- Tesla launched a recall campaign for Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X cars for a potential issue with the window automatic reversal system.
- The system may not properly react when detecting an obstruction, running the risk of pinching people’s fingers and running afoul of federal motor vehicle safety standards.
- The issue affects 1,096,762 vehicles made since 2017.
- Tesla will address the issue through an over-the-air (OTA) update.
According to recent documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla issued a new recall covering 1.1 million vehicles built since 2017. The report states that the cars’ window automatic reversal system may not operate properly when detecting an obstruction. The resulting malfunction could pinch people’s fingers with too much force before the window rolls back down, creating a safety issue that fails to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 118 for “Power-Operated Window Systems.”
In total, the recall campaign covers 1,096,762 vehicles.
The issue affects the following models:
- 2017 – 2022 Tesla Model 3
- 2020 – 2021 Tesla Model Y
- 2021 – 2022 Tesla Model S and Model X
Tesla notified its service centers on Wednesday, September 21. It will notify owners by mail around November 15, according to the automaker’s safety recall report with the NHTSA.
To remedy the problem, Tesla will send out an over-the-air update to affected cars. Vehicles built after September 13, 2022 already have the necessary software from the factory, and are not included in this recall campaign.
“During conformity of production testing conducted from August 19, 2022, through August 23, 2022, Tesla technicians identified window automatic reversal system performance that had greater than expected variations in response to pinch detection,” the report noted. The automaker validated and analyzed test results in early September, and subsequently decided to issue a voluntary recall and alert regulators of the noncompliance to federal standards.
As of September 16, Tesla says it is not aware of any warranty claims or injuries related to the issue.
How you can find out more information
The recall acknowledgement and defect report are available to the public through the NHTSA’s website. As the company plans an over-the-air update, you should not have to take any action. Provided your car is able to connect to the Internet, it should receive the free update when it’s available.
However, should you want to find out more information, you can contact Tesla’s customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Alternatively, you can contact your local Tesla service center with the recall number SB-22-00-013. For this and other campaigns, Tesla’s VIN recall search website will tell you if your specific car is affected.
The NHTSA’s number for this recall is 22V-702. Apart from going to the agency’s website, you can always contact its vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) for more details.
