Tesla says it began investigating a problem related to seat belts in August.
This time it’s for real.
Elon Musk, Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc. Report CEO and recently self-declared “Chief Twit” at Twitter (TWTR) – Get Twitter Inc. Report has an issue with the word “recall.”
In September, the electric vehicle company announced a recall of nearly 1.1 million vehicles because the power windows may close too fast and could pinch a driver or passengers.
To rectify the problem, NHTSA said Tesla would “perform an over-the-air software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge.”
‘Outdated & Inaccurate’
Musk took to Twitter–the microblogging site he now finally owns for a mere $44 billion–to express his frustration, tweeting that the term “recall” is “outdated & inaccurate.”
“This is a tiny over-the-air software update. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no injuries,” the world’s richest man said.
In early February the automaker recalled 817,000 vehicles because the seat belt warning might not work properly in some cases. Here, too, the problem was solved with an over-the-air software update.
But now things are a little different.
Tesla has issued a recall for roughly 24,000 Model 3 vehicles do to a problem with the seat belts. This is a real world, physical recall for the company.
The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration said the recall affects 24,064 Model 3 vehicles built since 2017.
NHTSA said that “servicing certain components in Model 3 vehicles requires disassembly of the second-row left seat belt buckle and center seat belt anchor, both of which are fastened with the same bolt.”
105 Service Repairs
Both components may have been incorrectly reassembled after disassembly during a service action, the agency said.
The company said it is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths related to this condition.
Tesla will inspect the reassembly of second-row left seat belt buckle and center seat belt anchor and, where necessary, fasten the components to correct specifications. The remedy will be provided free of charge.
The company said in investigated the problem in August following complaints about second-row center seat belt anchor not being secured after service repairs.
Tesla identified 105 service repairs, including warranty claims, that are related to or may be related to this condition.
