Tesla Recalls More Than 817,000 Vehicles Over Seat-Belt Chime Issue, Which it Will Address Remotely
upstart writes:
Tesla recalls more than 817,000 vehicles over seat-belt chime issue, which it will address remotely:
The electric automaker will remotely update 817,143 vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [(NHTSA)] said, after an issue where its seat-belt chimes go quiet on subsequent drives after having previously been interrupted - for example, when a driver exits the vehicle as the chime sounds.
"The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt," NHTSA wrote in an issue summary. The agency said the issue puts Tesla out of compliance with "occupant crash protection" requirements of federal auto safety regulations.
"The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash," wrote NHTSA official Alex Ansley, in a letter to Tesla describing the issue.
Tesla said a software release will address the issue over-the-air in February, meaning owners will not be required to bring their vehicles in for service to satisfy the recall requirements. Tesla is one of few automakers that make extensive changes to the way their vehicles operate using over-the-air software updates. The capability has occasionally landed it in trouble with regulators because it failed to notify them of changes that would otherwise be made through the recall process.
Tesla did respond to a request for comment. NHTSA spokeswoman Lucia Sanchez said the agency aims to ensure companies file necessary recalls - even if the fix can be initiated through a software update.
Also at CNN.
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