Tesla is recalling over 1.8 million vehicles in the United States due to a software failure that risks not detecting an unlatched hood, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). An unlatched hood could fully open and obstruct the driver’s view, significantly raising the risk of a crash.
To address this issue, Tesla has begun rolling out an over-the-air software update to detect an open hood and send notifications to customers, NHTSA reported. The recall affects certain 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles equipped with a hood latch produced by Magna Closures Co Ltd in China.
Tesla initiated an investigation in March after receiving customer complaints about unintended hood openings in some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China. This led to a recovery of latch hardware and in-service vehicle inspections. Although fewer incidents were reported in Europe and North America, Tesla started engineering studies in these regions last month and decided to issue the recall earlier this month.
This latest recall follows another in June when Tesla recalled over 11,000 Cybertrucks in the U.S. due to windshield wipers and exterior trim issues.