March 27, 2026
TLDR: Software-related recalls now account for roughly a third of all recalled vehicles. In March 2026 alone, Ford’s camera processor crashed in traffic, NHTSA escalated a probe into Tesla’s FSD that could become the largest software recall in automotive history, and a Hyundai seat sensor failed to detect a child. The pattern is structural and accelerating.
The Camera That Couldn’t Keep Up
A Ford Explorer is driving through rush hour on I-75. The traffic is heavy, exactly the kind of stop-and-go congestion where advanced driver assistance systems earn their keep. Dozens of vehicles ahead, beside, behind. Lane markings, brake lights, pedestrians at an exit ramp. The car’s Image Processing Module A is tracking all of it.
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