stop" functionality. The automaker said to use the feature vehicles must be traveling below 5.6 miles (9 km) per hour and no relevant moving cars, pedestrians or bicyclists are detected near the intersection.

The feature, which appeared to violate state laws that require vehicles to come to a complete stop and required drivers to opt-in for what it dubbed "Assertive" mode, drew attention on social media and prompted NHTSA to raise questions with Tesla.