Tesla recalls nearly 13,000 US vehicles over battery connection risk

Tesla is recalling 12,963 vehicles in the US, citing a battery connection failure that may cause loss of drive power, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system due to reports of vehicles violating traffic laws, such as running red lights or driving into oncoming traffic.

The investigation covers about 2.9 million vehicles and focuses on 58 incidents that resulted in 14 crashes and 23 injuries.

It aims to determine if the system adequately warns drivers and provides sufficient time for intervention.

US NHTSA's probe

Earlier this month, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it will investigate 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system due to traffic safety violations after a series of crashes, reported news agency Reuters.

The auto safety agency stated that FSD, an assistance system that requires drivers to remain alert and intervene when needed, has caused vehicle behaviour that violates traffic safety laws.

NHTSA cited reports highlighting cases of Tesla vehicles running red lights and going against traffic during lane changes while using the system.

The agency reported six incidents involving Tesla vehicles with FSD. In these incidents, the vehicles approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded into the intersection despite the red light, and were later involved in crashes with other vehicles. Four of these crashes resulted in injuries in at least one case.

NHTSA stated it has 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, while operating at an intersection with the FSD system, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface.”

Last year, NHTSA initiated a probe into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD following four reported collisions in low-visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust, including a fatal crash in 2023.