Tesla Recalls 48,184 Model 3s and 1, Yes 1, Model X

AutoInformed.com on Tesla Model 3 recalls

Non-safety in numbers?

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling more than 48,000 2018-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The unit of speed (mph or km/h) may fail to display on the speedometer while in Track Mode. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, “Control and Displays.” Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla’s number for this recall is SB-22-00-008. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

In yet another safety recall, Tesla is buying back one 2022 Model X vehicle. A body structure reinforcement bracket was not installed at the second-row seat. As such, this vehicle fails to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 207, “Seating Systems” and 210, “Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages.” Tesla will replace the vehicle, free of charge. An owner notification letter is expected to be mailed June 6, 2022.

The subject population  for the larger recall includes model year 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance vehicles with Track Mode, running firmware releases 2021.44.25 or later until 2022.12 as of April 14, 2022. Affected vehicles were identified based on vehicle manufacturing, configuration and firmware release records. When using Track Mode, which is designed to increase vehicle driving performance on closed circuit courses, the user interface (“UI”) on affected vehicles displays vehicle speed but not a unit of speed (i.e., mph or km/h).

FMVSS 101, S5.2, requires a unit of speed to be displayed. Because Track Mode may be used outside of closed-circuit courses, affected vehicles do not comply with FMVSS 101. Lack of a speed unit when using Track Mode may not adequately inform the driver of vehicle speed, which may increase the risk of a collision. Tesla is not aware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition.

Chronology

  • Beginning on December 23, 2021, Tesla began deploying firmware release 2021.44.25 over-the-air (“OTA”) to affected vehicles. Unintentionally, the release removed the speed unit from the user interface (“UI”) when using Track Mode.
  • On March 18, 2022, a Tesla test team identified the removal of the speed unit and escalated it for reintroduction.
  • On April 3, 2022, as part of the escalation, Homologation identified the removal as a potential noncompliance.
  • Between April 3, 2022, and April 8, Tesla reviewed this condition, root cause, the scope of affected vehicles, and applicable regulations in affected markets.
  • On April 11, 2022, a recall determination was made.
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