Tesla recalled nearly 135,000 cars on a safety issue

Tesla recalls nearly 135,000 cars in the United States, Model S and Model X for an on-board computer security issue, following a warning issued by the American Road Safety Agency NHTSA in mid-January.

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The recall included 134,951 cars 3, forwarded to Tesla in a letter written by NHTSA and released on Tuesday.

This applies to Model S sedans manufactured between 2012 and 2018, as well as Model XCT SUVs produced between 2016 and 2018, equipped with the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor on-board computer.

This is one of the security recalls Tesla faced. However, the number of vehicles recalled was less than the 158,000 requested by the regulator from Tesla in mid-January.

The NHTSA letter did not explain this difference. Tesla has no obligation to comply with the Federal Agency’s request, but in this case the NHTSA has an obligation to provide an explanation.

For comparison, 158,000 cars represent about a third of the total cars distributed by the manufacturer in 2020.

In fact, Tesla will have to replace some part of the vehicle’s on-board computer with recalled vehicles.

This error “can lead to rear view camera performance, defrosting / demystifying control parameters and flashing light, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of accident”, the NHTSA explained in its letter.

On-board computers’ memory, especially the infotainment system (MCU), has a limited life cycle, which means that the system may not function properly after a certain number of programs. This problem can also lead to the removal of memory cycles.

“During an MCU failure, the screen is black and the rear view camera, which is a backup camera, is no longer available to the driver. If the image is no longer available, the risk increases, leading to injuries or even death,” the regulator said in a report published in January.

He warned that the problem would also affect autopilot driving assistance fitted to Tesla cars.