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Comment by 2OEH8eoCRo0 | Hacker News Reader

The NHTSA calls it a recall.

PDF warning: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCLRPT-23V838-8276.PDF

But that's now how most people view a recall. That's the point. It's clearly a move meant to drive clicks. A news source could write, a "software patch to fix blabla was sent out" but they instead opt for the more alarming language that has its roots in physical units of x item returning to a service center for service.

They are using the very factual and context appropriate term that the agency responsible for issuing these orders is using.

The reason for this is that the OTA update is a _convenience_. If the OTA update fails or causes other issues Tesla is still required to bring the cars in and fix them as required and cannot attempt to treat related, associated, or casual errors and issues differently.

You're confusing agencies allowing this to happen as a luxury instead of understanding the teeth behind the policy.

Using the proper definitions of the words is now considered a move meant to drive clicks. Very interesting take.

More that the authors are conveniently getting tons more clicks by making no attempt to denote the low-impact of the recall when it's obvious that 95-99% of the population will only see the headline or will associate it with "like when Toyota's accelerator pedals were getting stuck".

I should probably complain loudly too, then, considering "Audi vehicles recalled" was an article title when mine had a recall for "passenger side camera may get foggy in cold weather".

Or when Lincoln sent me two pieces of paper "to be inserted into your owner's manual" as another safety recall.

The word, "recall", has a myriad of definitions. In this particular use of the word, it has a historical basis in physical vehicle recalls to the service center. That an agency has since decided it also applies to OTA patches does not change this fact or how it is perceived by people at large.

It sounds like you should be upset at the agency and not the fact based reporting.

Are you OK with Tesla calling stuff auto pilot or Full Self Driving even if it is not a real auto pilot not a real full self driving ? For consistency with your argument I suspect we agree it should be called lane assist and SSD Sometime Self Driving.

Previous vehicles were recalled to the dealership for software updates. Is this sensationalism? It's "just" a software update after all, no need to scare consumers.

> But that's now how most people view a recall.

Heh. Ironic. I remember (recall?) the good old argument used for calling something "Autopilot"...

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