After having to conduct dozens of electric car recalls due to issues in 2023, the reason why electric car manufacturer Tesla had to initiate another recall at the beginning of 2024 can be considered quite peculiar.
Specifically, on February 1st (US time), Tesla submitted a recall notice for most of the electric car models that the company has sold – a total of 2,193,869 vehicles – to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The surprising thing is that this time the issue has nothing to do with the Autopilot system, steering wheel, or seat belts. Instead, the reason why Tesla has to recall the electric cars is due to “an incorrect font size.”
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According to the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), all motor vehicles equipped with hydraulic brakes must provide information to the brake warning system with a minimum font size of 3.2mm or 1/8 inch.
However, Tesla’s electric car models use smaller font sizes, and the company’s notification states:
“The font size displayed on the control panel for the Brake, Park, and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning lights is incorrect.
As a result, these vehicles do not comply with FMVSS requirements 105 for ‘Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems’ and 135 for ‘Light Vehicle Brake Systems’.”
The recall notice also explains why this seemingly “minor” issue could pose a hidden danger and needs to be addressed:
“The smaller font size of the warning lights can make important safety information on the control panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of accidents.”
The affected electric car models by the recall notice include the Tesla Cybertruck sold in 2024, Tesla 3 sold from 2017 to 2023, Tesla S from 2012 to 2023, Tesla X from 2016 to 2024, and Tesla Y from 2019 to 2024.
However, there is some good news, as with most previous Tesla recalls, vehicle owners may not have to go to Tesla service centers. Instead, the company will release a free software update over the internet to increase the font size.
The expected release date for the update is March 30, 2024.
Tesla Motors is one of the largest electric car manufacturers in the world, founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The company is named after inventor Nikola Tesla, who made significant contributions to the electric industry.
In 2004, billionaire Elon Musk invested, became chairman, and had a major influence on the company’s development.
Musk helped Tesla raise additional funding, develop new products, and expand manufacturing scale. He also turned Tesla into a leading technology company in the world.
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