Tesla recalls 120,000 vehicles over potentially faulty doors that could open in a crash

Tesla is recalling more than 120,000 vehicles over doors that fail to comply with U.S. government regulations.

In a letter posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website Thursday, Tesla acknowledged the affected doors can be unlocked during a crash, which could cause the door to unlatch and open, increasing the risk of injury.

Affected vehicles include Tesla Models S and X manufactured for model years 2021 through 2023. Tesla said it was not aware of any injuries as a result of the issue as of Dec. 14.

As a remedy, Tesla is releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be sent out Feb. 17, 2024.

Last week, Tesla announced a recall for nearly all its U.S. vehicles — some 2 million — due to concerns about the safety of its autopilot driver-assistance feature. A federal investigation found that its autosteer function may have led some drivers to abandon responsibility for the operation of their vehicles.

That recall came after one in February affecting more than 360,000 vehicles related to Tesla's “full self-driving” software.

Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In a post last week on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tesla issued a statement accusing some news outlets of misconstruing “the nature of our safety systems,” adding that “incontrovertible data” shows Tesla's features are “saving lives and preventing injury.” 

Elon Musk owns X and Tesla.

A NHTSA spokesperson told NBC News last week that its investigation into Tesla's autopilot features “remains open as we monitor the efficacy of Tesla's remedies and continue to work with the automaker to ensure the highest level of safety.”