Tesla announced today that it’s voluntarily recalling 11,000 Model X vehicles because improperly adjusted cables could cause the rear seat locking mechanism to fail during a crash.
The recall only covers vehicles with second-row fold-flat seats that were built between Oct. 28, 2016 and Aug. 16, 2017. SUVs with single-post seats are not affected.
All that’s needed to fix the seats is readjusting the cables, a repair Tesla says will take about 10 minutes. It also believes only 3 percent of the recalled vehicles exhibit this problem. To its credit, the problem was discovered internally before any reports surfaced.
If you own a Model X covered in the recall, you can either take your car to a dealer or use Tesla’s mobile repair unit. Until then, Tesla warns against have two adults sitting in the left and center second-row seats.
Today’s news closely mirrors a previous voluntary recall Tesla issued after it discovered that the third-row seat could fly forward during a crash. That recall affected 2,700 vehicles in total.
Jalopnik obtained the email Tesla sent to Model X customers earlier today.
Subject: Safety Notice
We are emailing to inform you of a proactive action Tesla is taking to ensure your safety as a Model X owner. During recent internal testing, Tesla determined that a small number of cables in the second row fold-flat seats in some 2016 and 2017 Model X vehicles may need to be adjusted. Although Tesla has not received reports of any issues or accidents relating to this condition, we will be inspecting the affected customers’ cars so that we can confirm whether any adjustment is needed. We are doing this out of an abundance of caution, because even though we have never seen it happen, if the cable is not properly adjusted, the seat back on the left side of the second row seats could move forward during a crash.
Our records show that you own a Model X affected by this voluntary recall. There are no parts required for this inspection, and the adjustment will take only about 10 minutes to complete. We can address 100% of these repairs via mobile service, and you will have the choice to do that or to bring in your car to a Service Center. We will be contacting you soon to schedule this according to your preference.
Until then, there is no issue with continuing to drive your Model X. We just ask that you temporarily avoid having two adults sit in the second row left and center seating positions at the same time. (Even with this issue, the seat is strong enough for a single adult or two children.) You may also continue to use child seats using the LATCH anchors, as these anchors are attached to the seat base and not the seat back. Note that this issue only affects Model X with fold-flat second row seats built between October 28, 2016 and August 16, 2017 and does not affect any vehicles with monopost seats.
Thank you for being a Tesla customer and we apologize for this inconvenience. Model X has received the highest rating in every category and subcategory in independent crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and we are committed to ensuring that Model X remains the safest SUV in the world.
If you have any questions, please contact us by phone at 844-248-3752 or by email at ServiceHelpNA@tesla.com.