GM’s Cruise Recalls Self-Driving Software After Crash

General Motors is under fire after an accident involving one of its self-driving cars.

The company scrambled to update its autonomous driving software after the crash in San Francisco, which left two people injured. Cruise recalled some 80 vehicles for software fixes, Reuters reports.

The defective software could cause the cars to “incorrectly predict” the path of oncoming traffic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found.

The federal regulator has “stepped up” its scrutiny of self-driving cars, David Shepardson writes for Reuters. NHTSA last year “directed all automakers and tech companies to promptly report crashes involving self-driving vehicles.”

Cruise defended its tech in a statement to Reuters, saying that the software was quickly updated. 

The recall "does not impact or change our current on-road operations," Cruise told Reuters. "Cruise AVs are even better equipped to prevent this singular, exceptional event," it added.

The company is planning to roll out a fleet of robotaxis in San Francisco early next year, pending regulatory approval. GM reportedly expects to spend $2 billion on autonomous driving tech this year alone.

Cruise reported a $325 million dollar loss in the first quarter of this year, up from a $229 million loss in the first three months a year earlier.

California Car Owners: Know Your Rights

The recall is a step back for Cruise and yet another cause for concern when it comes to autonomous driving and safety. It is far from the only recall that drivers, passengers and others on the road should know about.

The sad fact is that GM and other car manufacturers recall millions of vehicles every year, citing a broad variety of defects that increase the risk of accidents and injuries. The recalls are often announced long after the cars have left factories and dealership lots, sold to completely unsuspecting buyers.

Last year, for instance, GM recalled some 15,000 cars over a fuel pump defect that the company said could cause cars to stall unexpectedly. GM more recently called back approximately 95,000 sport utility vehicles over a defect that could cause their seatbelts to become inoperable.

There is some good news for car owners and lessors in the Golden State.

The California lemon law requires automakers to perform a full slate of repairs on vehicles that are under warranty. The law also requires the companies to buy back or replace cars that they cannot or flat out refuse to fix. That includes covering the car’s purchase price, along with financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

There is no specific number of repair requests or attempts that must happen before the buyback or replace requirement kicks in.

How Our Lawyers Can Help You

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle or are haggling with a car manufacturer over repairs, the California lemon lawyers at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with an attorney at our firm.