Tesla has initiated a recall for its Class 8 all-electric Semi truck, as per a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall is due to faulty parking brake valve modules manufactured by one of the electric vehicle maker’s suppliers.
A total of 35 Tesla Semi units are affected by the recall, which likely comprises a substantial number of trucks that the company has delivered to customers as of date.
Tesla described the defect that triggered its Tesla Semi recall as follows:
“Certain Tesla Semi trucks are equipped with a supplier-provided electronically controlled parking brake valve module that may intermittently fail to transition when the parking brake is engaged or disengaged, which could then result in the parking brakes not being set or released,” the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report read.
As noted in the document, if the parking brakes of the Tesla Semi are not engaged when the driver expects them to be and the driver releases the service brakes, the Class 8 all-electric truck may move unintentionally. This increases the risk of a crash.
The NHTSA document noted that the fault is due to the supplier’s specification, which allowed for excessive internal air leakage. This results in the valve modules failing to transition when the Semi’s parking brakes are requested by the driver.
The issue that triggered the recall of the Tesla Semi was first communicated to the EV maker on February 13, 2023. At the time, supplier Bendix informed Tesla that their Safety Committee had opted to file a recall for the involved component, which happens to be used in the Tesla Semi. The next day, Tesla met with Bendix to review the issue. The supplier then filed a 573 Safety Recall with NHTSA for the component. Tesla conducted an investigation until March 17, 2023, after which the company opted to file a voluntary recall for the Class 8 truck.
So far, there have been no warranty claims, crashes, injuries, or fatalities that have been related to the Tesla Semi’s parking brake valve modules issue. Tesla would also be replacing the faulty components on affected vehicles for free. And as per the Safety Recall Report, Tesla Semi units produced starting March 14, 2023 are already equipped with a replacement parking brake valve module with improved internals that prevents air leakage.
RCAK-23V205-1305 by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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