Tesla is recalling nearly all of the vehicles it has sold in the U.S. because some warning lights on the instrument panel are too small.

The recall of nearly 2.2 million vehicles announced Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a sign of stepped-up scrutiny of the electric vehicle maker. The agency also said it has upgraded a 2023 investigation into Tesla steering problems to an engineering analysis, a step closer to a recall.

Documents posted Friday by the agency say the warning light recall will be done with an online software update. It covers the 2012 through 2023 Model S, the 2016 through 2023 Model X, the 2017 through 2023 Model 3, the 2019 through 2024 Model Y and the 2024 Cybertruck.

The agency says that the brake, park and antilock brake warning lights have a smaller font size than required by federal safety standards. That can make critical safety information hard to read, increasing the risk of a crash.

  • Wooster@startrek.website
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    10 months ago

    … I really dislike how headlines are designed, not to inform, but even to the opposite in the name of drawing clicks. I realize this isn’t on you, but more the AP, but still.

    TL;DR The warning light FONT is too small.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      It’s a good idea though. There’s a lot of info on that screen and it would definitely help usability by highlighting important info better.

      Personally I’m most frustrated by battery percent and clock being too small, although maybe those aren’t important info. I’ve only gone on one road trip in a Tesla and it was tough keeping an eye on the predicted final battery level. I don’t know if I need to do something to get it to recommend charging, or if it just wasn’t close enough to matter - it’s a new car so I can’t trust predictions until I see how they work for me

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        A few days old, but the predicted amount left when you put in a navigation is usually pretty accurate. It’ll automatically navigate you to a supercharger if you need it when you put the Destination in and I think there are settings about make sure I don’t go below X% or arrive below Y% that’s from a better route planner, not tesla.

        As long as you don’t have a lead foot and stay close to the speed limit and the weather is reasonable, it’ll be good. I can’t speak to ultra cold personally though.

        It’s never been off for me by more than 2% and that’s in both directions, sometimes up to 2 less and sometimes up to 2 more.

        The nerve racking part is when you have a giant mountain near the end of a trip and you see the range plummeting, but then you hit the peak and go downhill without using any battery for the next 15km. I still get uneasy on that if I’m low.

        Also if you did have a lead foot and can’t make it anymore, I’ve had it warn me to slow down or find a charger once.

          • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            Hey, so I thought I’d be nice and actually find it, but I was wrong, I was thinking of a better route planner which is a 3rd party app.

            Sorry about that.

            I think the best you can do in car is watch the arrival % of next destination while charging