NHTSA closes investigation into Lucid’s OTA heater recall fix without further action

More than two years after opening an investigation into Lucid’s over-the-air recall fix for faulty heaters in the Lucid Air, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has officially closed the case without requiring the automaker to take additional action.

The investigation, known as Recall Query RQ24002, focused on Lucid’s decision to address defective High Voltage Coolant Heaters (HVCH) in certain 2022 and 2023 Lucid Air sedans through a software-based approach rather than proactively replacing the hardware component itself.

The issue centered around HVCH units supplied by Webasto AG, which could suffer an internal delamination failure. If the heater failed, affected vehicles could lose windshield defrost capability, potentially reducing driver visibility in cold or humid conditions and increasing crash risk.

Lucid’s first recall in January 2024 covered vehicles manufactured before July 2022. Instead of replacing the heater in every affected vehicle, Lucid deployed an OTA software update designed to detect HVCH failures and immediately notify drivers through the vehicle’s glass cockpit display.

At the time, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) questioned whether that approach went far enough.

As Drive Tesla reported when the investigation began in February 2024, regulators were concerned drivers could discover the failure during an active drive before having an opportunity to seek service. The agency specifically questioned whether a warning message alone was sufficient to protect owners from a sudden loss of windshield defrosting capability.

Lucid defended its approach, arguing its vehicles were capable of actively monitoring the heater system and warning drivers before the issue became a broader safety concern.

According to documents released on Thursday, the NHTSA ultimately agreed the software-based strategy was effective enough to close the investigation.

ODI said it had not received any complaints related to Lucid’s recall remedy since the investigation opened. The agency also reviewed Lucid’s internal data and found post-remedy failure rates were just 0.14%, with no reported cases involving loss of visibility through the windshield.

There was one reported property damage claim allegedly tied to the recall remedy, but investigators concluded the incident did not warrant additional action.

The investigation also highlighted an important distinction between Lucid’s system and similar recalls involving Jaguar Land Rover vehicles using the same Webasto-supplied heater. In Jaguar’s case, the automaker opted to replace the hardware outright because its vehicles lacked the ability to detect impending HVCH failures and warn drivers in advance.

Lucid’s software architecture allowed the company to remotely monitor the component and alert drivers when a failure was detected, something ODI noted during its review.

The agency emphasized that closing the investigation does not mean a safety defect does not exist. NHTSA said it reserves the right to reopen the case or pursue additional action if future issues emerge.

You can read the NHTSA closing resume below.