Tesla is recalling nearly 16,000 units of the Model S and Model X for an issue with seat belts.
According to the NHTSA, certain 2021-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles have front-row seat belts that may not be connected properly to the pretensioner anchors, potentially causing them to detach.
“If a first-row seat belt is not connected to its pretensioner anchor to specification, the belt may disconnect from the anchor when the belt is pulled up and away from the anchor during normal operation to latch the belt to the buckle,” the Safety Recall Report states.
Both of the front seats in both vehicles are affected, documents also show.
Tesla will inspect and connect both first-row seat belts to pretensioner anchors to specification in order to remedy the problem. If the seat belt cannot be connected to the pretensioner, the entire assembly will be replaced at no cost to the customer.
Tesla said it identified 12 warranty claims with the issue as of June 19, but 0 field reports were filed with the seat belt issue. There were no crashes, injuries, or deaths caused by the issue that Tesla is aware of.
The Tesla Model S (front) and Model X. (Credit: Tesla)
Additionally, Tesla opened another smaller recall of the 2023 Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. This recall deals with the forward-facing camera, which may be misaligned and could cause “some of the active safety features such as emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane assist to become unavailable without alerting the driver.”
This recall affects 1,337 units, and Tesla was able to identify 83 warranty claims and 2 field reports with the issue. There were no injuries, deaths, or crashes related to the condition, the NHTSA said in its Safety Recall Report.
Tesla Model Y (Credit: Tesla)
Tesla will remedy this by adjusting the pitch angle of the cameras on affected vehicles.
More often than not, Tesla deals with “recall” reports with its vehicles that are remedied through Over-the-Air software updates and not through physical fixes performed by Service Centers.
CEO Elon Musk has called for a redefinition of a recall since many vehicle issues can be solved with Software Updates.
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