Tesla has initiated a recall through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) affecting just 25 units of the 2024 Model X due to an issue causing the headlights to flicker under specific ambient temperature conditions. The problem, identified during routine quality checks, involves the vehicle’s lower beam headlamps and parking lamps failing to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 requirement for “steady burning” lights.
Showcasing the speed at which Tesla moves compared to the US federal government, the automaker has already resolved the issue through an over-the-air (OTA) software update deployed in August.
According to the recall document posted to the NHTSA website, the issue was first detected on August 12, 2024, in an undelivered Model X outside the United States. Tesla immediately began investigating the flickering condition, which was initially classified as a quality concern.
Over the following months, the company collaborated with the headlamp component supplier, Hella Automotive Mexico SA de CV, to conduct a root-cause analysis. The investigation revealed the issue stemmed from a unique combination of temperature variations, a software anomaly, and headlamp hardware produced near the limits of its design specifications.
To address the issue, Tesla deployed a global software update starting August 16, 2024. The update, integrated into software versions 2023.20 to 2024.26.7, ensured the headlights complied with FMVSS standards. By November 27, 2024, all affected vehicles in the United States had received the software fix.
Customers were not required to take any additional action, as the update and fix was installed automatically, leveraging Tesla’s OTA capabilities.
Tesla says the affected Model X vehicles were manufactured between June 5, 2024, and August 2, 2024. Tesla confirmed that vehicles produced after August 16, 2024, had the updated software installed during production, preventing the issue in the first place.
Additionally, the company verified that no other Tesla models shared the specific combination of headlamp hardware and software that caused the flickering.
You can read the full NHTSA recall notice below. Transport Canada has not yet issued a similar recall notice.
