Elon Musk’s Tesla said on Tuesday it was recalling about 2 million vehicles in the United States because the hoods could open without the driver noticing.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an unlocked hood can open completely, obstructing the driver’s view and increasing the risk of a crash.
The electric vehicle pioneer last month began offering an over-the-air software fix that detects when the bonnet is not closed, NTSA said.
The updated software detects when the bonnet is open and alerts the driver.
Tesla said it has received three reports of the issue in the U.S., but no reports of accidents or injuries related to the recall.
The 1.8 million vehicles recalled include the 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X and 2020-2024 Model Y, according to regulators.
Tesla said the vehicle’s hood latches were made in China.
The electric vehicle maker said it began investigating customer complaints in March about bonnet openings on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China.
Tesla said it has since begun recovering and inspecting the latch hardware.
Tesla said it also tested bonnet latch assemblies in Europe and North America, but had seen fewer bonnet latch incidents in those regions.
Tesla shares were down about 1% on Tuesday morning.
The recall is Tesla’s largest since December. 2.03 million US cars recalled The company required that nearly all of its vehicles on U.S. roads at the time be fitted with new safety features on their Autopilot systems.
The electric vehicle maker recalled 2.03 million vehicles in December, nearly all of its vehicles on the roads in the U.S. at the time, to upgrade its Autopilot system and add new safety features.
But after reports of 20 accidents involving vehicles equipped with the new Autopilot update, NHTSA launched an investigation, saying it had identified “several concerns” regarding the recall.
Tesla last week reported its worst quarterly profit margin in five years, highlighting the electric-vehicle maker’s struggle to revive auto sales amid slowing demand.
The company said profits were pressured by rising operating expenses for new AI projects.
The electric vehicle maker has also been cutting jobs, laying off more than 10% of its workforce in the second quarter.
Tesla said it plans to produce “new vehicles, including more affordable models” in the first half of 2025.
With post wire
