Tesla was forced to reimburse the owner for problems with the autopilot
The car is unreliable in detecting or recognizing road obstacles and suffers from the phantom brake problem.
A German court has ordered Tesla to pay a customer most of the $114,600 purchase price of its Model X over problems with the Autopilot Driver Assistant feature.
The judge at the Munich I District Court followed the analysis of the car in the special commission’s report, which found that it was unreliable in identifying or recognizing roadblocks – particularly the narrowing of the road in the building zone – and suffered from problems with phantom brakes, where the brakes are activated unnecessarily.
The German report described sudden braking as a “significant risk” in city traffic and said it could cause a rear-end collision.
According to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, which reported on the court ruling, Tesla’s lawyers claim that Autopilot was not intended for use in urban traffic. But the court rejected this argument, saying that Tesla drivers could not be expected to have to manually turn the part on and off depending on the driving scenario, as it could be distracting. The Munich ruling could set a tough precedent for Tesla, coming after months of further scrutiny of Autopilot, with much of the debate centered on the potential of Tesla’s top drivers. believe it.
It is classified as a Level 2 automated system by the Society of Automotive Engineers, meaning that human drivers must direct traffic at all times. Autopilot is now standard on all Teslas, while more advanced technology in the form of Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving is on sale.
Despite the potentially confusing branding, Tesla’s website states: “Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving Capability are intended for use by a full-fledged driver with their hands on the wheel. And ready to be replaced at any hour. While these features are designed to become more efficient, current powered parts do not create autonomy.
However, especially in the United States, concerns about technology and its use are growing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is intensifying its investigation into numerous collisions involving Tesla operating Autopilot and stopping Autopilot by first responders for on- and off-road emergencies. Nearly 830,000 Tesla cars built between 2014 and 2021 could be ordered and recalled during the review.
In addition, the agency is investigating a number of fatal crashes involving Tesla-equipped Autopilots.
And German concerns about potential phantom braking are echoed in the US, where more than 750 owners are complaining about the problem. NHTSA has written to Tesla to request information about the issue.