Tesla is Recalling 125,000 Vehicles For a Seat Belt Signal Issue. Here’s What We Know

Tesla announced a recall of more than 125,000 cars that were operating with a seat belt system defect and potentially putting drivers at an increased risk of injury when on the road.

Under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) federal guidelines, vehicles are required to have audible and visual seat belt reminder signals to notify drivers that their seatbelt isn’t properly fastened. The Tesla vehicles facing the recall had signals going off at improper times, the NHTSA said in a report released Thursday.

This recall contributes to the company’s 2.5 million recalls issued this year so far. 

In January, Tesla recalled certain 2023 Y, S and X model vehicles due to a software issue that prevented the camera image from showing images while the Teslas are in reverse. The following month, Tesla recalled almost 2.2 million vehicles because of “incorrect font size” on its instrument panel for its brake, park and antilock brake system warning lights. Then, in April, Tesla recalled all MY 2024 Cybertrucks made between November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024 due to faulty accelerator pedals.

Tesla also had the highest accident rate of any car in 2023, according to a Lending Tree analysis last year, with 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers.

Here’s what we know about the most recent Tesla recall.

What exactly is defective in the models?

On certain vehicles with specific seat belt software, there is no required audible and visual seat belt reminder for drivers even when the driver’s seat belt is not fashioned, because of faulty tracing in driver’s seat occupancy. 

When did Tesla first find out about the discrepancy?

On April 18, Tesla identified this discrepancy with seat belt reminders as a part of an internal compliance audit with the 2024 Tesla Model X, and then investigated the condition through the rest of April and May. 

After Tesla completed their investigation in late May, the company voluntarily recalled the affected vehicles. 

Which models are impacted by the recall?

The Tesla models impacted by the recall include 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y that are with the defective seat belt logic system.

Has there been any collisions, injuries or fatalities as a result of the issue?

In the NHTSA report, Tesla stated as of May 28, the company identified 104 warranty claims that may be related to the condition, but the company states that it is not aware Tesla is of any collisions, fatalities or injuries that may be related to the condition

How will Tesla remedy the problem for customers?

Tesla plans to send out a free over-the-air (OTA) software remedy to customers with affected vehicles in June of this year. This software will amend the software issue by relying on the driver’s seat belt buckle and the ignition status to trigger seat belt reminders.