TSLA Tesla Inc

By Rebecca Elliott and Ben Foldy 

Federal regulators are asking Tesla Inc. to recall about 158,000 vehicles over safety concerns in what would amount to one of the biggest safety actions by the electric-vehicle maker.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked Tesla in a Jan. 13 letter to recall some Model S luxury sedans and Model X sport-utility vehicles. NHTSA asked for the recall because the cars' touch screens can fail after a few years of use, affecting safety functions on the vehicles like defogging and back-up cameras.

Some car recalls run into millions of vehicles. Though modest by historic numbers, the action would represent a relatively large recall for Tesla, which has far fewer cars on the road than some rivals. The Silicon Valley car maker delivered nearly 500,000 vehicles globally last year.

Tesla doesn't have to recall the vehicles, though NHTSA said in the letter that if the car maker doesn't take the action it has to provide an explanation for its decision. The agency can then escalate the matter to a public hearing and eventually seek to force a recall through the courts.

Tesla in 2018 recalled 123,000 Model S cars over a finding that cold weather could corrode some bolts, potentially leading to power-steering failures.

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Chief Executive Elon Musk has emphasized Tesla's focus on safety and complained in the past the company receives outsize attention for incidents that other auto makers also face.

Write to Rebecca Elliott at rebecca.elliott@wsj.com and Ben Foldy at Ben.Foldy@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 13, 2021 19:20 ET (00:20 GMT)

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