Tesla Inc. is recalling 2.2 million vehicles in the United States, which includes almost all of its electric vehicles. The recall is due to incorrect font sizes on warning lights, posing an increased risk of accidents, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday.
This recall surpasses the 2.03 million vehicles that Tesla previously recalled in the U.S. just two months ago. During that recall, Tesla aimed to implement additional safety measures in its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been closely monitoring Tesla's autonomous driving features, designed to enable cars to automatically steer, accelerate, and brake within their lane.
The latest recall affects various Tesla models, including the Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles, according to the NHTSA. The agency emphasized that smaller font sizes on warning lights could make crucial safety information on the instrument panel challenging to read, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.
To address the issue, Tesla has initiated a free over-the-air software update starting from January 23. This update aims to increase the font size of visual warning indicators for the brake, park, and antilock brake system (ABS).
The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 135 mandates that warning indicators for vehicles with hydraulic brakes should be at least 3.2 millimeters, or one-eighth of an inch, high. The standard also requires contrasting colors between the written, visual warning, and the background, with one of them being red.
Tesla has begun implementing the software update on its Cybertruck units currently in production. This recall marks the first for the new electric pickup truck model that Tesla introduced to customers in November.
Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified through mail after January 31, with Tesla's stores and service centers in Austin, Texas, being informed as well.