Tesla Model Y
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Tesla recalls Model Y cars

Tesla announced it is recalling certain 2022-2023 Model Y electric vehicles after the company identified loose bolts in the seat back frames that could increase the risk of injury. This follows a prior steering problem recall.

Tesla recalls 2022-2023 Model Y cars over seat bolt/seat belt issue

Tesla is recalling certain 2022-2023 Model Y vehicles over an issue affecting the bolts securing the second-row seat back frames may not have been securely tightened, cars.com reported.

A loose seat frame bolt may reduce the seat belt system’s performance, “which may increase the risk of an injury for occupants seated in affected second-row seating positions,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said.

The NHTSA recall date is February 26, 2023, and the NHTSA recall number is 23V130000.

The Tesla recall affects 3,470 of its 2022-2023 Model Y electric vehicles and comes after the company identified loose bolts in the second-row seat back frames that could cause seatbelts to not work correctly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury, CNN reported.

ABC reported that the number represents about 4% of the Model Y electric vehicles from 2022-2023.

How to check if your Tesla Model Y has loose seat bolts

Owners can check their Tesla Model Y to see if it is affected by loose bolts. One way to do this is by checking their second-row seat back frame to see if it folds improperly, feels loose, or rattles when driving.

On Tesla Model Y vehicles, the second-row driver- and passenger-side seat back frames are secured with four bolts per seat back, according to the report. However, the company says that during production for certain Model Y cars, one or more bolts securing the seat back frames to the lower seat frame “may not have been torqued to specifications.”

What owners of affected models should do

According to the NHTSA: Tesla Service Centers will inspect and tighten the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla’s number for this recall is SB-23-13-001.

Tesla issued another recall in February over a steering problem

Earlier in February, the NHTSA issued another Tesla recall (recall no. 23V085000) over a problem with its automated/adaptive steering.  Tesla recalled certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The problem “may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.” Additionally, the recall says “the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver’s adjustment of the vehicle’s speed to exceed posted speed limits.”