Nearly half a million Tesla Model 3 and Model S sedans are being recalled over safety issues

After hitting a string of incredible milestones in 2021, news has broken just before year-end that Tesla is recalling its Model 3 and Model S sedans over safety issues. 

With 356,309 Model 3 (2017 - 2020) and 119,009 Model S sedans involved, the latest move marks the carmaker's largest-ever recall, amounting to nearly half a million affected vehicles.

The Model 3 sedan is apparently facing issues with its rearview camera, whose cable harness runs the risk of damage from the opening and closing of the trunk lid. Ultimately, this could lead to it failing to display properly on the infotainment screen.  

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised regarding the security of the hood latch on the front trunk (or frunk) of the Model S. Tesla says this increases the risk of a crash because it could open without warning and obscure the driver's view out onto the road.

Nonetheless, the EV-maker has also reiterated that it is not aware of any accidents related to both issues thus far.

Among the nearly 800 new Teslas plying Singapore's roads this year, the Model 3 sedan, of course, takes up the lion's share since it is currently the only model offered by the official dealership. The Model S, on the other hand, has only been available through Parallel Importers. It is unclear if these are affected (although unlikely, especially for the Model 3).

Before the pitchforks against Tesla come out, it must be pointed out too that nearly every carmaker has succumbed to vehicle recalls at some point.

Toyota and Volkswagen, the two largest carmakers, have both been involved with vehicle recalls on a far larger scale more than once. For Singapore most recently, a fire risk issue involving close to 1.07 million Toyota Priuses worldwide in 2018 saw Borneo Motors reaching out to 4,115 local drivers of the hybrid car to carry out repairs. 

While acknowledging that recalls are undesirable by any measure, analysts have dismissed concerns over what the news means for Tesla's long-term growth. Specifically, they note that mistakes are inevitable for manufacturers scaling up production, while also suggesting that the magnitude of the safety issues and volume of recalls pale in comparison to what the auto industry has experienced.  

Instead, what perhaps continues to worry regulators on the safety front is Tesla's unorthodox approach to in-car infotainment and autonomous driving. The carmaker recently found itself under investigation because its infotainment system had apparently not been preventing drivers from playing video games on the car's screen while driving. Debates also continue to swirl around the cars' Full Self-Driving capabilities.

sgCarMart has reached out to Tesla Singapore for comment on Singapore's Teslas, and will update this article if we hear back.