- Tesla is addressing a recall issued last month to some cars equipped with Full Self Driving, or FSD.
- The update also merges Autopilot and FSD for more seamless trips.
A handful of Tesla drivers have taken to social media this week to show off the latest update to Tesla's driver assist software, known as "Full Self Driving" (FSD).
The update comes with a variety of new features, including a merging of FSD and Tesla's Autopilot highway driver assist software. It is also the first update to FSD since federal regulators issued a recall in February related to the feature, warning 362,758 cars equipped with FSD in North America could cause a crash.
This week's update is also designed to address NHTSA's recall, according to text from the update posted to a Tesla blog that crowdsources from owners. The updated FSD software is supposed to improve the car's decision-making at intersections and stoplights, deliver smoother stops at stop signs, adjust better for speed limit changes, and improve recognition for when the vehicle needs to exit a turn lane in order to keep driving straight.
The recall-addressing update appears to be rolling out gradually this week. At the time of the recall, NHTSA said drivers would be notified of the update by April 15.
Tesla's driver assist features are under investigation
Tesla's Autopilot driver assist software has drawn the scrutiny of regulators for several years. The company is currently under criminal investigation over its claims that Teslas can drive themselves.
NHTSA is investigating Tesla Autopilot's involvement in several crashes. And Tesla's "phantom braking" problem, also under investigation, reportedly caused an eight-car pileup in the San Francisco Bay Area late last year.
FSD one-ups Autopilot by activating on surface roads and not just highways. Tesla owners with the FSD Beta software have been told they can hand over control of their vehicle to the "self-driving" software and allow the vehicle to complete full trips on its own.
FSD was first released to select drivers in 2020, and was more widely released in November last year. It is now equipped to some 400,000 cars, according to Tesla.
Are you a Tesla owner using the FSD software? Reach out to this reporter to share your experience at nnaughton@insider.com