Tesla is recalling 120,000 U.S.-based Model S and X vehicles from 2021 to 2023. This has nothing to do with last week’s massive two-million vehicle recall over Autopilot. This time, it’s that the doors of the cars in question could pop open in crashes if the locks aren’t activated, NHTSA reports.
Tesla claims that it first learned of the issue during a routine crash test on December 6, CNN reports. Since the issue was spotted by Tesla and reported to NHTSA immediately after, the company says it isn’t aware of any injuries related to the problem; it just doesn’t want to be held responsible for any potentially dangerous defects. It’s worth noting that that the company has historically ignored complaints from customers and shifted blame for defects onto customers.
The whole “doors staying closed in a crash” thing is kind of important. Modern vehicles are built with crashes in mind, so each component serves a vital purpose. Not only do closed doors prevent passengers from being thrown from the vehicle, but closed doors also help support the roof to prevent it from crumpling. While automatically locking doors before driving has long been standard practice to keep them closed in a potential crash, modern cars generally include extra latches to keep unlocked doors closed, too.
According to the NHTSA filing, Tesla will be recalling 120,423 vehicles; owners are expected to be notified via mailer on February 17, 2024, but an over-the-air safety update is expected to solve the issue. Affected owners shouldn’t even have to bring their car into a shop for recall-related repairs.
It’s one final effort by Tesla to pump up its already impressive recall numbers. Nearly all 2 million Teslas in the U.S. were recalled last week because its so-called “Autopilot” system gives drivers a false sense of security.