Tesla recalls 130,000 cars due to infotainment system overheating issue
What's the story
Tesla has recalled 1.3 lakh cars in the US due to an overheating issue which might cause the display of the central infotainment system to malfunction. The recall involves the S and X cars for model years 2021 and 2022 as well as the 3 and Y vehicles of model year 2022 only. The issue will be resolved via an over-the-air (OTA) software update.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The automobile industry is becoming more high-tech with every passing day, with a wide variety of features being offered on the latest cars. However, this over-reliance on technology is also becoming a cause of worry, with companies being forced to recall their models at regular intervals - a move earlier unheard of. Thankfully, the fix is pretty simple in case of this Tesla recall.
Problem
What is the issue?
The CPU of the infotainment system might overheat and prevent the display from showing images from the warning lights and the rear-view camera, thus posing a safety hazard. Tesla informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it had received around 120 field reports and warranty claims that might be related to the issue. However, no injuries or crashes were reported.
Repetition
Camera-related issues continue to plague Tesla
Tesla has issued several recalls over camera-related issues. In March, 947 vehicles were recalled because they failed to display the rear-view image while reversing. Similarly in December last year, 3,56,309 units of Tesla Model 3 belonging to 2017-2020 were brought back to address rear-view camera problems. NHTSA claimed that the rear-view camera cable harness might be damaged by the opening/closing of the trunk lid.
Information
Tesla has issued 11 recalls in 2022
In the US this April, 48,000 Tesla Model 3 Performance cars were recalled over an issue that caused the speedometer to vanish while in 'Track Mode'. The brand has issued 11 recalls this year, tied with Stellantis for the fourth position.