Tesla recently announced the recall of more than 120,000 vehicles due to a potential safety issue. According to the company, there is an issue with certain door latches that may fail in an accident, resulting in the door potentially opening. The recall affects 2012 to 2016 Model S and 2016 Model X vehicles produced before October 2016.
According to Tesla spokesperson, the issue was identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2019. They determined that a component of the door latch could corrode over time, which could cause it to break at a higher rate during a crash. As a result, Tesla began a rolling recall of the affected vehicles, which began on December 30, 2020.
The recall affects roughly 122,000 vehicles, with Tesla informing customers of the potential safety issue, informing them that they will need to get their vehicle inspected by a dealer in order to replace the potentially faulty component. Tesla notes on its website that it has identified and replaced the potentially faulty part of the vehicle before any incidents have been reported, and is confident that there are no safety concerns with the new parts.
Tesla also stated that they “have taken extensive steps to ensure our customers’ safety above and beyond the requirements of the NHTSA.” This includes additional inspections of the latch mechanism before delivery to the customer, and additional checks of the latch mechanism at service centers before releasing the car.
The recall is a precautionary measure, and something that any consumer should take seriously. Having a faulty door latch, especially if there is a potential of the door opening in a crash, can be dangerous for both the driver and any passenger in the vehicle. Tesla is taking responsibility for identifying and correcting this potentially hazardous issue.
Although this recall is a serious matter, it is not the first time Tesla has identified and recalled faulty parts from its vehicles. In October 2020, they recalled more than 75,000 vehicles for a faulty touchscreen display. And more recently, in February 2021, they recalled 9,500 vehicles for a faulty parking brake.
Overall, this recall is yet another reminder of why it is important to inspect your vehicle on a regular basis and have it serviced by dealers that are knowledgeable of Tesla vehicles. It is also important to ensure that any new car companies have recalled recently is safety compliant by getting it inspected or repaired as soon as possible.
