Tesla Recalls Over 125K Vehicles For Seat Belt Warning Issue

(RTTNews) - Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is recalling 125,227 cars in the U.S. due to a software and sensor issue that prevents the seat belt warning system from activating, which may potentially increase the risk of injury in a collision, according to a statement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday.

The recall involves Tesla Model S manufactured between 2012 and 2024, Tesla Model X manufactured between 2015 and 2024, Tesla Model 3 manufactured between 2017 and 2023 and Tesla Model Y manufactured between 2020 and 2023.

The vehicles are equipped with a seat belt warning system that alerts the driver that their seat belt is not fastened when the vehicle ignition is moved to the "on" or "start" position. A continuous or intermittent audible signal must activate for not less than four seconds and a visual signal must display for not less than sixty seconds.

On certain affected vehicles, an open trace in the driver seat occupancy switch may result in a loss of the audible and visual seat belt reminder signals when the driver's seat belt is not fastened after the vehicle ignition is moved to the "on" or "start" position.

Following an investigation, Tesla identified that the seat belt reminder signals did not chime or display.

Meanwhile, Tesla said it is not aware of any collisions, fatalities or injuries that may be related to the condition, but it identified 104 warranty claims that may be related to the condition.

Tesla confirmed that the affected vehicles will receive an over-the-air (OTA) software remedy, which is expected to begin deploying in June 2024 at no cost to customers.

The software remedy will remove dependency on the driver seat occupancy switch from the software logic and only rely on driver seat belt buckle and ignition status to activate the seat belt reminder signals.