Tesla is recalling thousands of Model Y vehicles – and this time the word “recall” is arguably apt.
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With other recent recalls, CEO Elon Musk has expressed frustration with the word “recall” itself, as Tesla – unlike some rivals – was able to fix the issues simply via an over-the-air software update. Traditionally, the word “recall” means that someone takes their car to a mechanic for work.
For example, last month, under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla “recalled” more than 360,000 vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta software due to apparent crash risks.
But since the fix only requires a software update, Musk agreed with a Twitter user who wrote, “It seems that terminology needs to be introduced to differentiate between recalls and software updates. Because you know, one needs something to get called back and the other doesn’t.”
Musk replied: “Sure. The word ‘recall’ for an over-the-air software update is anachronistic and downright wrong.”
He made a similar statement last September, tweet: “The terminology is outdated and imprecise.” That was after a “recall” of 1.1 million Tesla vehicles to ensure they were fully compliant with NHTSA safety requirements regarding power windows. “This is a minor over-the-air software update,” Musk added.
From the start, Tesla has designed its vehicles with the benefit of wireless repairs and updates in mind.
Last year, the consulting firm Deloitte published a study on software-defined vehicles, calling Tesla “the ultimate leader” of the trend. “The transformation of the software-defined vehicle will be an inexorable trend that will drive the development of the automotive industry over the next five to 10 years,” it added.
But this time there might be real bolts rattling around, and they need to be physically tightened for safety reasons. As an NHTSA recall report filed in late February explained, in 3,470 Model Y cars (2022-2023), “one or more of the bolts that secure the backrest frames to the lower seat frame may not be torqued to specification .”
It means that “the seatbelt system may not operate as designed in a collision, which could increase the risk of injury to occupants in the affected second row seats,” it noted.
It added: “On February 23, 2023, Tesla has identified 5 warranty claims received between December 9, 2022 and February 14, 2023, which may be related to the conditions described above. Tesla is not aware of any injuries or deaths that may be related to such conditions.”
Fortune contacted Tesla, but did not receive an immediate response.
This story was originally on Fortune.com
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