Tesla Recalls 1.8 Million Cars Due to Buggy Hood Latch Software

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Key Takeaways

  • Tesla is recalling over 1.8 million vehicles in the US due to a hood latch issue that could increase crash risk.
  • The recall affects a significant number of vehicles across various models.
  • The company has begun rolling out an OTA software update to address the problem.

Tesla has recalled over 1.8 million vehicles in the US following complaints of hoods opening on its vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The first complaints relating to the issue started to appear in March. By Mid-April, the company had identified the issue with the hood latch, with software failing to detect when the hood is opened. This could obstruct the driver’s view and lead to a crash.

This recall impacts 2021-2024 Model X, Model S, and Model 3 vehicles as well as 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles, all with a hood latch produced by Magna Closures Co. Ltd. in China.

Tesla started rolling out an over-the-air update in mid-June, which will detect when the hood opens and warn drivers. The automaker also noticed that reports of issues with the hood latch were higher in China than in Europe or North America, though it’s unclear why.

As of July 20th, Tesla had identified three warranty claims or field reports that might be linked to the hood issue.

A Year of Recalls for Tesla

It’s far from the EV makers first recall, though it’s the biggest one so far this year. In June, Tesla recalled over 11,000 Cybertrucks over issues with trim and the windshield wiper motor and released an OTA update to fix the problem. In April, all 3,878 Cybertrucks sold to date were recalled over an issue that risked a stuck accelerator pedal.

Last year in December, Tesla recalled 2.03 million US vehicles to add new safeguards to Autopilot. Following the update, the NHTSA received reports of 20 crashes and has opened an investigation.