Tesla has issued a recall for approximately 500,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to address an Autopilot software issue that may cause the car to brake unexpectedly at highway speeds.

The Problem

NHTSA received 340 complaints about "phantom braking" — the vehicle suddenly decelerating without a visible obstacle. The issue occurs primarily on highways when driving under overpasses or past roadside signs that the system misidentifies as obstacles.

Affected Vehicles

The Fix

Tesla will deploy an over-the-air software update — no dealer visit required. The update improves the neural network's object classification to better distinguish between real obstacles and overhead structures.

Owners should ensure their vehicles are connected to Wi-Fi to receive the update automatically. In the meantime, Tesla advises maintaining awareness when using Autopilot and keeping hands on the wheel at all times.