Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles in China due to issues with steering software and door-locking systems, according to the country’s regulatory body, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). The recall encompasses Tesla’s popular models, including S, X, 3, and Y, along with 7,538 imported vehicles.
The reported problems will be addressed through remote software updates, eliminating the need for owners to take their vehicles to dealerships or service centers. This massive recall comes on the heels of Tesla’s recent recall of two million cars in the United States, citing autopilot software issues.
In May of the previous year, the Chinese regulator had highlighted potential acceleration and braking system concerns affecting over a million vehicles. Subsequent investigations by the American electric car giant revealed issues not only with assisted driving functions but also with door-locking systems.
Despite the remote nature of the planned software update, SAMR officially categorizes it as a recall. Tesla will deploy an over-the-air software update for a total of 1,610,105 vehicles, including imported Models S and X, as well as domestically produced Models 3 and Y manufactured between 2014 and 2023, SAMR confirmed.
SAMR explained that the update aims to address issues with the autosteer function, ultimately reducing the risk of collisions. “For vehicles within the scope of this recall, when the automatic assisted steering function is turned on, the driver may misuse the level two combined assisted driving function, increasing the risk of vehicle collision and posing a safety hazard,” stated SAMR.
Additionally, Tesla will roll out a software upgrade for 7,538 units of Models S and X to rectify concerns related to doors potentially unlocking during crashes.
This development marks a second setback for Tesla in China, as BYD, a prominent Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, overtook Tesla in global electric car sales during the last quarter of 2023. It follows a similar incident in 2022 when Tesla recalled nearly 128,000 cars in China due to a rear motor inverter defect.
Tesla, which holds a significant share of the consumer market in China, where the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles has been incentivized through subsidies, faces these challenges amid the Chinese government’s push for a majority of clean energy-powered cars by 2035.
The company’s major manufacturing facility in Shanghai, Tesla’s first “gigafactory” built outside the United States, delivered a staggering 947,000 vehicles in 2023, according to the state news agency Xinhua. This recall underscores the intricate dynamics of Tesla’s position in the rapidly growing Chinese electric vehicle market x,x,x,x,x,x.
