Tesla has recalled almost two-thirds of the vehicles it made last year to replace what might be faulty electronic parking brakes.
About 53,000 Model S and Model X vehicles assembled between February and October contain a small gear that could have been manufactured improperly by a Tesla supplier, the company said. If that gear were to break, the parking brake could become stuck in place.
A Tesla spokesman explained: “While less than 5pc of the vehicles being recalled may be affected by this issue, we are recalling 53,000 vehicles total out of an abundance of caution.
“Because of the design of the gear, it is difficult to tell exactly which vehicles are affected.”
Tesla said it had not seen “a single accident or injury” relating to the brake issue, and there have been no reports of the system failing to hold a parked vehicle or stop a vehicle in an emergency.
Only a “very small percentage” of gears were manufactured improperly, it added.
Tesla said repairs will begin immediately and that it will have enough parts for all affected vehicles by October. It estimates the repair can be completed in 45 minutes.
Receiving a manufacturer’s recall notice should not affect your insurance but ignoring it could be costly.
Drivers have a legal obligation to maintain their vehicle in a safe and roadworthy condition, so you could be open to a charge of “using a defective vehicle” and it could affect any insurance claim you might need to make, if you do ignore the recall.
If in any doubt discuss the recall notice with your insurer.
There are around one million recalls every year in the UK, most concern problems with brakes, fuel, airbags, steering, risk of fire, or seat belts.
Recall work should be carried out free of charge but the length of time it takes depends on the fault in question. It could be anything from a five-minute fix to something that takes several hours.
In extreme cases the manufacturer might warn you not to drive your car until the work has been completed. Porsche took this decision when two £100,000 911 GT3s caught fire. After telling owners not to use their cars in the interim, it traced the problem and set about fitting every car it sold with a brand new engine.
To find out if your car has been recalled visit the VOSA safety recall tool page.