Tesla Autopilot Recall Threatens Its Defense in Lawsuits Over Crashes

The company’s acknowledgment in the notice that safeguards around its Autosteer feature “may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse” amounts to an admission of a safety defect, said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety.

By Malathi Nayak
December 15, 2023

Tesla Inc.’s biggest vehicle recall ever threatens to hurt the company’s defense in several high-profile lawsuits it faces over crashes linked to Autopilot.

The automaker’s recall of 2 million cars comes after a top US auto-safety regulator found its driver-assistance program failed to ensure drivers stay attentive. Lawyers representing crash victims and family members who have sued Tesla, some over fatal accidents, say the determination bolsters their claims that the Autopilot system is defective and contributed to collisions.

An increased threat of losses for Tesla in Autopilot litigation across the US could embolden others to challenge the technology in court and force the company to potentially pay victims millions of dollars in compensatory damages.

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