The US National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called on Tesla to recall 158,000 Model S and Model X cars due to malfunctioning touchscreens in order to completely replace them, according to a source in the Wall Street Journal. The fact is that the 17-inch touchscreen displays installed in the company’s electric cars provide access to control of important car functions, including even security measures, rear-view cameras, and so on. Considering that displays are likely to fail after a few years, this puts Tesla owners at risk.
Earlier, there was information that displays in electric cars of a well-known company do not withstand vibration, temperature fluctuations in the cabin and other operating features – the screens not only fail, but also turn yellow and become covered with bubbles. The problem was not so widespread, so Tesla got off with a slight fright – the manufacturer replaced the defective parts, so a scandal was avoided. But now the US federal executive branch is getting into the action, which is concerned about the safety of motorists and recommends Tesla replace displays on a huge number of cars.
It is important to note that the letter sent on January 13 to NHTSA is only a request to Tesla to replace the 17-inch screens in the Model S and Model X. That is, for now, the message is advisory in nature, and Tesla representatives must respond by accepting or refusing the offer from the civil service. On the other hand, if Tesla cannot provide a compelling reason for refusing to replace defective displays, then NHTSA may well demand that all vehicles be recalled in court to ensure motorists are completely safe.
It is worth noting that this is not the first demand to recall a large batch of Tesla cars – earlier the manufacturer had to recall 123 thousand Model S because of the bolts, which in cold weather could cause a failure of the steering system.