2 defects forcing recall of 475,000 Tesla cars

Tesla has told federal regulators that it plans to recall more than 475,000 cars in the U.S. — nearly equivalent to its global deliveries last year — because of technical defects that may increase the risk of accidents.

One recall covers 356,309 Model 3 sedans from model years 2017 to 2020. Tesla told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that wiring to the rearview camera in those vehicles can be damaged by opening and closing the trunk. That could prevent images from appearing on the dashboard screen while the car is backing up, increasing the risk of a crash.

Tesla is also recalling as many as 119,009 Model S cars assembled from 2014 because of a faulty fronttrunk latch that could cause the hood to open unexpectedly, according to a separate NHTSA statement. The company said it will fix both issues free of charge.

Tesla reported the problems to the safety agency Dec. 21; the agency posted the recalls to its website Wednesday.

The moves come as the agency increases its oversight of Tesla after being criticized for lax oversight in previous years.

In August, it opened a formal investigation into the Tesla’s Autopilot system, which can steer, brake and accelerate a car on its own with minimal input from a driver.

The agency is looking at how Autopilot recognizes objects on the road, particularly parked emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing. The investigation is focusing on 11 instances in which Tesla cars operating in Autopilot mode ran into firetrucks or police cruisers that had stopped on highways. One crash resulted in a death.

In September, Tesla released a software update to improve Autopilot’s ability to recognize emergency vehicles but did not immediately initiate a recall, which is the normal procedure when an automaker fixes a safety defect. Facing pressure from the safety agency, Tesla announced a recall in October.

The agency also is reviewing more than two dozen other crashes since 2016 that involved cars operating using Autopilot. Eight of those crashes resulted in a total of 10 deaths.

Tesla earlier this year had to make a software fix to more than 285,000 cars in China — most of the vehicles it delivered there in recent years — to address a safety issue identified by the country’s regulator.