Tesla has issued a recall for its all-electric Semi truck just three months after it launched.
According to a notice published online by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the voluntary recall involves an “electronic parking brake valve module [that] may fail to move into the park position when the parking brake is activated.”
It added that “if the parking brakes are not engaged when the driver expects them to be and the driver releases the service brakes, the vehicle may unintentionally move, increasing the risk of crash.”
Fortunately, no crashes, injuries, or deaths relating to the defect have been reported to date.
The NHTSA says that only 35 Semi trucks are affected, but as Tesla hasn’t shared any Semi production data, it’s not clear what percentage of the trucks already on the road the recall involves. Considering the vehicle only launched a few months ago, it’s possible the defect affects most or all of the Semi trucks manufactured so far, though this has yet to be confirmed.
Tesla will replace the defective part free of charge, and owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on May 23. Tesla Semi owners or operators wishing to speak to a Tesla customer service representative about the issue can call 1-877-798-3752 quoting Tesla’s number for the recall: SB-23-33-001.
The automaker first announced the fully electric Semi truck in 2017, though due to various issues, it didn’t go into production until last fall.
Tesla chief Elon Musk personally delivered the first Semi at a special event at the company’s new Giga Texas site near Austin in December 2022. Pepsi is the first customer, placing an order for 100 of the vehicles, though other firms such as Walmart, UPS, DHL, and Anheuser-Busch are reportedly among other firms to have ordered the electric truck.
The Semi sports a sleek look and can hit 60 miles per hour in 20 seconds when loaded to its 80,000-pound maximum gross vehicle weight. The base price for the 300-mile-range version is reportedly $150,000, while the 500-mile model starts at $180,000.
