The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Friday that Tesla is recalling 125,227 vehicles in the United States due to a defect in its seat belt warning system. This malfunction poses an increased risk of injury in the event of a collision as the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate when the driver is unbelted, failing to meet federal safety requirements.
The recall impacts specific models, including certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. Tesla plans to address the issue through an over-the-air software update, set to begin deployment in June.
The remedy involves modifying the software to eliminate reliance on the driver seat occupancy sensor, instead activating the seat belt reminder signals based solely on the driver seat belt buckle and ignition status, according to the NHTSA.
This recall follows Tesla’s previous recalls in January and April, involving software malfunctions affecting visibility during reversing and a loose accelerator pedal pad, respectively.
Moreover, US auto safety regulators are investigating the adequacy of Tesla’s recall announced in December, involving over 2 million vehicles, aimed at installing new Autopilot safeguards, following a series of crashes.
