Tesla Recalls Almost Every Car in the US

[Ben]

Not really an electric vehicle post. Apparently fed.gov told them the font on one of the warning lights was too small, so they have to recall nearly every Tesla to swap for a larger warning light. I guess the good news is that design allows for an OTA software update. I can't imagine what this would cost if it required a physical replacement.

Maybe "font size" is a true safety and consumer issue, but it sure sounds like gov overreach from the limited reading I did. I'm curious how much smaller than the gov minimum this warning light is?

https://jalopnik.com/tesla-recalls-every-u-s-car-because-its-text-is-too-sm-1851219929

[WLJ]

Can an auto over the air update to change a font size really be called a recall? The cars routinely receive updates anyway.
Like saying every time windows updates to fix a bug it's a recall. I guess "recall" sounds more dramatic for the headlines

[Nick1911]

In my mind, there's a published set of minimum specifications for new vehicles, and an auto manufacturer would ensure their design conforms to it.

So what happened here?  Did Tesla screw up?  Were the requirements ill defined or incomplete?

[WLJ]

In my mind, there's a published set of minimum specifications for new vehicles, and an auto manufacturer would ensure their design conforms to it.

So what happened here?  Did Tesla screw up?  Were the requirements ill defined or incomplete?

Well the article says

"The NHTSA reports that the text used on the Tesla dashboards falls under the 3.2mm (1/8 inch) size required"

I'm wondering knowing the government if the fonts in question were/are 0.001mm too small or more like 1.0mm too small.
If the former it could be just a way of irritating Elon.

[zahc]

I think it's a small step in the government jihad against Tesla. Not only is Tesla a political wildcard, now that his cars are popular he threatens the established automotive special interests. If you don't think the administration is capable of petty shakedowns of unfavored companies in conjunction with casual favoritism, you don't understand how the machine works.

[Ben]

Can an auto over the air update to change a font size really be called a recall?

Well, it probably falls under the gov bureaucracy's definition of a recall. I'm sure Tesla wouldn't call it that if they wouldn't legally have to.  Plus it appears that it's OTA only because Tesla is cutting edge in that regard. If it were Ford, et al, would they have the design to do an OTA, or would you be dropping your car off at the dealer?

[dogmush]

This article has the old icons compared to the new ones for your reading pleasure:

https://electrek.co/2024/02/02/tesla-latest-million-vehicle-safety-recall-is-about-font-sizes/

[WLJ]

This article has the old icons compared to the new ones for your reading pleasure:

https://electrek.co/2024/02/02/tesla-latest-million-vehicle-safety-recall-is-about-font-sizes/

If I had to guess that a good mm or so but really hard to tell unless someone states the exact size of the "recalled" icons.

[Ben]

This article has the old icons compared to the new ones for your reading pleasure:

https://electrek.co/2024/02/02/tesla-latest-million-vehicle-safety-recall-is-about-font-sizes/

While I can see that the lower ones are smaller than the upper ones, more important to me (with old man eyes) are the icons themselves. That one with the car and speaker would be hard for me to see on a dash regardless of the old or new size, while something like the headlight icons look fine to me either way. Maybe it's more about (not just Tesla, but everybody) designing better icons.

Also, at Dogmush's link, it says the old ones are on top. Some of the old ones look bigger than the new ones.

[WLJ]

Honestly I file this under Meh
Meanwhile I'm sure the Elon haters in the media will be having banner headline like "MASSIVE TESLA RECALL!" "HOW YOUR TESLA WILL KILL YOU!" "TRUMP LOVING ULTRA RIGHT WING BILLIONAIRE SUFFERS EMBARRASSMENT!"

[dogmush]

The lower ones are the new ones.  They replaced the graphic icons with text.

The "recall" only effected Brake system warning, ABS system warning and Parking Brake indicator.

[Ben]

Honestly I file this under Meh

I mean, I guess you can file it under "meh", but it's still likely costing Tesla significant money. Again, I wonder what this would cost if OTA was not available and a manufacturer had to replace an entire LED panel?

[WLJ]

I mean, I guess you can file it under "meh", but it's still likely costing Tesla significant money. Again, I wonder what this would cost if OTA was not available and a manufacturer had to replace an entire LED panel?

"significant money"?
Probably no more work than changing the size value in a line or two of code for the dash board warning icons in the latest update. The programmers are already on the payroll and the updates go out on a regular basis anyway.
Heck it could be something as simple as a drop down menu on their part. Like changing the font size in your word processor.

[Ben]

"significant money"?
Probably no more work than changing the size value in a line or two of code for the dash board warning icons in the latest update. The programmers are already on the payroll and the updates go out on a regular basis anyway.
Heck it could be something as simple as a drop down menu on their part. Like changing the font size in your word processor.

That's like the very last step after lawyers, possibly fines, gov approval, notification and tracking, and a whole host of non-programming issues that likely had to be dealt with.

[Hawkmoon]

I think it's a small step in the government jihad against Tesla. Not only is Tesla a political wildcard, now that his cars are popular he threatens the established automotive special interests. If you don't think the administration is capable of petty shakedowns of unfavored companies in conjunction with casual favoritism, you don't understand how the machine works.

One might think that, if the gummint really didn't like Tesla, they would just stop subsidizing Tesla. Does Tesla actually make any profit if you deduct the subsidies?

