Palo Alto, Calif. – Dec. 13, 2016 – In response to an overheating issue, Tesla has announced the recall of a small number of charging adapter connectors commonly used by owners of the Model S or X.
The Defect
Tesla announced on its website that the recall will affect about 2,000 NEMA 14-30, 10-30 and 6-50 adapters due to the possibility of overheating. This was in response to two separate customer complaints of overheating, which Tesla claimed did not result in injury or property damage. The recall was taken “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the post on the company website.
The company noted that the affected adapters are not standard pieces of equipment that come with every vehicle, but are instead sold separately to those who want to connect their charging cables to 240-volt outlets.
Timeline of Events
January 2015 – Tesla stopped selling NEMA 14-30 adapters.
August 2016 – Tesla re-released the NEMA 14-30 adapter due to increased demand.
November 2016 – Two customers reported NEMA 14-30 adapters overheating during use, prompting the recall. The recall also affected the 10-30 and 6-50 adapters, as they share some elements with the 14-30. No incidents involving those two models have been reported, according to Tesla.
Resolution
Users of the NEMA 14-30 can expect to receive a replacement from Tesla within the next few weeks. Users of the 10-30 and 6-50 may have to wait about three months for the company to develop and manufacture alternatives. However, Tesla told customers that since these two models have not exhibited any problems, they may be used to charge vehicles if no other option is available.