Tesla Recalls Over 200,000 Electric Vehicles Due to Computer Hardware Issue
Tesla has initiated a recall of more than 200,000 electric vehicles due to a computer hardware issue that could potentially disable critical safety features, including the rearview camera. The recall, submitted on January 6th, affects specific builds of Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles manufactured between January 25th, 2023, and December 16th, 2024.
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) prompted the recall due to non-compliance with its rules on rearview camera reliability. This marks the latest in a series of recalls addressing similar issues, following previous actions in January 2024 and October.
Tesla began rolling out over-the-air (OTA) updates on December 18th to address the problem, with updates also incorporated into newly manufactured vehicles starting December 16th. However, these OTA updates cannot fully resolve the underlying computer hardware issue.
As of December 30th, Tesla had received 887 warranty claims and 68 field reports related to this problem. The issues are linked to Tesla’s latest HW4 (AI4) computers, which are crucial for the company’s transition to full autonomy.
For vehicles that cannot be fixed through OTA updates, Tesla plans to replace the affected computers. This replacement is essential not only for addressing the current safety concerns but also for the development of Tesla’s promised robotaxi service.
The recall underscores the ongoing challenges faced by electric vehicle manufacturers in balancing advanced technology integration with regulatory compliance and safety standards.
