Austin, TX – February 12, 2022 – Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has issued a recall for 817,143 vehicles across four models over a defective seat belt chime. The absence of an audible reminder to wear the seat belt may cause the driver to operate the vehicle without it, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The recall covers the following models:
- 2021-2022 Tesla Model S
- 2021-2022 Tesla Model X
- 2017-2022 Tesla Model 3
- 2020-2022 Tesla Model Y
Recall summary
The vehicles have a seat belt chime that activates when the vehicle is started, reminding the driver to fasten the seat belt. This works together with a visual seat belt reminder that can be seen on the vehicle’s dashboard.
If the chime is interrupted when the vehicle was previously used while the seat belt was not fastened, a software error will prevent the chime from sounding off the next time the vehicle is used. This will happen if, for example, the driver left the vehicle while the chime was still going off with the engine running and then returned.
Recall risks
Drivers may not fasten their seat belts, which augments the risk of an injury in a crash.
While the chime will go off at speeds over 13.7 miles per hour (mph), this may not give the driver enough time to fasten the belt before an accident occurs.
Other Tesla recalls
The latest Tesla seat belt recall is the electric vehicle maker’s fourth, barely two months into 2022. There was a Tesla Model 3 recall spanning more than 356,000 vehicles in early January over faulty rearview cameras. This was followed by a Tesla Model S recall involving over 119,000 units for hoods that may open while the vehicle is traveling, obscuring the driver’s view.
The third advisory concerned over 53,000 Tesla vehicles over a “rolling stop” feature that allowed them to go through a stop sign without halting completely, presenting a higher risk of collision with other road users.
In addition to the recalls, the automaker is subject to two investigations, including one for potentially allowing drivers to play video games on the front console while on the road.
The repair
Tesla already released new firmware to correct the software error, enabling the chime to go off. The firmware update was deployed over-the-air (OTA) to the affected vehicles in late January and early February.
Owners will also receive letters with more information on April 1, 2022.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
More than 800,000 vehicles are included in this Tesla recall. To do a Tesla recall check, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
