Tesla shares
fell as much as 3 percent in the morning but rebounded and were last trading
slightly higher around $1,088.76. The federal regulator has been discussing
another camera issue with the automaker, while probing the electric vehicle
manufacturer’s driver assistant system and other issues.
The model
years affected in the recall range from 2014 to 2024, and the total number of
recalled vehicles is almost equivalent to the half a million vehicles Tesla
delivered last year.
The US
electric vehicle manufacturer is recalling 356,309 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles
to address rearview camera issues and 119,009 Model S vehicles due to front
hood problems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.
Tesla could
not be reached for comment.
For Model 3
sedans, “the rearview camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening
and closing of the trunk lid, preventing the rearview camera image from
displaying,” the NHTSA said.
Tesla
identified 2,301 warranty claims and 601 field reports regarding the issue for
US vehicles.
For Model S
vehicles, front hood latch problems may lead a trunk to open “without
warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a
crash,” Tesla said.
Tesla said
it was not aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths related to the issues cited
in the recall of Model 3 and Model S cars, the NHTSA said.
This month,
the NHTSA said it was discussing with Tesla over sideview camera issues in some
vehicles.
CNBC had
reported that Tesla was replacing defective repeater cameras in the front
fenders some US-made vehicles without recalling the parts.
The NHTSA
has been investigating 580,000 Tesla vehicles over the automaker’s decision to
allow games to be played on car screens while they are in motion.
Tesla has
subsequently agreed to stop allowing video games to be played on vehicle
screens while its cars are moving, according to the NHTSA.
Under
pressure from NHTSA, Tesla in February agreed to recall 135,000 vehicles with
touch-screen displays that could fail and raise the risk of a crash.
In August, the
NHTSA opened a formal safety probe into Tesla Inc’s driver assistance system
Autopilot after a series of crashes involving Tesla models and emergency
vehicles.
