April 21 (UPI) — Tesla said it has issued a voluntary recall of about 53,000 of its Model S and Model X vehicles over a parking brake issue.
Tesla said the possible manufacturing issue with the electric parking brakes on models built between February and October could prevent the brake from releasing. The company said a small gear fitted inside the vehicles could have been improperly built by its third-party supplier.
If the small gear were to break, the vehicle’s parking brake would be stuck and the car would be prevented from moving, Tesla said.
“We do not believe this issue could ever lead to a safety concern for our customers, and we have not seen a single accident or injury relating to it,” Tesla said in a statement. “However, in order to be overly cautious, we are going to be proactively replacing these parts to ensure that no issues arise.”
Tesla said there have not been reports of the parking brake system failing to hold a parked vehicle or failing to stop a vehicle in an emergency, adding that the issue does not affect the vehicles’ regular braking systems.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said it would alert affected customers of the recall via mail and email, which will inform them on how to replace the parking brakes. Tesla anticipates it will obtain replacement parts for all affected vehicles by October.
Tesla said it is safe to use the vehicle while recall efforts continue.
“While less than 5 percent of the vehicles being recalled may be affected by this issue, we are recalling 53,000 vehicles total out of an abundance of caution,” Tesla added. “Because of the design of the gear, it is difficult to tell exactly which vehicles are affected.”
