Tesla Issues Recall for 1.85 Million Vehicles Due to Unexpected Hood Openings

Tesla is familiar with recalls, but its latest one, affecting 1.85 million vehicles due to a software flaw that prevents detection of unlatched hoods, is among the largest in the company’s history.

This recall includes almost all Tesla models released since 2021, except for the Cybertruck, as well as Model Y cars from the 2020 model year. (On a positive note, it’s a good day for the Cybertruck!) Tesla has been implementing a software fix for this issue since June, following a notification about the potential defect from customers in China back in March, prompting a more extensive investigation.

Since the investigation began, Tesla has received reports of three similar cases from U.S. owners, according to Reuters, but none resulted in crashes or injuries. An unlatched hood could pose a serious risk by flying open while the vehicle is in motion, potentially obstructing the driver’s view and damaging the windshield.

Even though the necessary fixes are being delivered through over-the-air software updates, this recall marks Tesla’s second-largest to date. The largest recall involved nearly all of its 2 million vehicles in the U.S. last December to enhance the driver monitoring system associated with Autopilot. In April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated this earlier campaign following reports of over 20 crashes that may have involved Autopilot, despite the affected vehicles having received updates. The update also reportedly disabled Autopilot for some users.