Some early owners of Tesla's Model X will need to hold off using the SUV's third row of seats for the next few weeks. On Monday night, Tesla sent out a safety notification to about 2,700 Model X owners after discovering a faulty hinge during testing. The company has issued a voluntary recall to replace the part and has asked affected owners to refrain from using their third row of seats until their car has visited a service center for the fix.
According to the e-mail sent to Model X owners, "…during an internal seat strength test that was conducted prior to the start of Model X deliveries in Europe, the recliner in a third row Model X seat unexpectedly slipped. 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 also sent e-mails to Model X owners who were unaffected by the issue, letting them know that a revised locking hinge has been in use for production cars since March 26th.
Tesla must be happy that this issue affects so few vehicles. In November, it recalled 90,000 Model S sedans for a seat belt pretensioner. Model X production has not been the easiest for the company, either. There were lengthy delays as a result of the Falcon Wing doors which slowed deliveries in January and February.
Meanwhile, the company is riding high on the Model 3 reveal. It has now received more than 325,000 preorders for the Model 3. That's going to mean a production volume an order of magnitude greater than right now.
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