Tesla recalling almost all its EVs in US for software fix

Tesla is recalling almost all of its electric vehicles in the U.S. for a software fix as it faces heightened scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

The electric vehicle automaker is recalling nearly 2.2 million vehicles because of the small font size of some warning indicators on the instrument panel, which could lead to more crashes, according to a Friday document posted by the NHTSA.

The park, antilock brake systems and brake warning lights have smaller fonts than permitted under federal safety standards, according to the agency, which noted the lights are required to be at least one-eighth of an inch in size.

The smaller size of the warning lights could make them harder for drivers to detect, increasing the possibility of crashes occurring, the NHTSA said.

Tesla models including the 2012-23 Model S, the 2016-24 Model X, the 2017-23 Model 3, the 2019-24 Model Y and the 2024 Cybertruck are impacted by the recall, which will be performed through an online software update. 

The NHTSA has also upgraded its investigation into steering issues in the automakers’ vehicles to an engineering analysis, bringing it nearer to a potential recall.

Tesla has started releasing the software update to address the warning notification issue. Vehicle owners will be notified by mailed letters at the end of March. 

The font-size issue was detected Jan. 8. Tesla had identified three warranty claims that might be related to the issue as of Jan. 24.

Last week, Tesla recalled nearly 200,000 of its vehicles due to another software issue. Some rearview cameras were not working when cars were put in reverse, potentially increasing the risk of crashes, according to the NHTSA.

In December, the automaker recalled 2 million of its vehicles over a flaw in its Autopilot self-driving feature. That recall came after a two-year investigation by the NHTSA into damage reportedly caused by incorrect usage of the software. 

The Hill has reached out to Tesla for comment.