Tesla recall aims to end the chill in newer vehicles

By Trevor Mogg Updated February 10, 2022

In Tesla’s third recall announcement this month, the electric-car maker is having to address an issue with faulty software that’s affecting heat pump performance. The problem is preventing a number of newer cars from warming up and impacts their ability to sufficiently defrost icy windows, which could compromise safety.

The recall, announced this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), involves more than 26,000 Model S, X, 3, and Y vehicles from the 2021 and 2022 model years.

The faulty software may cause a heat pump’s valve to remain open, leading to reduced performance.

Besides leaving drivers in colder climates shivering in their cars, the issue can also prevent an icy windshield from defrosting sufficiently, resulting in reduced visibility that could increase the risk of a collision, the NHTSA said.

Tesla hasn’t received any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities linked to the issue, though a number of drivers have filed complaints about the loss of heating performance.

Tesla drivers running the faulty software may receive an alert on the vehicle’s user interface informing them that the cabin heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system’s performance is limited or unavailable.

The NHTSA said that firmware release 2021.44.30.7 — and releases after that — remedy the condition by reintroducing a particular software command.

Affected owners will be notified by mail in early April and be directed to resolve the issue by ensuring they install the latest firmware via an over-the-air update if they haven’t already done so.

It’s not the best of months for Tesla when it comes to recalls. Another announcement at the start of February involved just over 53,000 vehicles that needed to have an FSD (full self-driving) feature removed to prevent the vehicle from automatically rolling through stop signs, while last week the automaker recalled more than 817,000 vehicles to fix an issue where the seat belt reminder chime was failing to play when the driver hadn’t buckled up.

Wondering if your Tesla vehicle is affected by a recall? A quick way to find out is by heading to Tesla’s website and entering your vehicle’s unique 17-digit identification number.

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Cars

Tesla cuts price of touchscreen upgrade by $1,000 amid recall pressure

tesla media control unit price cut model s car

A massive 17-inch touchscreen is one of the signature features of the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X electric cars. Known as the media control unit (MCU), it's been pushed to its limits by the various new features Tesla has added over the years, so Tesla started offering an upgrade for older cars last year -- and it just cut the price of that upgrade by $1,000.

The price of the upgrade has dropped from $2,500 to $1,500 — with no explanation from Tesla. The listed price on the company's website was simply changed, according to Electrek. The upgrade switches out the MCU in older Model S and Model X electric cars with a more powerful version that can handle newer software features and is aimed at providing better touchscreen response as well.

Cars

Tesla asked to recall vehicles over touchscreen safety issue

the current state of autonomous vehicles tesla autopilot

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked Tesla to recall about 158,000 Model S and Model X vehicles due to an issue with the touchscreen that could cause it to fail, compromising the safety of those inside. The request follows as investigation by NHTSA that began last year.

A touchscreen failure results in the loss of the vehicle’s rearview/backup camera, and also impacts its Autopilot advanced driver assistance system. Various audible chimes linked to turn signals are also affected, and drivers are unable to use windshield defogging and defrosting systems, which may decrease the driver’s visibility in inclement weather, increasing the risk of a crash, according to a letter posted online by NHTSA on January 13.

Cars

Tesla recalls nearly 10,000 Model X and Model Y vehicles

tesla driver selection process model x crashes 1200x0

Tesla is recalling nearly 10,000 of its Model X and Model Y vehicles to sort out a couple of safety issues.
Model X
Announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week, the recall includes 9,136 Model X cars from model year 2016. It concerns a potential issue with two external trims, or appliques, which could come away from the top of the car as it’s in motion, risking the safety of the occupants of a vehicle following close behind.

As per the NHTSA: “The Model X is equipped with a cosmetic applique at the front of the roof just behind the windshield, known as the front applique, as well as an applique at the center of the roof in between the upper falcon door roof glass, known as the spine applique. Both appliques are adhered to the vehicle using urethane. If the applique-to-urethane interface lacks primer, then, over time, the adhesion may weaken, causing the applique to separate from the vehicle.”