Over the weekend, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) announced a recall affecting 26 of its 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to a potential defect in the pyrotechnic battery disconnect. According to the safety report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the faulty battery disconnect may fail to isolate the high voltage battery of the vehicle following a crash or fault detection, thereby raising the likelihood of electrical shock and potential injuries. Unlike previous recalls by Tesla, this specific issue cannot be resolved through an over-the-air software update.
The NHTSA document outlined the issue with the affected Model 3 and Model Y’s pyrotechnic battery disconnect:
“Tesla vehicles are equipped with a pyrotechnic battery disconnect that isolates the high voltage (HV) battery when the vehicle detects certain collisions or specific issues within its HV battery. Affected vehicles may have been manufactured with a non-functioning pyrotechnic battery disconnect,” the document read.
On April 20, 2023, during a validation test, Tesla identified a pyrotechnic battery disconnect that was not functioning properly. As a result, both Tesla and the supplier, Joyson Safety Systems, launched an investigation into the matter. After conducting their investigations, Tesla and Joyson concluded that a single defective pyrotechnic battery disconnect, discovered on April 20, had inadvertently been shipped to Tesla. Following a risk assessment, Tesla decided to initiate a voluntary recall to address the issue. It is worth noting that Tesla has not received any warranty claims or field reports related to this particular issue.
Shares of TSLA are down 4.34% in mid-day trading on Monday.