Tesla recalls some Model 3 and Model Y cars

No automakers are immune from recalls. Sometimes, faulty components are integrated into vehicles, or mistakes are made that lead to parts that pose a potential hazard to owners. When this happens, auto manufacturers team up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue recalls to protect owners.

Tesla has announced two recalls to address seatbelt issues. One of the recalls covers 5530 vehicles in 2018 through 2020 year models for the Tesla Model 3 and 2019 through 2021 Model Y cars. Both vehicle models were recalled because of fasteners that secure the front seatbelt to the B pillar that may not be properly attached.

The second recall covers 2166 Model Y vehicles from 2019 through 2021 model years. In that recall, the fasteners that secure the left and right second-row seat belt retractors may not be properly attached. Tesla has told the NHTSA that it is unaware of any crashes or injuries relating to either recall. The repair will see Tesla inspect and, if necessary, replace the fasteners to confirm they are secured correctly.

Tesla says that while unlikely if damage to the b-pillar hole threads and/or top loop is found during the inspection, it will repair the hole threads or replace the top loop. As for how the issue happened, Tesla says during the assembly process, if workers were unable to achieve the required torque and angle requirements for securing either of the seatbelt fasteners, a "non-conformance" was generated requiring manual inspection and repair.

Tesla says it was during that manual inspection and repair that the fastener might not have been confirmed to be secured to the correct specification. It's been a busy week for recalls for Tesla. Earlier in the week, Tesla recalled 5974 2019 through 2021 Model 3 and 2020 through 2021 Model Y vehicles due to potentially loose bolts holding the brake calipers on the vehicle.