Latest Tesla Recall is in Response to Faulty Pedestrian Warning Sounds

Tesla has another recall on its hands.

The luxury electric vehicle manufacturer is recalling nearly 600,000 vehicles, Reuters reports. Tesla told federal regulators that pedestrians may not be able to hear required sounds of approaching cars.

U.S. regulations require electric and hybrid cars to emit an alert sound for pedestrians when vehicles are traveling under about 19 miles per hour. The so-called “quiet car” rule was enacted because covered vehicles do not emit exhaust noise and can be harder to hear at low speeds. 

Tesla said loud music or other sounds from its “Boombox” function may dull the pedestrian warning sound. The feature allows Tesla drivers to play music and other sounds externally, using the vehicles’ pedestrian warning system speaker.

“While Boombox and the pedestrian alert sound are mutually exclusive sounds, sounds emitted using Boombox could be construed to obscure or prevent the PWS from complying with [federal regulations] when the vehicle is in motion,” Tesla said in a defect notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall covers certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The company said it would deploy an over-the-air software update to disable the Boombox function while vehicles are in Drive.

Tesla said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries caused by the defect. 

Stuck with a Defective Tesla in California? Know Your Rights

The recall comes as Tesla is facing increasing attention from federal regulators.

“Tesla has issued 10 U.S. recalls over the last four months, including four in the last two weeks,” David Shepardson writes for Reuters. “Several of Tesla's recent recalls have come soon after NHTSA raised questions about features or complaints.”

The company recently announced it was recalling nearly 54,000 vehicles equipped with “full self-driving” software because they could blow through stop signs. 

Federal investigators continue to look into accidents in which Teslas crashed into parked emergency vehicles. They are trying to determine what role the vehicles’ Autopilot driver-assist system was involved in the collisions. Separate crashes in California, Texas and Florida have reportedly been linked to Autopilot and motorists possibly taking their eyes off the road.

The good news for Tesla owners in California is that you do not need to wait for a recall to get defective vehicles fixed.

The California lemon law requires car manufacturers to do a variety of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires the companies to buy back or replace cars that they cannot or will not fix.

Tesla and other manufacturers are additionally forced to pick up the tab for any legal fees that owners incur while enforcing their lemon law rights.

Talk with an Orange County Lemon Law Attorney

If you are stuck with a lemon or locked in a dispute with a car manufacturer over repairs, the Orange County lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help. 

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with an Orange County lemon law attorney.