Technology

Tesla recalls half a million cars in US over defects

Issues with camera and boot could increase risk of crashes, regulators say

Tesla is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths related to the issues with the recalled vehicles, the US regulator said. Photograph: John Thys/AFP

Dominic Rushe
Thu Dec 30 2021 - 18:13

Tesla has recalled close to half a million vehicles in the US to fix rear-view camera and boot issues that the regulators said could increase the risk of crashes.

The electric vehicle manufacturer is recalling 356,309 of its 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles to address rearview camera issues and 119,009 of its Model S vehicles due to front hood problems.

Opening and closing the boot could damage the cables attaching the rearview mirror on the Model 3, according to filings issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Model S recall relates to concerns about latches securing the vehicle's front boot, or trunk (known as the frunk).

“Unavailability of the rearview camera display may affect the driver’s rear view and increase the risk of a collision,” the NHTSA said.

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Tesla is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths related to the issues with the recalled vehicles, the NHTSA said, and the company estimates that only 1 per cent of the Model 3 vehicles will display the defect, compared to 14 per cent of the recalled Model S vehicles.

Video games

The recall is Tesla’s second run-in with NHTSA this month. The regulator announced before Christmas that it is investigating a report that Tesla vehicles allow people to play video games while driving.

The issue was reported by Tesla vehicle owner Vince Patton, a 59-year-old retired broadcast journalist, who saw a YouTube video of a Tesla owner playing a video game on his touch-screen while the vehicle was moving.

Mr Patton replicated the video in an empty community college parking lot, activating the games Sky Force Reloaded and Solitaire. “I was just dumbfounded that, yes, sure enough, this sophisticated video game came up,” said Mr Patton. “Somebody’s going to get killed,” he said. “It’s absolutely insane.”

Tesla’s share price dropped close to 2 per cent on the news. – Guardian service

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