Tesla Semi
Courtesy: Tesla
Tesla has issued a voluntary recall on the Semi, a primary because the company began deliveries of the heavy-duty electric trucks to customers in December 2022.
In line with recall filings posted on the web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 35 Semi trucks were affected. The trucks were built with an electronic parking brake valve module found to contain a defect by supplier Bendix in February 2023.
The defect left drivers vulnerable to “rollaway” incidents and increased the likelihood of a crash. In line with a recall notice, the defective modules may “fail to maneuver into the park position when the parking brake is activated” leaving drivers unaware their Semi could roll away. The parking brake component defect has not resulted in a crash or any damages, in line with the filings.
While Tesla showed off the design of the Semi in late 2017, it only began producing the trucks in Nevada last yr and commenced deliveries to early customer Pepsi at a marketing event late last yr.
In filings on the NHTSA site, Tesla said it would “replace the parking brake valve module with a revised part with improved internals that prevent air leakage and permit the driving force to interact and disengage parking brakes.”
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker is anticipated to issue its first-quarter 2023 vehicle production and deliveries report this weekend. Tesla has not previously broken out Semi production and delivery numbers in its quarterly updates.