In early June 2021, Tesla announced two new safety recalls over potentially defective seat belts. The first recall impacts up to 5,530 Tesla vehicles, while the second recall applies to as many as 2,166 Tesla vehicles. Affected vehicle owners can bring their cars to the nearest dealership for inspection and replacements as necessary.
Understanding the Seat Belt Defect
According to Tesla’s Safety Recall Report, “the second-row and left- and right-side seat belt retractor is secured to the vehicle body with a fastener. Cross-threading of the fastener may have prevented it from being secured to the correct specification.” Although Tesla maintains that the company is not aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the defect, it is moving forward with the recall because the seat belts may not work as intended in the event of a collision.
What Caused the Tesla Seat Belt Issue?
It’s believed that operators may have unknowingly cross-threaded the fastener when attempting to torque the second-row left- or right-side seat belt retractor fastener to the correct specification. Multiple unsuccessful attempts likely contributed to the cross-threaded fastener, compromising the overall safety of the seat belt system. Some Tesla employees have come forward and stated that they did not have sufficient time to complete their tasks correctly during vehicle assembly.
Next Steps for Tesla Owners
The affected Tesla vehicles include 2018-2020 Model 3s and 2019-2021 Model Ys that were manufactured between July 6, 2018, and March 21, 2020. The second recall impacts Tesla’s 2019-2021 Model Y crossovers manufactured between November 26, 2019, and March 30, 2021. Tesla will notify affected consumers and urge them to visit the dealership for inspection and replacement fasteners if necessary.
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