Tesla recalling over 817,000 vehicles to fix seatbelt reminder chime
Tesla seatbelt warning may not activate when vehicle is started
Tesla will recall 817,143 vehicles because their seatbelt reminder chimes may not activate as programmed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Thursday. It is the second recall notice issued for Teslas this week.
Tesla is recalling 817,143 vehicles, including the 2021-2022 Model S, because their seatbelt reminder chimes may not work correctly. (Tesla)
According to the documents posted to the NHTSA website, the chime may not activate when a driver starts the car in a specific circumstance where "the chime was interrupted in the preceding drive cycle and the seat belt was not buckled subsequent to that interruption (e.g., the driver exited the vehicle in the preceding drive cycle while the chime was active and later returned to the vehicle, creating a new drive cycle)."
The updated Model S went on sale in 2021. (Tesla)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 332.89 | -5.34 | -1.58% |
Even in this instance, a visual reminder is displayed on the instrument cluster and the chime will activate if the vehicle reaches 13.7 mph with an unbelted driver.
Tesla's best-selling Model Y is also part of the seatbelt recall. (Tesla)
The recall affects the 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2022 Model Y, and 2021-2022 Model S and Model X and will be addressed through an over-the-air software update that will not require owners to physically bring their vehicles into a service center for the repair.
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On Tuesday, NHTSA posted notice that Tesla was recalling approximately 54,000 vehicles equipped with a beta test version of its Full Self-Driving partially automated driving system, which had been programmed to roll through stop signs at low speeds when it deemed safe, a practice that violates laws in every U.S. state.