Tesla Recalls China Vehicles Over Touchscreen Issue

China’s market regulator said on Monday that Tesla has issued a recall for some 107,293 China-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

The recall is due to overheating that may cause the centre touchscreen display to malfunction, amongst other issues, said the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

The overheating issue can also affect the windshield settings and gear displays, the SAMR said.

The recall affects vehicles manufactured in Shanghai at Tesla’s Gigafacory 3 for the China market and for export.

Blank touchscreen

The issue seems to be similar or identical to one that caused a recall of 130,000 US-made vehicles, as the company described in a notice last week.

In that notice the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that during fast-charging the central processing unit of the infotainment system may not cool sufficiently , causing it to slow processing or to restart.

“Slower processing or restarted processing could cause the center screen display to lag or appear blank,” the NHTSA said.

The issue could prevent drivers from using their backup camera, shifting using the touchscreen or adusting the speed of their windshield wipers using the touchscreen.

Software update

Tesla said it identified “59 warranty claims and 59 field reports” potentially related to the issue and wasn’t aware of any injuries or deaths caused by it.

The company is addressing the US recall through an over-the-air (OTA) software update that it began rolling out on 3 May.

Tesla saw a record decline in its China sales in April, according to new figures, with sales of only 1,512 vehicles on the mainland for the month, a decline of 98 percent from March.

Lockdowns across the country have hit car sales and consumer spending, and also forced Tesla to shut down its Shanghai plant for several weeks.

It again significantly slowed production at the plant last week due to supply issues.