Tesla Initiates Recall of 2.2 Million Vehicles Due to Warning Light Font Size Issue

In response to concerns raised by federal safety regulators, Tesla has issued a recall affecting 2.2 million vehicles on US roads due to an issue with the font size of warning lights displayed on its vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) brought attention to the problem, which was discovered during a routine audit of Tesla vehicles.

According to the NHTSA, warning lights with a smaller font size can potentially make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, thereby increasing the risk of accidents. Tesla, however, has clarified that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries directly caused by this font size problem.

To address the issue, Tesla plans to implement a solution through an over-the-air software update. This approach ensures that Tesla owners will not be required to bring their vehicles into a Tesla service center for corrective measures.

The recall encompasses a substantial portion of Tesla’s vehicles on US roads, including the recently released Cybertruck pickup, the Model X and Model Y SUVs up to the current 2024 model year, and the Model S and Model 3 sedans up to the 2023 model year.

While this recall is significant, it is comparatively less impactful than some of Tesla’s previous recalls. In December, the electric vehicle manufacturer issued an over-the-air recall to limit the use of its Autopilot feature following a two-year probe by the NHTSA into around 1,000 crashes involving the feature.

About a year ago, Tesla recalled all 363,000 US vehicles equipped with its “full self-driving” (FSD) feature. The recall was prompted by NHTSA findings that cars operating with the FSD feature were violating traffic laws. Additionally, the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board have been investigating incidents involving Tesla vehicles using various driver assist features, including crashes into emergency vehicles at accident scenes.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature, offered at an additional cost, remains a key selling point for the company, both for car buyers and investors. Despite challenges, Tesla continues to navigate issues associated with its advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving features.