Due to the incorrect font size of the brake, parking, and anti lock braking system (ABS) warning lights displayed on the dashboard, Tesla announced on Friday a recall of 2193869 electric vehicles in the United States, covering almost all electric vehicles sold by the company in the United States. In addition, US regulatory agencies have upgraded their investigation into Tesla's power steering issues. During the US stock market session, Tesla's stock price fell by about 3%.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated on the same day, "Small font warning lights may make key safety information on the dashboard difficult to read, thereby increasing the risk of collisions."
Tesla claims that this recall only requires remote software upgrades and does not require consumers to go to the store to replace parts. Additionally, they have not received any collision accidents related to warning light issues.
Therefore, the cost of this recall is not high and will not affect consumer use, but due to Tesla's recent series of safety issues, this recall may still damage Tesla's reputation.
Last December, Tesla also recalled approximately 2.03 million cars in the United States. In some cases, the Autopilot function of Tesla's assisted driving system, along with its accompanying control and alarm functions, may not be sufficient to prevent driver misoperation.
In early January, Tesla conducted its largest ever recall in China due to regulatory authorities stating that the Autopilot function of the assisted driving system also had similar issues. In the Chinese market, Tesla has fallen behind its competitor BYD.
Other issues
In addition, NHTSA announced in another notice released on Friday that it will upgrade its investigation into power steering losses of 335000 Tesla vehicles to engineering analysis, which is a necessary step before potential recalls.
NHTSA states that an estimated 334569 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles require engineering analysis. After receiving 2388 complaints, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of regulatory agencies began a preliminary assessment of the steering loss issue of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y cars in July last year.
Prior to this upgrade investigation, many Tesla owners had experienced safety concerns with suspension or steering components. At the end of December last year, two US senators called on Tesla to initiate a recall regarding suspension issues. The two senators also mentioned, "Tesla's attempt to shift the responsibility for substandard car quality onto buyers is unacceptable."
It is currently unclear which components may need to be recalled or replaced to prevent steering system malfunctions, and Tesla has resolved some issues through remote software repairs. If NHTSA requires repair or replacement of physical components, this car manufacturer may face more expensive recalls.
Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk also suffered a major setback. A Delaware judge overturned Musk's compensation plan, stating that there were "significant flaws" in Tesla's approval process for the $55.8 billion compensation plan.
On Thursday, Musk announced that Tesla will hold a shareholder vote to decide whether to move the company's registered address from Delaware to Texas.
A post he posted on X said, "The public vote clearly supports Texas, and Tesla will take immediate action to hold a shareholder vote."