Tesla Recalls 218,000 EVs in U.S. Over Backup Camera Delay; China Takes No Parallel Action

On May 6, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that Tesla will recall 218,868 electric vehicles in the United States. The recall affects Model 3 vehicles from model years 2017 and 2021–2023, Model Y vehicles from 2020–2023, and Model S and Model X vehicles from 2021–2023. The recall stems from a delay in displaying the rearview camera image when the vehicle is shifted into reverse gear, which violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, requiring that rearview camera image latency not exceed two seconds. The issue will be resolved via an over-the-air (OTA) software update without requiring any hardware replacement, and affected owners are expected to receive notification by July 3. China’s national standard GB15084 imposes stricter requirements on rearview camera system latency, mandating a delay of less than 200 milliseconds. Although some users have reported that certain Tesla vehicles take nearly 20 seconds to display the rearview image during cold starts, as of now, no recall related to this issue has been issued in the Chinese market.