Tesla Recalling 475,000 Cars Over Camera, Hood Latch Issues
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed that Tesla will be recalling 356,309 examples of the Model 3 presumed to be suffering from a defect that can cause the rearview camera to malfunction. Another 119,009 Model S sedans will also be recalled over a problem pertaining to the frontal hood latch.
Regulators believe both items pose a safety risk to drivers and Tesla will be issuing a formal recall to address the matter, though the hood latch seems the more hazardous issue. The Model 3 (MY 2017-2020) is only being repaired over the potential for the rear camera cable harness getting pinched after repeated trunk use. Tesla believes that some units could have been placed in a way that makes them subject to undue wear, causing the camera display to fail.
While the Model S recall similarly pertains to the premature wearing of parts, it’s another one of those hood latch problems where the worst-case scenario involves you getting a face full of sheet metal at highway speeds. It’s one of those issues you cannot believe manufacturers are still getting wrong, yet persists with surprising regularity. It wasn’t all that long ago since we were writing about how Honda was recalling nearly 800,000 automobiles for roughly the same item. The Japanese company was worried that drivers would be blinded by the hood while in motion and the same applies to Tesla — with the American automaker making explicit mention of hoods coming undone “without warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash” in its report to the NHTSA.
On the upside, documents state that the manufacturer is not aware of any deaths, injuries, or crashes, related to the issues with the Model S and Model 3 recalls.
The automaker has also heeded guidance from the regulator to stop allowing people to play video games using the infotainment system while a vehicle is in motion. Tesla was chided last month by the media for allowing passengers to play a subset of video games the driver could see and even take advantage of if they were okay with violating the company’s terms. While the NHTSA was running an investigation into the matter (one of several it has against Tesla that could easily be levied at any number of legacy automakers) the automaker simply removed the feature from its user interface. Though it has not made any formal promises to regulators to keep it that way.
[Image: Virrage Images/Shutterstock]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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There is no point on busting on Tesla anymore. They have won and that is all there is to it. GM on the other hand has just lost its domestic sales crown to Toyota. For the first time in 90 years GM is no longer the top car maker in the US. GM - what a disgrace!!!
it's really too bad GM never made a car as good as a civic or corolla for the budget minded