The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into approximately 50,000 Tesla Model X SUVs from the 2022-2023 model years following two complaints about front seat belt failures.
According to reports on the NHTSA’s official website, the seat belts detached from the seat belt anchor pretensioner while the vehicle was in motion. No accidents related to the issue have been reported yet. Tesla has not commented on the matter.
One of the complaints was from a passenger in a Model X from Larkspur, California. The passenger reported that while the vehicle’s automatic braking system was activated, the upper body was thrown forward when a large truck parked on the side of the street opened unexpectedly in the path of the car. The force of the weight caused the seat belt anchor on the lower seat to detach completely.
The NHTSA will determine whether the issue will escalate to an engineering analysis before a recall can be implemented. While most of Tesla’s recalls are resolved through over-the-air software updates, the hardware-related problem with the seat belts could result in one of the few hardware-related recalls. If that’s the case, owners will need to visit Tesla service centers to fix the issue.
Tesla has always prided itself on safety, and any safety issue needs to be taken seriously. The company should cooperate fully with the NHTSA to resolve the problem promptly. The safety of Tesla’s customers must remain paramount, and the company should do everything possible to ensure that their vehicles are safe to drive.
