Tesla recalls over 300,000 vehicles for taillight issue

Tesla has recalled over 300,000 vehicles in the US. This is because a software glitch can cause the taillights to go out intermittently, increasing the risk of a collision.

Tesla said in a document released Saturday by the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the glitch could affect one or both of the taillights on certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Brake lights, backup lights and turn signal lights were not affected by the software issue.

The Elon Musk-owned automaker said it would release an online software update to fix the problem.

This recall covers certain Model Y SUVs from 2020 to 2023 and 2023 Model 3 sedans. This equates to potentially 321,628 vehicles.

Tesla became aware of the problem last month after receiving complaints, mostly from customers outside the United States, that their cars’ tail lights wouldn’t turn on. The company completed an investigation into the matter earlier this month.

Owners will be notified by letter beginning January 14th. In a statement, the company said that vehicles in production and those scheduled for delivery received an update from November 6th.

As of Nov. 14, Tesla had received three warranty claims for the issue, but was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the glitch, according to the documents.

It was not immediately clear how many vehicles affected by the recall were sold in Canada.