Tesla has issued a recall for over 1.85 million vehicles after investigating reports about the hood opening unexpectedly. Tesla discovered that deformed latch switches could prevent drivers from being notified when the hood is open. Therefore, the drivers may not know if they fully closed the hood, which could result in the hood flying open while the car is in motion. “Out of an abundance of caution,” Tesla decided to recall all affected vehicles.
Here’s the full list of vehicles that Tesla is recalling over the hood issue:
- All Tesla Model 3 vehicles manufactured between September 6, 2017 – July 15, 2024 and equipped with a hood latch produced in China
- All Tesla Model S vehicles manufactured since 2013
- All Model X vehicles manufactured since 2016
- All Model Y vehicles manufactured since 2020
To fix the problem, Tesla began rolling out an over-the-air software update for affected vehicles on June 18, 2024. Tesla notes that firmware release 2024.20.3 detects open hoods and notifies users on the vehicle’s interface if the hood is open. Newer versions of the firmware also feature the same notification, so if you own a Tesla, make sure it’s up to date.
Tesla also notes Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y cars currently in production received software release 2024.20.100 on July 15, which incorporates the fix.
As of July 20, Tesla says that it has identified three warranty claims or field reports in the US that might be related to the hood latching problem. That said, the vehicle manufacturer isn’t aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths caused by the issue.
NBC News points out that this is Tesla’s ninth recall of 2024. Just last month, Tesla had to recall all of its Cybertrucks due to faulty windshield wipers.