Why is Tesla recalling nearly 2.2 million vehicles? Reason and list of affected models explored

Tesla is recalling 2.2 million vehicles, which represents virtually all of its electric vehicles in the United States. On Friday, February 1, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that this is predominantly due to inappropriate text size on warning lights, which raises the danger of a collision.

In addition to this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reported that the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights are shown on the instrument panel in an improper font size. Unfortunately, the American automotive company used a smaller text size than what was permitted by the federal safety requirements.

According to Reuters, the organization said that it was a necessary step before the agency could request a prospective recall.

Furthermore, the NHTSA announced on Friday that the inquiry involves around 334,000 models. The organization also stated that it discovered the issue during a normal safety compliance examination on January 8. Tesla has already begun issuing the software update, and owners will be notified via email beginning March 30.

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Tesla is recalling almost 2.2 million vehicles for software updates to address warning lights and other issues

The Tesla cars have issues with their warning lights (Image via Tesla)

Tesla will recall virtually all of its US vehicles in the largest-ever recall. The Austin-based company made this decision to add new safeguards to its Autopilot advanced driver assistance technology. The organization also announced that its 2023 study into steering faults has been advanced to an engineering analysis, bringing it one step closer to the recall.

According to ABC News, records issued by the organization on Friday indicate that the warning light recall will be completed via an online software update. It includes the 2012–2023 Model S, 2016–2023 Model X, 2017–2023 Model 3, 2019–2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck.

Addressing the issue with the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights, the NHTSA's statement reads:

“Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash”.

It further stated that the issue with the font size may make essential safety information difficult to understand, increasing the danger of a accident. Additionally, the business has discovered three warranty claims that may be tied to the problem, although there have been no reports of collisions or injuries.

According to Reuters, the company decided to recall the models after a December inquiry, which revealed that tens of thousands of Tesla owners have encountered early breakdowns of suspension or steering elements for at least seven years. The source also highlighted documentation provided by the company and interviews conducted with the customers and the former workers.

It further stated that several drivers had reported incidents of sudden power steering outages at high speeds that almost resulted in accidents. The records revealed that the manufacturer attempted to blame the drivers for the regular breakdowns of suspension and steering components.

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Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the NHTSA's expanded inquiry.

Furthermore, to address this issue, the company began to provide a free over-the-air software upgrade. As reported by the company, according to the recall notification, owners can reach the company's customer support at 1-877-798-3752 or the recall number at SB-24-00-003.

On the other hand, the American automotive company has been under NHTSA scrutiny for its autonomous driving technology. It was designed to let cars steer, accelerate, and halt autonomously within their lane.