The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into potential seat belt failures in 2022 and 2023 Tesla Model X electric SUVs, a problem that could affect up to 50,000 vehicles.
The investigation was prompted by two complaints received by the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), reporting that the front seat belts did not stay connected to the seat belt anchors when used correctly. The agency noted that both vehicles subject to the complaints “were delivered to owners with insufficiently connected anchor links.”
Both reported incidents occurred with low mileage and did not result in injuries, according to the agency.
Tesla seats have external pretensioners, devices that tighten seat belts during rapid deceleration to keep occupants in place, secured to the seat frame. The anchors of these pretensioners are designed to disconnect with a special tool, and the two complaints indicate a failure at the disconnect point, according to the NHTSA.
The safety agency believes that in certain vehicles, the pretensioner and its connection were not correctly attached during assembly. They were held in place simply by friction and separated when force was applied to the connection point.
While it estimates that up to 50,000 vehicles could be affected by the alleged assembly error, an investigation is not the same as a recall. The NHTSA stated that it will “evaluate the scope, frequency, and manufacturing processes associated with this condition” and will order a recall if necessary. The agency is also investigating reports of the steering wheel detaching from the Tesla Model Y, but that has not reached the recall stage either.
Some of Tesla’s recalls, including one for over a million vehicles with pinch-prone electric windows, have been facilitated through over-the-air solutions. If the seat belt hardware is found to be defective, it might require a practical repair.
Model X prices were reduced earlier this month, slashing the base model by up to $10,000 but leaving a base price of $101,380 for the least expensive five-passenger dual-motor version. The Model X underwent a comprehensive overhaul for the 2021 model year, featuring a steering yoke, a horizontally oriented larger display, and a redesigned interior, while retaining the Falcon Wing door layout.
