Tesla is recalling 125,227 electric vehicles in the United States after identifying a software issue that can prevent the seat belt warning light and chime from activating when the driver is unbuckled.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday that the recalled vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards, which require clear warnings when drivers are not wearing seat belts.
The recall impacts certain Model S sedans from 2012-2024, Model X SUVs from 2015-2024, Model 3 cars from 2017-2023, and Model Y SUVs from the 2020-2023 model years.
Rather than having owners bring their Teslas to service centers, the company plans to deploy an over-the-air software update starting in June to address the seat belt warning glitch.
According to the NHTSA, the remedy will modify the vehicles’ software to remove its current dependency on the driver’s seat occupancy sensor. Instead, it will rely solely on detecting whether the driver’s seat belt is buckled and if the vehicle is in motion to trigger the warning signals.
The recall represents yet another setback for Tesla when it comes to addressing safety deficiencies identified by federal regulators. Just last month, the NHTSA launched an investigation into whether the company’s recall of over 2 million vehicles in December to install Autopilot safeguards was adequate following a spate of crashes.
Tesla was also forced to recall around 200,000 Model S, X and Y vehicles in January due to a separate software issue that could obstruct the rearview camera display while reversing.
The electric vehicle maker also recalled nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks in April to fix an accelerator pedal issue that created risk of the pedal becoming lodged.
The latest Telsa recall highlights the company’s continued challenges ensuring its technology meets all federal safety requirements before vehicles roll off assembly lines.
The seat belt warning recall comes at an inopportune time, with Tesla under intensifying scrutiny over its semi-autonomous Autopilot system and chief Elon Musk focused on his Twitter ownership drama.
Addressing vehicle safety deficiencies remains paramount as Tesla aims to maintain public confidence in its pioneering electric vehicle technology amidst mounting regulatory concerns.