Not long after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall related to heating issues in some Tesla vehicles, Transport Canada followed suit. In fact, the organization's recall became official on February 3, 2022, just a day after NHTSA posted its recall.
For those who haven't been closely following, Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners in cold climates have been reporting a dangerous lack of heat. Tesla insisted it was likely due to a problem with a software update, though its over-the-air software updates, which aimed to fix the problem, have proven largely unsuccessful.
Similar to NHTSA's recall, Transport Canada considers the heating problem a safety issue since the lack of heat makes it difficult for owners to properly defrost the windshield. While the lack of heat, in general, can be very dangerous in frigid temps, not being able to see is arguably a more pressing issue.
According to Teslarati, Transport Canada notes that “reduced visibility could increase the risk of a crash.” The Transport Canada recall applies to over 2,000 Tesla vehicles, including Model 3 and Model Y EVs from 2021 and 2022, as well as Model S sedans from 2020 through 2022. The recall states via Teslarati:
“Certain vehicles could have a loss of cabin heating in cold temperatures. If this happens, the windshield defrost and defog system may not work properly.”
Transport Canada had fielded 171 complaints about related issues as of February 1, 2022, all of which appear to have come from Model Y and Model 3 owners. The organization previously opened an Issue Assessment investigation back in early January after receiving six related complaints. Transport Canada says the problem only impacts Tesla's vehicles with firmware updates 2021.44 through 2021.44.30.6.
