Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has initiated a recall affecting more than 125,000 vehicles to address a seat belt warning system malfunction that poses a potential safety risk in the event of a collision. The recall, announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), covers specific models spanning from 2012 to 2024, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y.
The seat belt warning system is designed to alert drivers with audible and visual signals when their seat belts are not fastened. However, certain vehicles subject to the recall were found to have discrepancies where these signals failed to activate as intended, violating federal safety standards.
Tesla has identified 104 warranty claims possibly related to the issue but has not reported any accidents, fatalities, or injuries attributable to it. The company, led by CEO Elon Musk, plans to roll out an over-the-air software update in June to rectify the problem. The update will modify the software to rely solely on the driver’s seat belt buckle and ignition status to trigger the seat belt reminder signals, eliminating dependency on the driver seat occupancy switch.
This recall follows Tesla’s recent recall of 3,878 2024 Cybertrucks due to a potential accelerator pedal malfunction. Additionally, in February, the NHTSA announced the recall of nearly 2.2 million Tesla vehicles over concerns related to warning lights on the instrument panel. Moreover, in April, the NHTSA investigated whether Tesla’s Autopilot system recall from the previous year adequately addressed driver attention concerns, highlighting ongoing regulatory scrutiny surrounding Tesla’s safety features.
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