Tesla announced on Friday that it is recalling approximately 239,000 vehicles in the United States due to potential malfunctions in the rearview cameras. The company stated that this issue is caused by a series of specific hardware and software configurations, as well as lower temperatures. When the vehicles are started, there may be reverse currents leading to a short circuit in the car’s computer board, resulting in loss of rearview camera images, reducing the driver’s rear visibility and increasing the risk of collisions.
The affected vehicles have received software updates from Tesla, altering the car startup sequence to prevent the short circuit issue. Additionally, Tesla will identify vehicles with existing circuit board problems and replace the onboard computers if necessary.
The models affected include the 2024-2025 versions of Model 3 and Model S, as well as the 2023-2025 versions of Model X and Model Y.
Since November of last year, Tesla has observed an increase in the demand for onboard computer replacements related to the short circuit issue, prompting an investigation. The company has reported 887 warranty claims and 68 recall-related reports, but no collisions, injuries, or fatalities related to this issue have been identified.
To address the problem, Tesla began equipping different versions of onboard computers in the Model 3, Model S, and Model X cars produced after December 16, 2024. Affected car owners will receive notifications by March 7, 2025. They can contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752, referencing the recall number SB-25-00-001.
Car owners can also reach out to the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or visit nhtsa.gov, citing recall number 25V-002 issued by the NHTSA.
According to a report by the recall management company Bizzycar, Tesla has the highest number of recalls in the United States, however, all issues can be resolved through software updates. The report highlights that the surge in electrical system recall incidents last year, affecting 6.3 million vehicles, was due to advancements in automotive technology.
In December 2024, Tesla recalled over 2 million vehicles to fix faulty Autopilot systems.