Tesla recalling thousands of cars in US, China

Tesla on Thursday issued new recalls on thousands of its vehicles in the U.S. and hundreds that were exported to China due to seat belt- and tire-related safety issues. 

Tesla said in a notification to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it is recalling 5,530 Model 3 vehicles from 2018 to 2020 and Model Y cars from 2019 to 2021, saying that the front seat shoulder belt may not be properly attached, according to Reuters. 

The car manufacturer also said it is recalling 2,166 Model Y vehicles from 2019 to 2021 due to potential issues with the fasteners that secure the left and right second-row seat belt retractors. 

Tesla said in its statement that it is working on repairing the issues, adding in “the unlikely event that damage to the b-pillar hole threads and/or top loop is found during the inspection, Tesla Service will repair the hole threads and/or replace the top loop.”

The news came the same day that China’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced that Tesla had recalled more than 700 Model 3 electric cars due to either a seat belt issue or a tire problem that could increase the risk of collision, CNBC reported. 

The Chinese agency said that Tesla would be notifying affected car owners, as well as conducting free inspections and repairs. 

The Hill has reached out to Tesla for additional information. 

Thursday’s recalls are the latest in a series issued by Tesla for its vehicles in China and the U.S. in recent months, with the NHTSA on Wednesday saying that Elon Musk’s company was recalling 5,974 Model 3 vehicles from 2019 to 2021 and 2020 to 2021 Model Y vehicles due to potentially loose brake caliper bolts. 

The NHTSA said in February that Tesla was recalling thousands of sedans and SUVs over issues with the vehicles’ touch screens that reportedly caused them to fail after a certain amount of time. 

The Associated Press reported at the time that an estimated 135,000 cars were impacted by the touch screen recall.