Tesla recalls over 1.6 mln cars in China

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Electric carmaker Tesla has announced a recall involving more than 1.6 million of its vehicles in China due to safety risks, China's top quality watchdog said on Friday.

The recall, effective immediately, affects 7,538 imported Model S and Model X vehicles manufactured from Oct. 26, 2022 to Nov. 16, 2023, according to a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Defects in the cars may cause car doors to unlock during a collision, thereby posing a safety hazard, the statement said.

The carmaker's Beijing branch has promised to provide over-the-air software updates for the recalled cars to address the issue. The updates will be free of charge.

The recall also includes nearly 1.61 million imported Model S, Model X, Model 3, and domestically-manufactured Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced between Aug. 26, 2014 and Dec. 20, 2023.

According to the statement, when the automatic assisted steering feature is activated in these vehicles, drivers might misuse the combined assisted driving function, increasing the risks of a collision.

Tesla's Beijing and Shanghai branches will use over-the-air technology to update these cars with newly-developed features that help fix the problem, said the statement.