Safety inspectors have reported that Tesla is recalling more than 120,000 of its cars because unlocked doors have the potential to open during a crash, raising the risk of harm.
Some 2021–2023 Model S and X cars in the US are impacted by the flaw, as per a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report.
Tesla stated that it discovered the fault for the first time on December 6 during a normal crash test and that it is not aware of any injuries or claims brought on by the issue.
For cars impacted by the safety issue, the manufacturer has made available an over-the-air (OTA) software update. By February 17, 2024, notification letters are anticipated to be mailed to the owners of such vehicles.
Additionally, owners can call 1-877-798-3752 to reach Tesla customer assistance. SB-23-00-009 is Tesla’s recall number.
Autopilot dangers
Tesla limited the usage of its Autopilot system on almost all of its 2 million US vehicles just last week. Following a two-year investigation by US safety officials into almost 1,000 crashes when the feature was activated, the recall was issued.
With the “Autosteer” feature of the Autopilot on, Tesla released an over-the-air update that increases the number of alerts that drivers receive when they are not looking at the road. According to an NHTSA statement, the alerts will serve as a reminder to drivers to maintain their hands on the wheel and pay attention to the road.
The benefit of autopilot
Despite behind in sales to rivals like Ford and Toyota, Tesla (TSLA) is by far the most valuable automaker in the world with a market valuation of over $791 billion.
This price is mostly predicated on sales forecasts for the future, exclusive Tesla software, and the company’s AI development. However, recent recalls could put Tesla’s leadership in jeopardy.
“In the long term, I think, has the potential to make Tesla the most valuable company in the world by far,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in October on a call with Wall Street analysts. “If you have fully autonomous cars at scale and fully autonomous humanoid robots that are truly useful, it’s not clear what the limit is.”