Tesla has announced a recall of 35 of its 2023 Semi trucks due to a defect in the electronic park brake module (PVM) that could potentially fail to move into the park position when the parking brake is activated, increasing the risk of a crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) acknowledged Tesla’s notification of the safety recall on March 28, 2023. The agency has required that Tesla submit a draft owner notification letter to them five days before mailing it to customers and all notices, bulletins, and communications related to the recall must be sent to the NHTSA.
In February 2023, Ohio-based Bendix, the manufacturer of the Intellipark Valve Module, communicated to Tesla that they determined to file a recall based on field issues that their customers observed.
The next day, Tesla met with Bendix to discuss the issue further, and Bendix filed a 573 Safety Recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the component in question.
From February 14 to March 17, Tesla conducted an investigation to determine the root cause and risk assessment of the condition introduced in affected Tesla Semi trucks.
On March 17, 2023, Tesla completed its investigation and decided to file a voluntary recall. As of March 24, 2023, no warranty claims, crashes, injuries, or deaths related to the condition have been reported.
Tesla service will replace the PVM free of charge and owner notification letters will be mailed on May 23, 2023.
Customers with affected vehicles can contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. The company’s recall number is SB-23-33-001. The NHTSA has reminded Tesla that it is illegal for a manufacturer to sell or offer for sale a motor vehicle or equipment with a safety defect after notifying the agency of the defect.
The recall was a response to a notification from Tesla that the PVM in certain Semi trucks could intermittently fail to move into the park position when the parking brake is activated. If the parking brake is not engaged when the driver expects it to be, the vehicle may unintentionally move, increasing the risk of a crash.
