Tesla is once again recalling nearly 2.2 million vehicles, the NHTSA announced Friday.
After updating its software to address concerns over the Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system, Tesla started a new recall campaign to fix their cars’ warning lights being too small.
According to the official report, affected vehicles have visual warning indicators with font that is too small to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Specifically, the letter font size for the brake, part and anti-lock brake system (ABS) lights is smaller than 3.2 millimeters (or 1/8 of an inch), as federal law mandates should be the case. The smaller font makes critical information difficult to read, and could increase the risk of a crash.
This recall impacts 2,193,869 vehicles in total, including the following models:
- 2012-2023 Tesla Model S
- 2016-2023 Tesla Model X
- 2017-2023 Tesla Model 3
- 2019-2024 Tesla Model Y
- 2024 Tesla Cybertruck
To address the technical issue, Tesla is already rolling out an over-the-air update. The company is still required by law to notify owners of the problem, and will do so starting March 30.
The NHTSA says it discovered the font size issue with Tesla’s warning lights as part of a safety compliance audit involving a 2023 Tesla model Y on January 8. Tesla, for its part, identified three warranty claims related to the warning light font being too small, but no accidents, injuries or deaths due to the condition, but issued a voluntary recall anyway.
Tesla currently faces scrutiny over other safety related issues, as well, including its Autopilot system and steering issues when drivers have manual control. The company tried to address Autopilot concerns through a recall in December, while the NHTSA upgraded a probe into 334,000 Tesla vehicles for potential steering rack failures. According to consumer complaints, more than 50 vehicles had to be towed due to loss of steering control, while one driver told safety regulators they couldn’t make a right turn and crashed into another vehicle.
