Tesla is recalling vehicles for the ninth time since October. The recall affects almost 27,000 U.S. vehicles over a software issue that could cause windshield defrosting problems, according to a report posted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this week.
The NHTSA said the EV company's software used to defrost vehicles could cause issues with windshield visibility in particularly cold temperatures, increasing the risk of an accident. Tesla said the issue could allow a valve in its heat pump to unintentionally open and trap refrigerant inside the evaporator. Tesla said it's not aware of any collisions related to the software issue and will perform an over-the-air software update to address the issue.
The recall affects some 2021-2022 Model 3, Model S, Model X and 2020-2022 Model Y cars. Tesla began deploying firmware carrying the windshield issue in December, and the company began receiving complaints about a loss of heating performance later in the month, according to the report.
"The heat stops working at cold conditions," one complaint filed on Jan. 12 states. "Many other users have reported this problem ... I have experienced this myself when going on a trip back home from upstate NY to NC , I had no heat with temps outside being at 3 degrees F, not only was the car extremely cold causing me and my wife to get sick, but you can not use the defrost because there is no heat."
Tesla has faced a series of recalls in recent months. The company most recently recalled U.S. vehicles over its "rolling stop" feature, and recalled 475,000 vehicles in December because of defects with its rearview mirror camera and primary latch.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE