I think what makes it a recall is that the NHTSA points out a fault and requires the manufacturer to fix it. It just happens that Tesla has the ability to use OTA updates. So not sure there is a difference in severity just because a fix is software.
But it does raise the question for me if it’s a simple software fix why did Tesla wait for the NHTSA? Don’t they have tons of live diagnostic data from their cars?
And it still breaks a box office record