Tesla (TSLA) is recalling thousands of its Model Y vehicles due to concern about loose seat bolts, federal safety regulators said.
The recall affects about 3,470 Model Year 2022-2023 vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The agency said in a Feb. 27 filing that the bolts securing the second-row seat back frames in the midsize SUVs may come loose because "they may not have been torqued to specifications."
NHTSA said the issue could reduce the performance of the seat-belt system and increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Tesla said it became aware of the problem in December. The company said that was not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the problem.
As of Feb. 23, Tesla said, it had identified five warranty claims that may be related to the problem.
Tesla Service Centers will inspect and tighten the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 25. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Earlier Recall Involving Self-Driving Software
Last month, NHTSA said the Austin carmaker would have to recall more than 360,000 of its vehicles due to risks associated with its self-driving software.
The agency said the system may allow Tesla cars to "act unsafe" around intersections and respond "insufficiently" to changes in posted speed limits.
The recall involved around 362,758 cars made between 2016 and 2023, including certain Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
Unlike the most recent recall involving the seat bolts, Tesla said it would issue a software based over-the-air recall. CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the word “recall” "for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and just flat wrong!”
During its March 1 Investor Day, Tesla announced a new vehicle manufacturing platform, or New Generation Vehicle, which it said was more efficient and reduced costs.
Tesla's next-gen vehicle allows a 40% reduction in manufacturing footprint in the factory and a 50% reduction in cost, the company said.
