China’s market regulator has ordered a recall of over 1.1 million Tesla cars, covering nearly all the vehicles the company has sold in the country, due to a reported flaw in the regenerative braking system. The recall includes Model 3 and Model Y cars made in China between January 2019 and April 2023, as well as some imported Model 3, Model S, and Model X vehicles.
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According to officials, the recall was issued as there is a risk that drivers might misuse the pedals, since they can’t hear a revving engine and can’t set the intensity of regenerative braking or receive alerts with a sustained press of the accelerator. Tesla plans to fix the issue through a software update that will tweak the default regenerative braking level and enable users to customize the system’s strength. Additionally, drivers who press the accelerator for a long time will be notified.
Tesla has not commented on the recall, and the company recently disbanded its PR team. Bloomberg reports that Chinese drivers have complained multiple times about acceleration and braking issues. One driver highlighted a serious crash at the 2021 Shanghai auto show where her father nearly died after the brakes failed. Tesla apologized for the incident but did not acknowledge a glitch and noted the high speed before the collision.
This is not the first time Tesla has faced recalls. Last year, the company recalled 80,000 vehicles in China due to software and seat belt problems. Despite this, Tesla depends heavily on China for revenue, as it is home to the giant Gigafactory Shanghai that currently produces more than half of the firm’s cars each year. Therefore, the company cannot afford to alienate either customers or officials. While the software update is not expected to significantly disrupt Tesla’s business in the short term, it is still a concern for a brand that has had multiple recalls in recent years.
