Car Safety Regulators Urge Tesla to Recall Around 158,000 Vehicles
14 January 2021 - 11:35AM
Dow Jones News
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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