Cars are having trouble with faulty adhesives and loose bolts
Tesla released recall orders for 9,537 of its vehicles in the US, including 9,136 Model Xs from 2016 and 401 Model Ys from 2020, Reuters says. The concerns were discussed with the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Tesla plans to recall vehicles for testing and fixing.
The lesser of the two orders concerns 9,136 Model Xs from the model year 2016. The NHTSA study reports that the cars feature cosmetic appliques that could have been added without a primer, which may cause the trim on the car roof to come off while driving at high speeds. Tesla states that a retention test will be added on potentially damaged cars and that primers and adhesives will be re-applied to ensure that the trim is correctly attached.
This isn’t the first time Tesla’s headache has been caused by roof fixtures. In one recent instance, Model Y lost its entire roof due to an incorrectly applied seal, but the malfunction seems to have been unrelated to the problems that caused today’s recalls.
A second smaller recall was released for 401 Model Y vehicles from the 2020 model year, which could have loose bolts in the front upper control arm that are attached to the steering knuckles of the car. Without correctly securing the nuts, the arm may be separated from the steering knuckles, affecting the driver’s ability to steer the vehicle. This is also not the first time that steering has been a problem for Tesla’s vehicles—a company that had recently recalled 123,000 cars from its Model S range over a power steering problem.
Tesla says in the NHTSA report that he is aware of only three vehicles impacted by loose bolts and that, overall, he is not aware of any crashes or casualties due to either recall. The recall is unlikely to have a direct effect on Tesla’s recent financial performance, which saw the valuation of the company’s shares rise by more than $40 billion ahead of its planned S&P 500 listing.
Tesla claims that it will inspect and fix the affected cars free of charge if they are liable for recall. The organisation did not respond immediately to a comment.
