Tesla Recalls 48,000 EVs Over Speedometer Issue
This week, Tesla has issued another recall for a software problem in over 48,000 Model 3 electric vehicles. According to the NHTSA, an issue with “track mode” prevents the display from showing the proper speed reading.
While this is technically a “recall” in the traditional sense, most Tesla recalls aren’t the same as regular auto manufacturers. That’s because Tesla can quickly release software updates to fix a slew of minor issues, and that’s exactly what’s happening this week.
On select Tesla Model 3 vehicles, while the car is in “track mode,” the display shows the speed without its corresponding speed unit (mph or km/h), which is against federal guidelines. So while the car is still showing a speed, meaning drivers aren’t racing blind, it’s still not up to legal standards.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first nor the last Tesla recall situation. Most of those have included optional software update recalls, like the phantom braking some drivers experienced after a self-driving OTA update. Not to mention late last year, it issued an update to disable gameplay on the front infotainment display while vehicles were in motion.
Typically, owners must take a vehicle to a local dealership or shop for a fix when a vehicle receives a recall. With most of Tesla’s recalls, you’ll be able to easily apply the latest software from the comfort of your own home. Basically, this isn’t that big of a deal, and it’s a quick over-the-air software update recall.
Tesla says this latest recall is a minor issue that it discovered internally, then reached out to the NHTSA. The automaker says there are no indications of any crashes or injuries resulting from the problem. The recall includes the 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance model year, running firmware releases 2021.44.25 or later, up to the 2022.12 version.
According to Tesla, a new software update for Track Mode started rolling out around April 19th, and most vehicle owners should already be running it or will receive it shortly. Either way, Tesla will send all affected owners a recall notice within the next few months.