Tesla recalls 240,000 cars (but not for the reason you'd think)

Tesla has issued yet another recall on nearly 240,000 vehicles for issues surrounding a short-circuiting board that may make the rearview camera unusable. The recall notice says that "certain" 2024-2025 Model 3, 2024-2025 Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and 2023-2025 Model Y vehicles are affected.

Related: Tesla's self-driving components are failing, and owners are mad

How Tesla is addressing the recall

The NHTSA says Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) update and will work to identify vehicles with circuit board failures or stressed circuit boards that may lead to failure. If Tesla detects a hardware issue, it will replace the board free of charge.

Though the notice doesn't say as much, an OTA update is likely only a remedy for vehicles without broken circuit boards. If the hardware is affected, it will need to be replaced.

How serious is this recall?

Losing the backup camera isn't the worst thing that can happen, but it's definitely an annoyance. The recall doesn't say if the short-circuiting board affects other features, so the problem seems to be limited to the rearview camera, at least for now.

Even if your Tesla isn't showing signs of an issue, it's best to check for an OTA update as soon as possible to avoid a trip to the dealership.

Related: Burning Teslas in LA add toxic barriers to wildfire cleanup

This isn't the only problem Tesla has right now

Tesla seems to be squarely in the crosshairs of the NHTSA lately. The automaker is also being investigated for its "Actually Smart Summon" feature, a self-driving mode in which the car drives itself to the owner, usually in a parking lot. According to the NHTSA, this feature caused some Teslas to collide with stationary objects like parked cars.

The rearview camera board isn't even the only thing short-circuiting in Teslas. Another recent report details how the A14.1 computer, which handles self-driving capabilities, has been failing for Tesla owners since mid-2024. The fault can happen at any time and may render the vehicle unusable.

Final thoughts

Tesla's OTA updates program has proven successful in addressing recalls without a visit to a service center. A recent report notes that 5,137,968 Teslas were affected by recalls last year, and 5,098,363 of them were fixed via an OTA update. That means a software update fixed about 99.2 percent of recalled Teslas in 2024.

The good news is that if Tesla's OTA ratio applies to this recall, only about 2,000 vehicles will need to be taken to a dealership to have their circuit boards replaced, avoiding time-consuming visits for any driver.

Teslas had its share of recalls in 2024, but Stellantis, Ford, Honda, GM, BMW, and Kia all had more recalls last year. Most vehicles recalled from those companies need to be taken to dealerships, further underscoring how convenient an OTA program is for owners.

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