Tesla Recalls Over 125,000 Electric Vehicles From Austin for Seat Belt

Tesla, the car company known for its electric vehicles and their cutting-edge technology, is recalling over 125,000 of its cars due to a malfunction in the seat belt warning system. The Austin-based automaker’s recall targets certain vehicles spanning from the 2012 to 2024 Model S, 2015 to 2024 Model X, 2017 to 2023 Model 3, and 2020 to 2023 Model Y, according to a report from KVUE.

This latest recall emerges amidst concerns that the system designed to alert passengers to buckle up may not initiate when required. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the audible and visual reminders are supposed to activate to notify drivers and passengers to fasten their seat belts, but, in certain vehicles, these signals were not working as intended. This flaw does not comply with federal safety standards and raises the risk of injury in the event of a collision, as detailed in a report from the Associated Press.

While Tesla has not been made aware of any collisions, injuries, or fatalities connected to this issue, it has identified 104 warranty claims that may be linked to the malfunctioning seat belt warning system. The electric vehicle maker, under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk, is addressing the problem proactively with a commitment to roll out a free over-the-air software update for the impacted vehicles, set to start in June.

The update is designed to refine the seat belt warning logic so that it no longer depends on the detection of the driver’s seat occupancy. Instead, the system will only rely on whether the driver’s seat belt is buckled and the ignition status, to trigger the safety reminders, according to information obtained by KVUE. The change aims to ensure drivers are always alerted to secure their seat belts before the vehicle is in motion.

This series of recalls, including last month’s recall of the Cybertruck over an issue with the potential for the accelerator pedal to become stuck, continues to place Tesla in the spotlight for safety concerns. Moreover, the NHTSA has been scrutinizing whether Tesla’s recalls, particularly of the Autopilot driving system last year, are sufficient in ensuring driver attention to the road. The continuous monitoring by such federal agencies underscores the high stakes of automaker accountability and consumer safety in an era increasingly reliant on automated technologies.