Tesla Recalls 321,000 Model 3s, Model Ys Due to Rear Taillight Issue

A Tesla Model 3 with working taillights.Photo: Tesla

Tesla is recalling over 321,000 vehicles in the U.S. because of a taillight issue that could intermittently cause them not to illuminate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the recall covers some 2023 Model 3s and 2020-2023 Model Ys.

The company says it was made aware of the issue following three customer complaints made in late October of this year. An investigation found that in some cases, the taillights may not work due to an issue that may cause false fault detection during the vehicle’s wake up process. That being said, the brake lights, backup lights and turn signals continued to work just fine.

The company says it isn’t aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths related to the taillight issue on the Model 3s and Model Ys.

Like most Tesla recalls, this one will be handled in an over-the-air update that should, in theory, fix the issue. However, customers will still be receiving a notification letter that is expected to be mailed on January 14, 2023.

This latest Tesla recall comes on the heels of nearly 30,000 Model X crossovers being recalled due to a passenger airbag deployment issue. It now brings Tesla’s 2022 recall total to 19, and those 19 recalls have covered over 3.7 million vehicles, according to Reuters.