Why Tesla has recalled over 200,000 vehicles in the US
What's the story
US automaker Tesla has recalled over 200,000 electric vehicles in the country over an issue related to its latest computer hardware. The problem can trigger a short circuit and disable certain safety features, including the rear-view camera. The recall order impacts recent versions of the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles.
Production details
Recall spans wide production timeline
The recall covers a broad spectrum of production dates, beginning from January 25, 2023 for select Model Xs and going all the way up to December 16, 2024 for specific Model Ys. Other cars also fall in this range. The recall was initiated due to violation of National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)'s stringent rules on rear-view camera reliability.
Past recalls
Tesla's previous recalls
Notably, this isn't the first time Tesla has had problems with its rear-view cameras. In January 2024, the firm issued a separate recall for problematic rear-view cameras and another one for Cybertrucks with laggy rear-view cameras in October. Both problems were fixed with over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Update strategy
Update rollout and hardware replacement plan
Tesla has already begun rolling out an OTA update to fix the issues. However, as Electrek reported, this update may not be able to fully fix the wider computer problem flagged in 887 warranty claims and 68 field reports as of December 30. The issues are impacting Tesla's latest HW4 (aka AI4) computers, which are meant to support the company's transition to fully autonomous driving. The firm will replace computers in vehicles that don't get fixed with the OTA update.