In a bit of a surprise move, Tesla has recalled nearly half a million cars sold in the past few years. Affected models include all Model 3 units sold between 2017 and 2020, as well as select Model S cars. This voluntary recall has been announced due to engineering issues related to the attachment of rearview cameras as well as the incorrect latching of the front trunk, which can potentially result in a crash, in the worst case.
The affected units include 356,309 and 119,009 Model 3 and Model S cars, respectively. For the former, Tesla believes that opening and closing of the trunk can cause the rearview camera to fail as it causes wear and tear in the cable that is used to attach the camera. To rectify this flaw, Tesla has promised to install a new cable harness and a guide protector free of charge for recalled units.
On the other hand, the Model S issue is potentially life-threatening. In these vehicles, the front hood may not correctly latch and suddenly open, blocking the driver"s view and resulting in an accident, in the worst case. However, Tesla says that owners of affected models can simply head over to a service center and have their front trunk latches realigned free of charge.
If any customer has already got either of these problems fixed prior to this recall, they are entitled to a reimbursement.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has noted that "Tesla is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths" related to both these issues. The company has already been under scrutiny for road safety matters recently, and was forced to push out an update to stop video games from being played on its hardware while its car is in motion.
Via: The Verge