Boombox Boo Boo: Tesla Vehicles Recalled Over Warning Sound Issue
It turns out that NHTSA isn't keen on playing weird sounds outside your car while it's moving.
Looks like the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has gotten wind that the Boombox feature on the 2020 and up Tesla Model S, X, Y, and 2017 and up Model 3 could be used while the vehicle is in motion. That's a big no-no, as that could interfere with the pedestrian warning system required on EVs per Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 141. This also means that more than 500,000 vehicles from Tesla are being in cooperation with NHTSA.
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Pedestrian Warning System Requirements
What is FMVSS 141 and what does it require to act and operate as a pedestrian warning system? Since April 27, 2018, the FMVSS has required automakers of EV and hybrid vehicles to make sounds as a way to warn pedestrians that a vehicle is approaching. This rule was required per the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, so this rule has been long in the making. It requires that hybrid and EVs "emit sound at minimum levels while the vehicle is stationary (although not when the vehicle is parked, i.e., when the transmission is in "park"), while in reverse, and while the vehicle is in forward motion up to 30 km/h (19 mph)." Testing is done outdoors to ensure that the noise is sufficiently loud enough to be heard over ambient noise by a minimum of 4 dB(A).
So What's Wrong With the Boombox Feature?
You'd think that something that made any noise would be compliant, based on what we briefly described of FMVSS 141. Even the NHTSA says that the Boombox feature would be loud enough, but explains that "a vehicle that uses Boombox when in motion may cause the PWS to be noncompliant with FMVSS 141, which could increase the risk of a collision." There are exact sounds that must be made per that rule, and those sounds are not allowed to be modified. The other issue is that, even if the Boombox and pedestrian warning system were truly independent of each other, the fact that you can play the Boombox while the vehicle is in motion is also a violation of FMVSS 141.
How Long Did They Know?
While Boombox was made available to Tesla Customers in an Over The Air (OTA) update around Christmas time of 2020, the NHTSA became concerned about it around January 15, 2021 and addressed a letter to Tesla. From February on, Tesla and the NHTSA went back and forth on it until January 29, 2022 when Tesla finally decided to do a voluntary recall via an OTA update that will be free of charge to Tesla owners. Unsold Teslas will not be allowed to be sold unless that OTA update is performed on them.
Is Boombox Gone?
Fortunately for Tesla owners, the Boombox feature is not being removed. However, it's being disabled while the vehicle is in Drive, Reverse, and Neutral. While in Park, you can continue to enjoy your custom sounds outside of your Tesla—whatever those sounds may be.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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