Tesla is the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States. The company sold nearly a million EVs worldwide in 2021. Of those, more than 300,000 were delivered in the U.S. CEO Elon Musk estimates 4 million people drive Tesla cars. That number becomes even more significant in light of the latest Tesla recall. Here’s what you need to know.

What safety issue does the latest Tesla recall address?

This Tesla recall concerns the automatic reversal system for the power windows. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall involves power windows that might pinch. 

“A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury,” the NHTSA statement reads. The problem with the automatic reversal system means the Tesla model windows might not react correctly. 

The NHTSA says that because of this issue, the vehicles included in this Tesla recall might not comply with U.S. Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 118, “Power-Operated Window Systems.”

How many Tesla vehicles could have this window problem?

The NHTSA specifies that 1,096,762 — nearly 1.1 million — units are potentially affected. This Tesla recall includes 2021–2022 Model S and Model X, 2017–2022 Model 3, and 2020–2021 Model Y vehicles. 

Since 2017, the EV maker has delivered 1,433,678 vehicles, GoodCarBadCar reports. That means 76% of all Tesla EVs sold since 2017 are included in this recall. That’s one of the largest recalls in company history and the third-largest of 2022, per U.S. Department of Transportation data. Only recalls concerning Ford shift cables and Chrysler tailgates affected more units — 2,925,968 and 1,234,657, respectively.

What should you do if your EV is included in this Tesla recall?

If you purchased a Tesla in the past five years, your EV is likely included in this recall. 

However, as with other Tesla recalls, the solution is simple. The automaker will provide an over-the-air (OTA) software update. OTA vehicle updates are like updates for your smartphone; Tesla sends them wirelessly and can be downloaded to your vehicle. As long as your EV can connect to a Wi-Fi network, the necessary updates can be delivered remotely from a cloud-based server. Owners do not need to pay for these updates, but some upgrades are available for purchase in OTA format. 

The update for this Tesla recall will enhance “the calibration of the vehicle’s automatic window reversal system behavior to ensure compliance,” PCMag reports.

Tesla mailed interim notices to owners on Nov. 18, 2022. “A second notice will be sent once the remedy has been developed,” the NHTSA says.

If owners have questions, they can call Tesla customer service at 877-798-3752. The reference number for this recall is SB-22-00-013.

The latest Tesla recall is one of many in 2022

This year, Tesla has issued 20 recalls involving 3,769,581 vehicles, per the Department of Transportation. However, 10 manufacturers have had more recalls than Tesla in 2022, with the leader being Ford, with 65. But Musk’s EV maker is second in the number of affected vehicles, behind only Ford’s 8,623,965.