For the second time in less than two months, Tesla is issuing an over-the-air software update after a safety recall of almost all its vehicles in the United States.

The maker of electric cars, SUVs and trucks is recalling nearly 2.2 million vehicles because the font sizes on its warning lights are too small, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said this week. A recall notice on NHTSA’s website Tuesday said the font size on the instrument panel for the brake, park and anti-lock brake system is smaller than what is required by federal regulations. The regulations say the letter font sizes must be at least 3.2 millimeters, or ? of an inch.

“Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash,” wrote Alex Ansley, chief of NHTSA recall management division, in a letter to the company.

The company has already started to distribute an over-the-air software update to all owners, free of charge. The recall applies to nearly every Tesla model dating as far back as the 2012 Model S, and as recently as the 2024 Cybertruck pickup. Not only is it Tesla’s biggest recall ever, but it’s also the first product recall affecting the recently released Cybertruck.

The issue was discovered in a routine compliance audit on Jan. 8, according to a chronology released by NHTSA, after which point Tesla initiated a voluntary recall. Regulators say they are not aware of any injuries or deaths associated with this problem, but the company did identify three related warranty claims.

This week’s announcement follows a recall in December, when Tesla issued an over-the-air software update for the safety controls on the Autopilot system installed in most of its vehicles.

(c) 2024 , The Washington Post · Aaron Gregg 

Source: Matzav