Tesla to recall about half a million cars in US

Electric vehicle maker issues recall over defects in camera system and boot

The Tesla Model X. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

The regenerative braking, which can be set to standard or low, has the triple effect that when you ease off the accelerator, it slows the car automatically while extending the range (which can be up to 500 kilometres in total) and brake life.

The all-wheel-drive X has other suitably boastful feathers in its cap, including its panoramic windscreen, which curves up into its roof to create something of an observatory to the outside world, also opening up the vistas for rear-seat passengers. It is, Tesla says, the biggest windscreen of its type in production.

The battery’s positioning, beneath the X’s floor, gives 50:50 weight distribution that Tesla claims makes it incredibly stable and almost immune to rollovers. Should the worst happen, though, crash tests have shown that the X will be one of the safest vehicles in its category, with collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking.

With the X’s added elements from its more-futuristic, full-aluminium design (dramatic falcon-wing doors and all) through to its capacity to carry seven full-sized adults, it’s arguably an even more capable car than the S.

Access to the rear seating is painless thanks to those unfurling falcon-wing doors, which can be automatically operated via the car’s Tesla-shaped key fob.

Tesla has recalled more than 475,000 of its electric vehicles to address camera system and boot issues that increase the risk of a crash, a US road safety regulator said on Thursday.

The model years affected by the recall range from 2014 to 2021 and the total number of recalled vehicles is almost equivalent to the half a million vehicles Tesla delivered last year.

The US electric vehicle manufacturer is recalling 356,309 of its 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles to address rear-view camera issues and 119,009 Model S vehicles for front-located boot problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.

For Model 3 sedans, “the rear-view camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening and closing of the [boot] lid, preventing the rear-view camera image from displaying,” the NHTSA said.

Tesla identified 2,301 warranty claims and 601 field reports on the issue in US vehicles.

For Model S vehicles, latch problems may lead the front boot to open “without warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash”, Tesla said.

Tesla said it was not aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths related to the issues cited in the recall of Model 3 and Model S cars, the NHTSA said.

The electric car maker has been bedevilled by recalls this year.

In February, Tesla recalled 135,000 Model X and S vehicles because of faulty touchscreens, Engadget reported.

A further 12,300 Model X cars were recalled that same month because of loose trim panels, and in June the company recalled 6,000 Model and Ys over defective calliper bolts.

Last month, Tesla recalled 12,000 vehicles because of software issues.

The NHTSA has also opened an investigation into a report that Tesla's touchscreens allow users to play video games while driving. The investigation covers about 580,000 Tesla cars.

The agency says Tesla's “Passenger Play” feature could distract drivers and increase the risk of a collision.

Tesla has since locked the feature while the cars are in motion.

Reuters contributed to this report