Tesla to recall 134,951 US vehicles under pressure from auto safety regulators

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made the unusual recall request in a formal Jan. 13 letter to Tesla, saying it had tentatively concluded the 2012-2018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles pose a safety issue.

Tesla Inc has agreed to recall 134,951 Model S and Model X vehicles with touchscreen displays that could fail after US auto safety regulators sought the recall last month, according to a recall posted on a government website Tuesday.

The company logo of Tesla cars is seen on the V3 supercharger equipment during the presentation of the new charge system in the EUREF campus in Berlin, Germany. (Reuters)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made the unusual recall request in a formal Jan. 13 letter to Tesla, saying it had tentatively concluded the 2012-2018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles pose a safety issue.

The agency said touchscreen failures pose significant safety issues, including the loss of rearview/backup camera images and windshield defogging and defrosting systems that "may decrease the driver’s visibility in inclement weather."