Tesla has issued a voluntary recall for its Class 8 all-electric semi trucks, according to a notice by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted on March 24. The recall is due to faulty parking brake valve modules manufactured by one of the electric vehicle maker’s suppliers.
According to the report, if the parking brakes do not engage when the driver expects them to be, when the driver releases the service brakes, the Class 8 all-electric truck may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
The report noted that due to the supplier’s specification, which allowed for excessive internal air leakage, the valve modules would fail to transition when the semi’s parking brakes are requested by the driver.
Bendix, a Tesla parts supplier, first communicated to the EV maker of a possible problem on Feb. 23. The supplier then filed a 573 Safety Recall with NHTSA for the component. Tesla investigated the issue and ultimately decided to file a voluntary recall on 35 of the large electric trucks.
So far, Tesla “has not identified any warranty claims, crashes, injuries or deaths that may be related to” the Tesla semi’s parking brake valve module issues, according to the NHTSA document.
Tesla will also be replacing the faulty components on affected vehicles for free.
“Starting on March 14, 2023, Tesla Semi trucks are manufactured with the replacement module with improved internals that prevent air leakage,” the report said.
“Tesla Semi trucks manufactured but not yet delivered with the recalled parking valve module will receive the replacement module prior to delivery.”
Tesla delivered its first semi trucks at the beginning of December last year to PepsiCo, five years after the truck was first unveiled.
There have been numerous reports of Tesla semi trucks apparently breaking down on the road. Tesla has also faced a number of other recalls, some of which could be fixed by a simple over-the-air software update but others that would require mechanical work at a service center.
Besides being fully electric, the Tesla semi also has an unusual design in which the driver sits in the center of the cab rather than on one side. Tesla claims the trucks can drive 500 miles on a fully charged battery and can pull a load of as much as 82,000 pounds.
