Tesla Ordered to Recall a Million US Cars Over Window Fault
Tesla has been ordered to recall more than on million cars in the US as safety regulators fear passenger fingers could be trapped in vehicle windows.
The BBC reports that documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the fault that sees electric windows closing too quickly without being able to detect an obstruction is a safety-standards violation. The largest electric-only vehicle manufacturer has endured several investigations by federal safety regulators, whom Tesla’s owner, Elon Musk, derides as “the fun police”.
This the carmaker’s latest recall covers all four Tesla models, specifically 2017-22 Model 3 sedans and some 2020-21 Model Y SUVs (sports utility vehicles), Model S sedans and Model X SUVs. Tesla discovered the problem with the automatic windows during production testing in August. Owners will be notified by letter, from 15 November.
Released company documents claim vehicles made after 13 September already have the updated software needed to remedy the issue. Tesla said it was not aware of any warranty claims, crashes, injuries, or deaths related to the recall.
Previous recalls for faults involving the manufacturer’s vehicles have included rear-view cameras, bonnet latches, seat-belt reminders and sound-system software. The carmaker now claims a software update will fix the latest problem.
Musk hit out on Twitter after the news broke, saying: “The terminology is outdated and inaccurate. This is a tiny over-the-air software update. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no injuries.” Yet both the NHTSA and Tesla, in documents made public on, referred to the campaign as a recall.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
Can’t your fingers get stuck under the fast moving wheels? Just sayin’.
I suspect only a Tesla-zealot would suggest the chances of a passenger hanging out of a speeding car to trap fingers in the wheels is similar to getting fingers stuck in a faulty electric window? Hey, ho, but then quite a few have thought Autopilot does what the name suggests, with disastrous results…