Tesla Recalls 125,000 Vehicles Because You Forget To Buckle-Up

Tesla is recalling 125,227 vehicles in the US due to a malfunction that can occur in the seatbelt warning system that can increase the risk of injury in a collision. First announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday, the recall affects the 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. It’s a law to buckle-up every place except for New Hampshire (Live Free or Die) and Washington, DC, so it really should be a habit at this point even without a pesky warning.

As of right now, it hasn’t been announced if there have been any injuries related to the issue, but the company is going to address it regardless with an over-the-air (OTA) update that should be released within the next few weeks. It’s another in a recent line of Tesla recalls and investigations that have plagued the company throughout 2024.

Seatbelt Warning System Malfunction

According to the recall, the warning system could fail to notify the occupants of an unbelted driver while driving, leading to serious injuries in case of a crash. The system should display a warning light and chime whenever the vehicle is in motion if an unbelted driver is detected, something required by law under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.”

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It’s unclear how this flaw was discovered and for how long it’s been going on, but seeing as though the recall affects vehicles going all the way back to 2012, it’s most likely been happening for years. It’s interesting it only affects 125,000 vehicles on the road. Perhaps the error only slipped through the cracks on certain configurations of models.

The Remedy Isn’t Always This Easy

Fortunately, this recall won’t necessitate any action from owners as the vehicles will be fixed with an OTA update, similar to the recall earlier this year that affected all 2.2 million Teslas on the roads for having warning lights that were too small. This is the benefit and drawback of a software-defined vehicle: fixes are easy for the consumer, but the system invites flaws despite oversight.

Related

Tesla’s New Safety Report Suggests Autopilot Makes For A Much Safer Car

The automaker says it recorded one crash for every 7.63 million miles driven with Autopilot, compared to 670,000 miles for the average car in the USA.

Unfortunately, the company probably wishes all recalls were this easy to take care of, as some take much more effort, like in the case of the stuck Cybertruck accelerator pedal. In that instance, an unapproved lubricant caused the accelerator pedal cover to come loose, potentially causing the pedal to become lodged while depressed, causing unintended acceleration. The initial fix was a simple rivet put into the accelerator pedal, with Tesla planning a more comprehensive rework of the accelerator in the future.