Tesla recalls 300,000 vehicles due to taillight software issue

LOS ANGELES — Tesla is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles in the United States because a software glitch can cause taillights to turn off intermittently, increasing the risk of a crash.

Tesla said in documents released Saturday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the issue could affect one or both taillights on certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. turn signals are not affected by the software issue, the company said.

The automaker said it was releasing a software update online that would fix the problem.

The recall affects certain 2020 to 2023 Model Y SUVs and 2023 Model 3 sedans. This potentially represents 321,628 vehicles.

Tesla became aware of the problem last month after receiving complaints, mostly from customers outside the United States, that their vehicle’s taillights were not turning on. The company completed an investigation into the issue earlier this month.

The owners will be informed by letter from January 14. The company says in documents that vehicles in production and those slated for delivery received the update as of Nov. 6.

As of Nov. 14, Tesla had received three warranty claims due to the issue, but was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue, according to the documents.