Tesla Recalling 1.68 Million Cars in China Over Hood Problem

By Jiahui Huang

Tesla is recalling 1.68 million cars in China to fix the same hood problem that recently affected models in the U.S.

The U.S. electric-vehicle maker will issue an over-the-air software update to correct the problem, which affects imported S and X models and 3 and Y models made in China from late 2020 to mid-2024, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said late Tuesday.

Tesla will contact owners of any vehicles that can't be fixed via the OTA update, the regulator said.

The recall arises from a failure to detect and issue alerts when a vehicle's hood is unlatched, raising the risk of accidents, it said.

Tesla didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Tesla recently released an OTA software update for vehicles in the U.S. for the same reason of failure to detect an unlatched hood. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last week that the recall affected up to 1.85 million vehicles.

The China recall is Tesla's fifth this year, all of which were addressed first via OTA updates. The company flagged thousands of vehicles in three recalls for failure to alert for not wearing seatbelts, a failed indicator when driving backward and the unlocking of doors during accidents. In January, it recalled about 1.61 million cars to fix problems related to assisted-driving features.

Write to Jiahui Huang at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

08-07-24 0154ET