Tesla has issued a new over-the-air (OTA) recall over concerns the seatbelt warning system may not work as intended. The fix will be a simple OTA software update that will be released in June.
According to the recall documents posted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website on Friday, the issue impacts over 125,000 vehicles, including 2021-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y.
Tesla says that in the affected vehicles the driver seatbelt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended, potentially leaving the driver unaware that their seatbelt is not fastened.
“On certain affected vehicles, an open trace in the driver seat occupancy switch may result in a loss of the audible and visual seat belt reminder signals when the driver’s seat belt is not fastened after the vehicle ignition is moved to the “on” or “start” position,” Tesla explains in the notice.
The software update will change how the seat belt reminder works. It will no longer check if the driver’s seat is occupied. Instead, it will only check if the driver’s seat belt is buckled and the ignition is on before activating the reminder signals.
Tesla is aware of 104 warranty claims that may be related to the issue, but is not aware of any collisions, fatalities, or injuries.
You can read the full OTA recall notice from the NHTSA below. Transport Canada has yet to issue a similar recall.
