Tesla pressured to recall 135,000 u.s. vehicles

WASHINGTON • Tesla, Inc. has agreed to recall 134,951 Model S and Model X vehicles because of touchscreen displays that could fail and raise the risk of a crash.

u.s. auto safety regulators sought the recall last month, according to a government website post on Tuesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made the recall request in a formal Jan. 13 letter to Tesla, saying it had tentatively concluded the 20122018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles pose a safety issue. Automakers usually agree to voluntary fixes.

The agency said touchscreen failures posed significant safety issues, including the loss of rear-view or backup camera images, exterior turn-signal lighting, and windshield defogging and defrosting systems that “may decrease the driver’s visibility in inclement weather.”

NHTSA had required Tesla to respond by Jan. 27. Tesla agreed that same day to the recall, the company said.

Tesla said in its filing that “in the interest of bringing administrative closure to the investigation and to ensure the best ownership experience for our customers” it agreed to a voluntary recall.