Tesla is recalling more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S. due to small font sizes on warning panels that could increase the risk of a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—the second recall covering nearly all its vehicles sold in the nation in less than two months, though the problem will be resolved through a wireless software update.
The electric car maker has already begun issuing over-the-air software updates to fix the issue.
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Key Facts
According to a NHTSA notice, the recall affects more than 2.19 million vehicles sold between 2012 and 2024, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck.
The font size displayed on brake, park, and antilock brake system warning panels in affected vehicles was smaller than 3.2 mm—thus bringing the vehicles out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards, according to NHTSA’s letter to Tesla.
The Wall Street Journal reported it is the biggest recall for the electric car manufacturer to date—bigger than Tesla’s Dec. 13 recall, which involved 2,031,220 vehicles.
To remedy the issue, the notice indicates Tesla has already begun issuing over-the-air software updates, with notification letters expected to be mailed to owners on March 30.
No deaths, injuries or crashes associated with this issue have been reported, but Tesla has identified three potentially related warranty claims.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Big Number
2,193,869. That’s how many vehicles were recalled, with Tesla estimating 100% of the vehicles had the issue, according to the NHTSA notice.
Tangent
The NHTSA also said on Friday it is upgrading its probe into possible power steering control loss for some 334,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from 2023 to an engineering analysis, which is a step before a potential recall, according to Reuters. The agency opened a preliminary investigation of 280,000 vehicles over the issue last July.
Key Background
Friday’s recall is the latest in recent months for the company. Last week, Tesla recalled nearly 200,000 cars over a software issue that prevented the rearview camera from displaying. The electric car maker also issued a series of major recalls in 2023, mainly stemming from issues related to the highly scrutinized Autopilot system, which The Washington Post reported in June has been involved in 736 crashes since 2019. Tesla has also reportedly faced federal investigations into its claims to investors about the Autopilot feature, including some statements by CEO Elon Musk, who has touted Tesla’s self-driving technology.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
