Tesla is recalling just over 1.8 million vehicles in the United States due to a possible failure of the software that detects if the hood is latched or not.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the equivalent of Transport Canada, reminds us that an unlatched hood can represent a significant accident risk.
The good news is that the problem can be fixed with an over-the-air update. Remember, the problem isn't with the hood, but with the software that detects whether it's properly attached or not. This is where the update comes in, so that drivers will be warned if their hood is not properly secured.
The notification, clearly visible on board, ensures that people don't take to the road if they know the hood isn’t properly latched.
The recall affects certain Model 3, Model S and Model X vehicles from 2021-to-2024 model-years, as well as the Model Y from 2020-to-2024 model-years. The vehicles, according to Tesla, were equipped with a hood latch produced in China by Magna Closures.
Tesla says it began investigating the matter following complaints received from owners in March about cases of hoods opening unexpectedly on certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China.
Fewer incidents have been reported in Europe and North America. Nevertheless, Tesla has stated that it has begun investigating the matter to ensure compliance and has issued the recall as a precautionary measure.
This campaign is Tesla's biggest since last December, when just over two million models were recalled in the US to add safety features to the Autopilot autonomous driving system.