In the Model 3 and Y, drivers are mistakenly activating cruise control, which might result in unexpected acceleration. A software upgrade will solve the problem.
In China, Tesla will return 285,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to a cruise-control issue.
Around 211,000 Model 3 cars produced in Tesla’s Shanghai factory, as well as over 35,000 imported Model 3s, are included in the recall. The recall also includes 39,000 Model Y crossovers, which were also manufactured in China.
Tesla owners will receive a free software update to fix the problem, which currently appears to be restricted to China.
Tesla began a recalling of more than 285,000 cars in China on Saturday, citing safety issues with the Model 3 and Model Y cruise control systems. According to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, cruise control can be accidentally turned on in some models when drivers attempt to change gears or accidentally brush the gear selector, possibly causing the car to speed suddenly. The recall affects 249,855 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured at Tesla’s Shanghai facility, as well as 35,665 imported Model 3s.
Tesla apologized for “any difficulty this may bring to our car owners” in a statement posted on Weibo, a prominent Chinese social media platform, and promised to “strictly obey national rules and continuously enhancing our safety protection.” Tesla owners in China who are affected by the recall will get a free software upgrade, which they may apply remotely or in person.
Some of these reasons are likely to blame for Tesla’s poor April sales in China, which totaled only 11,671 vehicles, down from 35,478 in March. Despite a recovery in May to 21,936 cars, sales are still down significantly from March. EV sales in China are soaring, up 177 percent year over year (compared to a 1% growth for passenger vehicles), and indigenous Chinese EV manufacturers like as Nio and Xpeng appear to be gaining ground on Tesla, with the American firm losing 4% of its EV market share in April.
Even though 35,665 of the impacted Model 3s were shipped to China, it is unclear where they were constructed, the recall does not appear to affect Tesla in the United States at this time. If the recall is extended to Teslas sold in the United States, we will update this report.
