Tesla Issues Model X Recall Over Faulty Third-Row Seats

Heads up, Tesla Model X owners: You better carve out some time soon to have your vehicle checked out.

Tesla on Monday issued a voluntary recall for Model X vehicles over an issue that could cause the third-row seats to fold forward during a crash. The issue affects Model X crossovers built before March 26 of this year, amounting to about 2,700 vehicles.

The electric car owner sent an email today to all affected Model X customers asking them to bring their vehicle to a service center to have it checked. Fortunately, there have been zero reports of this issue. Tesla said it discovered the problem during a recent internal seat strength test conducted prior to the start of Model X deliveries in Europe.

During the test, "the recliner in a third row Model X seat unexpectedly slipped," Tesa wrote in its email to affected customers. "The recliner, which is provided to us by an outside supplier, is the locking hinge that allows the third row seat back to fold forward, and if a recliner were to slip during a crash, the seat back could move forward."

Tesla said it conducted 15 similar tests before starting deliveries in North America, and not one time did the recliner fail.

"Despite these prior successful tests and no reports of a third row seat slipping in any customer vehicles, we have decided to conduct a voluntary recall as a precautionary measure and will be replacing all affected third row seat backs," the company wrote.

Tesla said it worked with its supplier to develop a new recliner design with "improved quality" that resolves the issue. All affected Model X customers should get a call from their service center to schedule a fix as soon as the replacement seat backs are available. Tesla said it hopes to complete all replacements over the next five weeks.

"Until the recall is performed, you may make full use of your Model X, although we ask that you temporarily not have anyone sit in the third row seats while the car is in use," the company wrote. "We recognize that not having the use of your third row seats for the next few weeks will be an inconvenience, but your safety is our primary concern. We assure you that we are building your new seat backs as fast as we can."

Affected customers can contact Tesla at 844-248-3752 or ServiceHelpNA@teslamotors.com.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read the latest from Angela Moscaritolo

Read full bio