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Comment by diebeforei485 | Hacker News Reader

Are these delivered directly to the device and installed overnight automatically (like an iPhone iOS update) or do they have to be hooked up to a computer to install the software update?

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Recall is the word we use when a defect was found and must be repaired or retrofit. The actual process of repair could involve customer action or not.

Teslas are basically digitally tethered to the dealer, so they can be "recalled" anytime (without your approval, fwiw), but it doesn't make the word not apply.

If Tesla replaced the actual computer that runs the software that they're recalling, would you consider that a recall? What if there was no actual physical fault with the computer, but it just had firmware flashed to a chip that couldn't be reflashed?

I'm looking at a piece of mail right now that's an official recall notice for a different make/model of car I own. The issue? Improperly adjusted steering components. The company is offering to make the correct adjustments for free. Nothing is being replaced.

Whether the recall is to replace a poorly designed physical component, or to make an adjustment, or to apply a software update doesn't make a difference to regulators.

A recall is a legal process that's designed to encourage manufacturers to fix safety issues while also limiting their liability. Companies avoid recalls if they can because it's costly, time consuming, and isn't good PR. But it's worth it if the issue is bad enough that it risks a class action lawsuit, or individual lawsuits, and most desirable when someone like the US government is demanding a recall or risk legal consequences.

When a company issues a recall, they make their best effort to notify consumers of the issue, provide with clear descriptions of how consumers can have the issue fixed, and make it clear that it will be paid for by the manufacturer. In return, the manufacturer is granted legal protections that drop their risk of being sued to nearly zero.

> If Tesla replaced the actual computer that runs the software that they're recalling, would you consider that a recall?

Yeah, it requires physically taking the car to a mechanic or dealer who does this. Very different from using the software update button on the car touchscreen.

> Improperly adjusted steering components. The company is offering to make the correct adjustments for free. Nothing is being replaced.

This is clearly a recall, because it requires taking the vehicle to a mechanic or dealer.

> it requires taking the vehicle to a mechanic or dealer.

Nope.

If you insist on believing this, I'd recommend reading the document found here:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/14218-...

How exactly are the steering adjustments done? I figure a handful of car owners might have the skills and tools to work on the steering column themselves, but that's not at all the average car owner.

Can the average car owner adhere a sticker to the underside of their hood? Or read a paragraph that corrects a mistake in the user manual? Or read a few sentences that say "it is possible that in extremely cold environments that the emergency brake release lever can require more effort to operate. This does not indicate a faulty emergency brake. Applying more force than usual will not harm the emergency brake system", followed up with diagrams describing the issue, along with toll free phone numbers offering assistance, as well as phone numbers for the NHTSA, the authority coordinating the recall. No part of the official recall notice instructs consumers to replace or even repair anything.

Again, the nature of the issue a recall addresses is wholly independent of how that issue is remedied. Why? Because a recall is a legal process that, by design, is meant to accomplish one thing: motivating a company to correct an issue that the governing authority considered important enough to correct.

If you choose to believe otherwise, I doubt it matters in the grand scheme of things.

Depends on the device. Some require connection to a host system, some can be done over the air. 100% depends on the security profile of the device in question and what the FDA allows.

I've primarily worked with Software as a Medical Device, so recalls generally involve a config tweak, upgrade, or downgrade.

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