LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Electric vehicle-maker Tesla has issued a recall for more than 817,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to an issue with seat belts. Seat belt reminder chimes reportedly may not sound when some vehicles are started and the driver has not buckled up.
It constitutes the largest recall in Tesla’s history.
Federal vehicle safety laws require cars to emit an alert sound when cars are started, stopping only when front seat belts are buckled. Without the chime, a driver may not realize their seat belt is unbuckled, putting them at greater risk of injury in a collision.
The recall covers 2021 and 2022 Model S sedans and Model X SUVs, along with 2017 through 2022 Model 3 sedans and 2020 through 2022 Model Y SUVs, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Regulators said the issue persists only when a driver leaves his Tesla in the previous drive cycle while the chime was going off. It still sounds if rivers go over roughly 14 miles per hour unbuckled.
Tesla said it would fix the problem by sending out an online software update early in February. The company said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the chime malfunction.
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