Tesla Recalls 475,000 Cars Over Safety Concerns

Tesla issued recalls for nearly half a million Model S and Model 3 vehicles over potential safety concerns resulting from malfunctioning trunk technology, Barron’s reported.

The recalls, submitted on Dec. 21 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are for issues related to opening and closing the trunk in around 355,000 Model 3 cars and for a misaligned front trunk latch assembly in roughly 120,000 Model S vehicles, Barron’s reported.

The Model 3 trunk issues could result in damage to the rearview camera cable harnesses, which would prevent drivers from being able to use their rearview cameras and thereby increase the likelihood of a crash. The Model S misalignment could cause the vehicle’s hood to open while driving and block the driver’s view of the road, also potentially increasing the likelihood of a crash.

Tesla expects only a small percentage of the recalled vehicles to display the safety issues, according to recall documents filed with the NHTSA.

The NHTSA is currently investigating Tesla over its autopilot system that may have caused several crashes. The agency will “assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation,” it said in August.

Tesla did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.