Tesla recalls 1.6 million cars in China due to autopilot crash risk

Tesla Inc. recalled virtually every car it’s ever sold in China due to issues with the driver-assistance system Autopilot that increase the risk of crashes.

The carmaker will deploy an over-the-air software fix to more than 1.6 million vehicles produced between August 2014 and December 2023, including locally built Model 3s and Model Ys and imported premium models, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement.

Tesla drivers may misuse Autopilot functions, increasing the risk of collisions and posing safety risk, the regulator said. The recall closely mirrors the carmaker’s response last month to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determining that it wasn’t doing enough to ensure drivers were using Autopilot correctly. NHTSA said it would keep open a years-long defect investigation to monitor the efficacy of the company’s fixes to 2 million cars.

A Shanghai-based Tesla representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The carmaker’s shares fell as much as 1.1% before the start of regular trading Friday.

Tesla’s automated-driving systems have been subject to growing scrutiny after hundreds of collisions, some of which resulted in fatalities. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has repeatedly predicted that the world is on the cusp of completely autonomous cars, only to continue require fully attentive drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road while using features that Tesla markets as Full Self-Driving.

Tesla also recalled 7,538 Model S sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles in China to prevent door latches from disengaging during a collision. This fix to vehicles produces between October 2022 and November 2023 also will be carried out via an over-the-air software update.