Tesla to recall nearly 500,000 cars in the US due to safety issues

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Tesla is recalling nearly 500,000 cars in the US
Over 350,000 Model 3 vehicles will be recalled due to rearview camera issues
Nearly 120,000 Model S vehicles will be recalled due to issues with the front hood

Written By:Shiladitya

Updated: December 30 2021 08:35:37 AM ET Austin, TX, USA

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is recalling nearly half-a-million cars in the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Thursday.

According to the announcement, Tesla is recalling 356,309 Model 3 sedans manufactured between 2017 and 2020 to address issues with rearview cameras after a safety report by the NHTSA suggested that 1% of all Model 3 sedans could have a defective rearview camera. “The rearview camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening and closing of the trunk lid, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying,” said the US road safety regulator.

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Additionally, Tesla is also recalling 119,009 Model S vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2021 due to issues with the front hood. On December 21, the NHTSA filed a safety report citing issues with the “secondary latch” of the hood, which could mean that if the primary latch is released, the hood “may open without warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.”

Despite the aforementioned safety issues, the NHTSA noted that Tesla was not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths related to the issues cited above.

However, the announcement of the large-scale recall of the Model 3 and the Model S led to a dip in the value of Tesla shares on Thursday. While shares initially dipped 3%, they recovered to register a 1.1% decline.

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The development comes on the back of another safety issue that surfaced recently. After investigating around 580,000 Model 3, Model S, and Model X vehicles manufactured between 2017 and 2021, the NHTSA on December 22 suggested that Tesla’s Passenger Play feature could have implications for road safety. The feature, which allows passengers to play games on a touchscreen when the car is in motion, was subsequently locked by Tesla after it acknowledged that it had the potential to raise risks of accidents.