In a recent development, Tesla has issued a recall for more than 125,000 cars in the U.S. due to a software issue that affects the seat belt warning system, potentially increasing the risk of injury in a crash. This adds to the 2.5 million recalls that Tesla has already issued this year, marking a significant concern for the electric carmaker. The affected vehicles include models such as the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, manufactured between certain years as outlined in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing.
The investigation revealed that the seat belt warning system in the recalled Tesla vehicles does not provide drivers with the necessary alerts to fasten their seat belts. This includes a lack of continuous or intermittent audible signals for four seconds and a visual signal for at least 60 seconds. Despite this issue, Tesla has not reported any collisions, fatalities, or injuries related to the defect. However, the company has identified 104 potentially related warranty claims, indicating the seriousness of the issue.
To address the problem, Tesla plans to release a free over-the-air software update for the affected vehicles in June. This update will remove the dependency on the driver seat occupancy sensor from the software and only rely on the driver seat belt buckle and ignition status to activate the necessary signals. This proactive measure aims to ensure the safety of Tesla drivers and prevent any potential accidents or injuries resulting from the software issue in the seat belt warning system.
The latest recall by Tesla adds to the significant number of recalls the automaker has already issued this year, totaling 2.5 million vehicles across multiple recalls. This places Tesla as the second automaker with the highest number of car recalls in the U.S. in 2024, following Ford with over 3 million recalled vehicles. Earlier in the year, Tesla had to recall Cybertruck pickups due to defective accelerator pedals and faced recalls for issues such as small font sizes on warning panels and software problems with rearview cameras, highlighting a trend of ongoing quality control issues with the company’s vehicles.
Looking ahead, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested additional driver data from Tesla concerning its Autopilot software. This comes in light of concerns that the automaker’s previous recall in December did not fully address issues with the system, leading to identified crashes following a software update. Failure to comply with the NHTSA’s investigation into Autopilot could result in hefty fines for Tesla, emphasizing the importance of addressing safety concerns and ensuring the reliability of its vehicles and software systems in the future.