[Hawkmoon]

While I can see that the lower ones are smaller than the upper ones, more important to me (with old man eyes) are the icons themselves. That one with the car and speaker would be hard for me to see on a dash regardless of the old or new size, while something like the headlight icons look fine to me either way. Maybe it's more about (not just Tesla, but everybody) designing better icons.

Also, at Dogmush's link, it says the old ones are on top. Some of the old ones look bigger than the new ones.

Most are exactly the same. They changed four of them.

For the traction control off icon, the word "OFF" is slightly larger.

For the brake warning, the icon is gone, replaced by a text-only "BRAKE"

For the ABS warning, the icon is gone, replaced by a text-only "ABS"

For the Park alert, the icon is gone, replaced by a text-only "PARK"

[Ben]

Most are exactly the same. They changed four of them.

The one with the car and the speaker is bigger in the old version.

[Hawkmoon]

The one with the car and the speaker is bigger in the old version.

You're right.

That article led me to a couple of other articles on that site, one of which talks about GM dropping all-electric vehicles for now and returning to hybrids. That points out the failing of all-electric vehicles. I have friends in another state who own a Chevrolet Bolt (the all-electric vehicle, not the Volt hybrid). They live about 150 miles from me, a drive of just about 3 hours if you keep to the speed limit.

Even with my 20+ year old Jeep Cherokee I can easily drive to their house and back on a single tank of gas. They can't make the round trip without a full recharge. The best we can do is to meet up at a restaurant near the state border that's about equidistant between our homes -- that's about the limit of their range on a single charge. And that's in mild weather, when they don't need heat or serious A/C.

My favorite vacation spot is 400 miles from home. If I'm lucky, I can make it on a single tank, although I'd be running on fumes when I arrived. A single fuel stop about midway is all it takes. Even with rest stops, I can make the trip in an easy 9-hour day. To do that in a Bolt EV would turn it into a 2-day trip, with a full overnight recharge (if I could find a charging station near a hotel). And I'm not sure there are any recharging stations at the other end.

[BobR]

Well, it probably falls under the gov bureaucracy's definition of a recall. I'm sure Tesla wouldn't call it that if they wouldn't legally have to.  Plus it appears that it's OTA only because Tesla is cutting edge in that regard. If it were Ford, et al, would they have the design to do an OTA, or would you be dropping your car off at the dealer?

I think it would depend on the age of the vehicle. My Super Duty can and does receive OTA updates at times. Other things, like an emission tweak they did a while back needed to go to the dealer. I have no idea where/what their cutoff is for OTA vs in person.

bob

[230RN]

I think it's a small step in the government jihad against Tesla. Not only is Tesla a political wildcard, now that his cars are popular he threatens the established automotive special interests. If you don't think the administration is capable of petty shakedowns of unfavored companies in conjunction with casual favoritism, you don't understand how the machine works.

Pure suspicion, but I can resonate with that.

"...You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... "

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/319903-did-you-really-think-we-want-those-laws-observed-said

[dogmush]

You're right.

That article led me to a couple of other articles on that site, one of which talks about GM dropping all-electric vehicles for now and returning to hybrids. That points out the failing of all-electric vehicles. I have friends in another state who own a Chevrolet Bolt (the all-electric vehicle, not the Volt hybrid). They live about 150 miles from me, a drive of just about 3 hours if you keep to the speed limit.

Even with my 20+ year old Jeep Cherokee I can easily drive to their house and back on a single tank of gas. They can't make the round trip without a full recharge. The best we can do is to meet up at a restaurant near the state border that's about equidistant between our homes -- that's about the limit of their range on a single charge. And that's in mild weather, when they don't need heat or serious A/C.

My favorite vacation spot is 400 miles from home. If I'm lucky, I can make it on a single tank, although I'd be running on fumes when I arrived. A single fuel stop about midway is all it takes. Even with rest stops, I can make the trip in an easy 9-hour day. To do that in a Bolt EV would turn it into a 2-day trip, with a full overnight recharge (if I could find a charging station near a hotel). And I'm not sure there are any recharging stations at the other end.

Yeah but the Bolt is a piece of *expletive deleted*it, and it's sales reflect that.

Theres plenty of EVs on the market that are selling fine.

[K Frame]

In my mind, there's a published set of minimum specifications for new vehicles, and an auto manufacturer would ensure their design conforms to it.

So what happened here?  Did Tesla screw up?  Were the requirements ill defined or incomplete?

Yeah, Tesla screwed up. They missed reading Addendum 9472, sub section 12,087, paragraph 2339T-7Z, on page 13,824 of the "Manual of Government Regulations on the specifics of Manufacturing a Conveyance for the US Market."

[WLJ]

Yeah, Tesla screwed up. They missed reading Addendum 9472, sub section 12,087, paragraph 2339T-7Z, on page 13,824 of the "Manual of Government Regulations on the specifics of Manufacturing a Conveyance for the US Market."

And missed a government bureaucrat or two's palm to grease along the way

[WLJ]

Honestly I file this under Meh
Meanwhile I'm sure the Elon haters in the media will be having banner headline like "MASSIVE TESLA RECALL!" "HOW YOUR TESLA WILL KILL YOU!" "TRUMP LOVING ULTRA RIGHT WING BILLIONAIRE SUFFERS EMBARRASSMENT!"

Oh, I left out "IS THIS THE END OF TESLA?"

[230RN]

Minor correction:

And missed a government bureaucrat or two's palm to grease campaign contributions along the way

While campaign contributions can also be considered as palm-greasing, it's more genteel.