Tesla recollects virtually 3,500 Mannequin Y vehicles for unfastened bolts

New York
CNN
 — 

Tesla is recalling 3,470 2022-2023 Mannequin Y vehicles resulting from bolts within the second-row seat again frames not being secured correctly.

An estimated 4% of vehicles are affected, a recall report submitted in late February mentioned.

The unfastened bolts may trigger the seat belts to not work correctly in a crash, “which can improve the danger of an harm for occupants seated in affected second-row seating positions,” the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Administration mentioned.

On Mannequin Y automobiles, the second-row driver- and passenger-side seat again frames are secured with 4 bolts per seat again. However throughout manufacturing for sure Mannequin Y vehicles, a number of of the bolts securing the seat again frames to the decrease seat body “could not have been torqued to specs.”

Homeowners can inform if their automobile is affected by seeing if their second-row seat again body folds improperly or if it’s unfastened and rattles when driving.

Tesla discovered 5 guarantee claims concerning the bolts since final December, however shouldn’t be conscious of any accidents or deaths resulting from it.

A driver in Fremont, California, discovered a defective seat again bolt final December, triggering a Tesla investigation and threat evaluation which ended February 17. A recall willpower was made on the identical day.

Tesla will examine the bolts and tighten them if needed at no cost, and proprietor notification letters might be mailed.

The recall was filed the identical month Tesla recalled all 363,000 US automobiles with the “Full Self Driving” driver help software program resulting from security dangers, a considerably bigger recall, which was a blow to the automaker’s enterprise mannequin.

The NHTSA mentioned, based mostly on its evaluation, Tesla’s “Full Self Driving” function “led to an unreasonable threat to motorized vehicle security based mostly on inadequate adherence to visitors security legal guidelines.” And it warned the function may violate visitors legal guidelines at some intersections “earlier than some drivers could intervene.”

“The FSD Beta system could permit the automobile to behave unsafe round intersections, similar to touring straight by way of an intersection whereas in a turn-only lane, coming into a cease sign-controlled intersection with out coming to an entire cease, or continuing into an intersection throughout a gentle yellow visitors sign with out due warning,” mentioned the recall discover, posted on NHTSA’s web site.

Tesla will try to repair the function, which prices $15,000, by way of an over-the-air software program replace, the discover added.