Tesla to recall 125,227 vehicles over faulty seat belt warning system
Tesla Model X (Photo: Tunde Abati on Unsplash)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that Tesla is recalling 125,227 vehicles in the United States due to a flaw in its seat belt warning system, which poses an increased risk of injury in the event of a collision.
According to the regulator, these vehicles do not meet federal safety requirements, as their seat belt warning light and audible chime may fail to activate when the driver is not wearing a seat belt. The affected models include certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles.
To address the issue, Tesla plans to deploy an over-the-air software update, beginning in June. The update will modify the software to eliminate reliance on the driver seat occupancy sensor and instead activate the seat belt reminder signals based solely on the status of the driver seat belt buckle and ignition, as outlined by the NHTSA.
This isn't Tesla's first recent recall. In January, the company recalled 200,000 Model S, X, and Y vehicles in the US due to a software glitch that could obstruct drivers' visibility while reversing. Additionally, in April, 3,878 Cybertrucks were recalled to address an issue with the accelerator pedal pad potentially detaching and becoming lodged in the interior trim.
Furthermore, US auto safety regulators have initiated an investigation into the adequacy of Tesla's recall of more than 2 million vehicles announced in December. The investigation aims to assess whether the measures taken to install new Autopilot safeguards following a series of crashes were sufficient.
(with inputs from Reuters)
