Tesla is recalling more than 1.6m Model S, X, 3 and Y electric vehicles exported to China for problems with their automatic assisted steering and door latch controls.
The recall, Tesla’s largest ever in China, affects the majority of the cars it has sold in the country, according to Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.
China’s state administration for market regulation announced the recall on Friday. The agency said Tesla in Beijing and Shanghai would use remote upgrades to fix the problems, so in most cases car owners would not need to visit Tesla service centers.
The recall follows another in the US last month of more than 2m Tesla EVs to improve its system for monitoring drivers.
The Chinese recall, due to problems with the automatic steering assist function, applies to 1.6m imported Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Ys. When the automatic steering function is engaged, drivers might misuse the combined driving function, increasing a risk of accidents, the notice said.
The recall to fix the door unlock logic control for imported Model S and Model X EVs affects 7,538 vehicles made between 26 October 2022 and 16 November 2023. It is needed to prevent door latches from opening during a collision.
The recall followed a two-year investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into a series of crashes – some deadly – that occurred while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use. The investigation found the system was defective.
The upgrades are intended to get drivers who use the Autopilot system to pay closer attention to the road. Documents filed by Tesla to the US government said the online software change will increase warnings and alerts to drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
However, research conducted by the NHTSA, the National Transportation Safety Board and other investigators shows that merely measuring torque on the steering wheel does not ensure drivers are paying sufficient attention.
China is a major market and manufacturing center for Tesla, and the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, has built close ties with Chinese officials even as US-China relations soured. The company built an electric vehicle plant in Shanghai in 2019 that assembles cars for China, Europe and other overseas markets.
Tesla is the No 2 seller in the booming Chinese market for electric vehicles. The market leader is Chinese auto company BYD, which recently overtook its US rival.