Tesla said Wednesday it was recalling about 9,100 Model X sport utility vehicles in the United States because of a problem with roof trim that could detach, marking the second time since 2020 that the car has been recalled for such an issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said cosmetic trim parts on the front and center roof were glued on without a primer and could peel off from the vehicle, creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall affects 2016 Model X SUVs. The electric car maker said it made process changes at its suppliers in July 2016 to prevent the problem in later models.
The company, founded by Elon Musk, will test the adhesion of roof trim and, if necessary, reinstall the trim pieces at no cost to vehicle owners.
Tesla is investigating reports of problems with recalled vehicles since 2022 and is conducting degradation tests, including heat and humidity, the company said on Wednesday.
The company concluded that its 2020 recall measures were not strong enough to detect decorative roof trim parts that could peel off due to a lack of primer.
Tesla said it is aware of approximately 170 reports and claims that may be related to the issue, but has not received any reports of crashes or injuries related to the recall issue.
It’s a rare physical recall for the Austin, Texas-based automaker, which typically fixes issues through over-the-air software updates.
Tesla recalled about 2.6 million vehicles over safety concerns in the first half of this year, second only to Ford Motor Co, which recalled about 3.6 million vehicles in the U.S., according to Bizzycar, a company that develops a recall management platform.
In June, Tesla announced a recall of its newest model, the Cybertruck, marking the fourth time the company has had to recall a large portion of the vehicle.
