The electric vehicle firm announced it was recalling 356,309 vehicles because of potential rearview camera issues affecting 2017-2020 Model 3 Teslas. A further 119,009 Model S vehicles will also be recalled because of potential problems with the front trunk, or boot.
The total recall figure is almost equivalent to the 500,000 cars Tesla delivered last year, Reuters reports. A safety report, submitted this month, estimates that around 1% of recalled Model 3s may have a defective rearview camera.
Over time, "repeated opening and closing of the trunk lid" may cause excessive wear to a cable that provides the rearview camera feed, says a Safety Recall report submitted by Tesla to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US on the 21 December.
If the wear causes the core of the cable to separate, "the rearview camera feed is not visible on the center display", the report notes.
The loss of the review camera display may "increase the risk of collision", it adds.
The Model S recall involves vehicles manufactured between 2014-2021, some of which may have a problem with a "secondary latch" on the front trunk, or boot.
In Another Safety Recall report, also filed on 21 December, Tesla notes the fault could mean, if the primary latch is inadvertently released, the front trunk "may open without warning and obstruct the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash". Around 14% of recalled Model S's may have the defect, the report notes.
In both cases, the reports state that "Tesla is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths" relating to the potential faults.
Passenger plays
The latest recall is not the first safety issue to have prompted action from the electric vehicle firm. Last week, Tesla agreed to make changes to its Passenger Play feature, which allows games to be played on its touchscreen while the car is in motion.
It took action after an investigation was launched by the NHTSA.
The feature will now be locked and unusable while the car is moving.
Paris' largest taxi firm, G7, has suspended the use of Tesla Model 3 cars in its fleet, after one was involved in a fatal accident over the weekend.
One person was killed and another 20 injured, after a driver lost control of the vehicle.
Tesla has denied any technical problem with the car, which has self-driving features such as automatic steering. Paris's prosecutors have opened an investigation into charges of manslaughter and unintentional injury.
On Wednesday, France's Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari also said there was no suggestion, at this stage, that the accident was linked to a technical problem.
Tesla Europe's chief executive told the minister there had been no safety alerts about the model when they spoke on Tuesday night.
The accident involved an off-duty taxi driver who had been taking his family to a restaurant, reports say. French media said the vehicle struck two pedestrians, a traffic light and a van. Tesla's assistive technology allows its vehicles to automatically steer, accelerate and brake. But the firm has been accused of being misleading, since the technology does not automatically drive the car, and drivers are required to maintain control and attention at all times.
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