NHTSA Is Discussing Tesla Model S, X And 3 Recalls Regarding Camera Features

Tesla Model 3 is suspected to have a front camera malfunction. (photo: Tesla)

JAKARTA - The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday, December 9 that it was discussing with Tesla about its decision to replace the cameras in some US vehicles.

CNBC reported last Monday that Tesla replaced the front fender cameras in several hundred Model S, X, and 3 vehicles due to faulty circuit boards in them but has yet to issue an official recall.

NHTSA said it was "monitoring all data sources" including consumer complaints, and also urged "the public to notify NHTSA if they think their vehicle may have a safety flaw that is not part of the current recall."

US law "prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design defects that pose an unreasonable risk to safety," the agency said, adding that it had "strong enforcement tools to protect the public, to investigate potential safety issues, and act when we find evidence of non-compliance or misconduct. an unreasonable risk to safety."

As reported by Reuters, Consumer groups said regulators needed to see if Tesla should recall the faulty parts.

"The service campaign fix report for a malfunctioning front-end camera that is critical to Tesla's driver assistance suite is critical enough to vehicle safety to earn exploration by NHTSA," said Jason K. Levine, executive director at the Center for Auto Safety as quoted by Reuters.

"The reality is that the auto industry has a long history of choosing to undertake service campaigns over recalls, but it's too early to say if that's the case here," he added.

“Damage to the front fender camera, a security system used for blind spot monitoring, is likely to pose a safety risk,” said David Friedman, former administrative officer at NHTSA and now Vice President at Consumer Reports.

"If people lose reliable access to blind spot images, or the effectiveness of autopilot or automatic emergency braking is hampered, the damage appears to pose an unreasonable risk," he said.

Tesla was not immediately available for comment by Reuters on the matter.