Tesla is recalling thousands of its Model X vehicles after a safety report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found the vehicle controller on some models may fail to detect low brake fluid.
The report found that on 54,676 of Tesla’s 2021–2023 Model X vehicles, the vehicle controller that detects the sensor voltage that indicates brake fluid level “may not have a sufficient threshold range at low fluid levels” and will not display a warning light.
The NHTSA recall report, published on Oct. 11, noted that a vehicle controller that does not correctly indicate low brake fluid levels to drivers “may impact braking performance and may increase the risk of a collision.”
As of now, Tesla is not aware of crashes, injuries, or deaths that may be related to this condition, and the electric vehicle maker has also released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge, to fix the issue by correcting the vehicle controller’s set threshold range at low brake fluid levels, federal regulators said.
“Owners of affected vehicles only need to install OTA software release 2023.32.7 or a later software release, which have all deployed OTA at no cost to owners. No service visit is necessary, and no further action is necessary from owners whose vehicles are equipped with software release 2023.32.7 or a later software release,” the agency said.
“For vehicles operating FSD Beta software releases, the above remedy will be included in an upcoming regularly scheduled FSD Beta software release. Similarly, no service visit is necessary and owners of affected vehicles operating FSD Beta software releases only need to install the upcoming regularly scheduled FSD Beta software release, again at no cost to owners,” officials noted.
According to the NHTSA report, the issue was first detected on Sept. 19 of this year among several Model X vehicles in production that did not display a visual indicator for low brake fluid.
All Tesla stores and service centers will be notified about the latest recall, officials said, while owners of the affected vehicles will receive mailed letters informing of the issue on Dec. 12.
Tesla Recalls Down This Year
Tesla’s latest recall comes after the NHTSA launched an investigation into 280,000 of its Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over reports of loss of steering control and power steeringThe NHTSA said it received 12 complaints regarding the issue, including one Model 3 driver who claimed the “car steering felt stuck and slid off the road which resulted in crashing into a tree.”
Tesla did not comment on the probe.
A month prior, in July, Tesla recalled nearly 16,000 of its 2021–2023 Model S and Model X vehicles so that it could inspect some front-row seat belts which it said may not have been reconnected sufficiently after being repaired.
In that same month, the company was ordered by the NHTSA to handover extensive data regarding its driver-assistance systems after reports emerged that some consumers had unlocked a new feature allowing them to drive for extended periods of time without being prompted to place their hands on the steering wheel.
Tesla responded to the NHTSA’s requests on time, but was granted confidential treatment by the agency, CNBC reported.
Despite the latest various recalls, the majority of which are generally fixed through software updates, Tesla recalls are still significantly down year over year, according to reports. The electric vehicle maker has recalled roughly 439,000 vehicles so far this year, putting it on track to recall about 550,000 units for the full year.
In 2022, the vehicle manufacturer recalled 3.8 million vehicles.
Tesla premarket shares were up 0.39 percent as of the time of 8:24 a.m. Wednesday. The car giant is set to report its third-quarter earnings later on Wednesday.
