Tesla is recalling more than 120,000 vehicles because doors do not meet U.S. government regulations.
In a letter posted Thursday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, Tesla acknowledged that the affected doors could be unlocked during a crash, which could cause the door to unlock and open, increasing the risk of injury elevated.
The affected vehicles include the Tesla Models S and
As a remedy, Tesla is releasing a free over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters are expected to be sent on February 17, 2024.
Last week, Tesla announced a recall for nearly all of its U.S. vehicles — about 2 million — amid concerns about the safety of its Autopilot driving assistance feature. A federal investigation found that the automatic steering feature may have caused some drivers to abdicate responsibility for operating their vehicles.
This recall follows a recall in February that affected more than 360,000 vehicles connected to Tesla's “fully autonomous driving” software.
Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In a post last week on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tesla issued a statement He accused some news outlets of misinterpreting “the nature of our safety systems,” adding that “irrefutable data” shows Tesla's features “save lives and prevent injuries.”
Elon Musk owns X and Tesla.
An NHTSA spokesperson told NBC News last week that the investigation into Tesla's Autopilot features “remains open as we monitor the effectiveness of Tesla's remedial actions and continue to work with the automaker to ensure the highest level of safety.”