Tesla recalls 1.1 million cars for window failure

(CNN Business) — Tesla reported that it detected a flaw in the windows of 1.1 million cars that could pinch occupants as they close.

The windows are supposed to stop if they detect an obstacle in their path, but Tesla said tests uncovered a possible problem with some of its windows. The company said it should be able to fix the problem with an over-the-air software update, and car owners won’t need to bring their cars in for repairs.

Tesla’s filing with federal safety regulators said it is not aware of any reports from owners related to the problem, let alone injuries or deaths, and that the problem was only discovered during testing.

The models involved are the 2017-2022 Model 3, the 2020-2021 Model Y, and the 2021-2022 Model S and X.

Tesla has had several recalls in which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered the company to make changes to the way the car was designed. Unlike those reviews, this window issue is due to a production failure.

The company has previously recalled vehicles for features that allowed them to crawl through stop signs in some circumstances when in “fully autonomous driving” mode, one that allowed video games to be played on a console in the middle of the dash even when cars were being driven, and another that allowed drivers to play sounds like a goat bleating or a flatulence noise outside the vehicle. The NHTSA said that feature can hinder pedestrians’ ability to hear a required warning chime, increasing the risk of a crash.