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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a investigation in a Lucid Motors windshield defroster recall from January, saying it was “concerned” that the company’s over-the-air update solution didn’t go far enough to resolve the problem. Lucid, meanwhile, told TechCrunch that the agency is “underestimating the proposed remedy.”
The survey comes as some automakers increasingly rely on software updates to fix problems that would normally require a visit to a dealership or service center. Even if the investigation does not present as high stakes as, for example, the one that the agency opened on the account of Tesla problems with its Autopilot driving assistance systemThis shows that NHTSA is paying close attention to what automakers think over-the-air updates should – and should not – be used for.
The recall affects 2,042 Lucid Air sedans built with a high-voltage coolant heater from supplier Webasto AG that, in the event of a failure, removes the ability to defrost the windshield. Lucid’s solution for the recall was to send an over-the-air update that could identify which cars had the part and reactively notify the driver in the event of a fault.
NHTSA Office of Defect Investigation Now said he is “concerned that by only informing drivers that their windshield defroster is not working, Lucid is putting the driver in a situation where they could experience a breakdown during the same driving cycle that they receive the notification”. This could hypothetically lead to drivers discovering that the feature isn’t available at the time they need to defrost their windshield, meaning they also wouldn’t be able to request a free replacement part before a breakdown.
The agency notes that Jaguar Land Rover took a more proactive approach with its electric SUV, the I-Pace, which briefly used this same Webasto heater. Jaguar announcement in 2023, it would alert the 668 affected owners and replace the part free of charge.
Lucid, however, presents its approach as innovative. The company said the over-the-air update introduced a “diagnostic software feature” that actively monitors radiator faults, and that it “intends to demonstrate that the analysis behind this approach is solid and that customer safety is ensured.” The company also said it is alerting all affected homeowners electronically and by mail, so they are not notified after an outage, as NHTSA suggests.
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