Tesla issues massive recall for 1.6m cars in China over steering software concerns

Tesla has set to recall over 1.6 million electric vehicles in China, as announced by the country’s market regulator on Friday. The recall, prompted by identified issues with assisted driving functions and door-locking systems, will be addressed through remote over-the-air (OTA) updates to the affected cars’ software.

China plays a crucial role in Tesla’s global strategy, serving as both a substantial consumer market and the location of a major manufacturing plant in Shanghai. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) specified that the recall covers a total of 1,610,105 imported Model S, Model X, and Model 3, as well as domestic Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles produced between August 26, 2014, and December 20, 2023.

SAMR stated in an online announcement, “For vehicles within the scope of this recall, when the automatic assisted steering function is turned on, the driver may misuse the level two combined assisted driving function, increasing the risk of vehicle collision and posing a safety hazard.” The recall also includes 7,538 imported Tesla models manufactured between October 26, 2022, and November 16, 2023, due to identified issues with the door unlock logic controls.

This comes on the heels of Tesla’s previous recalls, including nearly 128,000 cars in China in 2022 due to a rear motor inverter defect and a recent recall of over two million vehicles in the United States and Canada last month over autopilot software risks.

The latest recall in China coincides with Chinese automaker BYD surpassing Tesla in global electric vehicle deliveries, according to fourth-quarter sales data. Despite Tesla’s Shanghai production facility delivering an impressive 947,000 vehicles in 2023, China’s push for electric and hybrid vehicles to combat pollution has resulted in BYD’s recent lead in the market.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, has expressed admiration for China’s “vitality and promise” during his visit to the country last spring, affirming his commitment to “continue deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.”