
Tesla is recalling a little more than 24,000 US 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles over a seat belt issue. The Austin-based electric vehicle company said the second-row left seat belt buckle and second-row center seat belt anchor may have been incorrectly reassembled during vehicle service.
It informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that there were reports of 105 service repairs, including warranty claims, for US vehicles that were or might be related to the recall issue.
Meanwhile, earlier reports suggest that Tesla is under criminal investigation in the United States over claims that the company's electric vehicles can drive themselves.
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The US Department of Justice launched the probe last year following more than a dozen crashes, some of which were fatal. The probe involving Tesla’s driver assistance system Autopilot,was never previously disclosed.
Tesla’s marketing materials had touted the vehicle's Autopilot capabilities as early as 2016. On a conference call that year, Elon Musk, the chief executive, described it as “probably better” than a human driver.
Last week, Musk said on another call Tesla would soon release an upgraded version of “Full Self-Driving” software allowing customers to travel “to your work, your friend’s house, to the grocery store without you touching the wheel.”
A video on its website says “The person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself.” However, the company has additionally also explicitly warned drivers that they must keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of their vehicles while using Autopilot.
(With inputs from agencies)