this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2024
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784
Tesla recalls 1.8 million cars because their hoods can open while driving (arstechnica.com)
submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
116 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The electric car manufacturer Tesla had to issue a massive recall this month to fix faulty hood latches that can open while its cars are driving. The problem affects more than 1.8 million cars, which means it's slightly smaller than the recall in December that applied to more than 2 million Teslas.

The problem, according to the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Part 573 safety recall report, affects model year 2021–2024 Model 3s (built between September 21, 2020, and June 2, 2024), model year 2021–2024 Model Ss (built between January 26, 2021, and July 15, 2024), model year 2021–2024 Model Xs (built between August 18, 2021, and July 15, 2024), and model year 2020–2024 Model Ys (built between January 9, 2020, and July 15, 2024).

The problem first became apparent to Tesla in March of this year after complaints about unintended hood opening from Chinese customers. By April, it had identified the problem as deformation of the hood latch switch, "which could prevent the customer from being notified about an open hood state."

Although the problem is with the hood latch, as with many Tesla safety recalls, the problem can be fixed with an over-the-air software patch. The new software is able to detect if the hood is open and, if so, will display a warning to the driver to alert them to stop their vehicle and secure the hood.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (5 children)

The comments read like a lot of people don't quite understand the issue.

The bonnet (hood if you insist) latch may not warn a driver if it isn't secured correctly. If it is secured correctly then it is fine. So it isn't going to suddenly open.

If the latch isn't shut correctly and then the sensor doesn't report this then the bonnet may open unexpectedly.

If they can use a software update to correct the reporting then that's it fixed.

There's no issue with the actual latching mechanism. It's just the sensor for reporting the latching state.

It may be that it currently works on a two value system. i.e a value for correctly latched and a value for not latched. If that's the case and isn't just not providing the second valve correctly then a simple software change to only use the latched value would fix this. As any other value or the absence of a value will report it at unlatched.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 months ago (2 children)

It's a soft close latch, the frunk pulls the lid into the latching mechanism. The mechanism isn't doing it's job and needs to be replaced either with a properly adjusted soft close mechanism that grabs the lid, or with a non soft close standard latch that is very obvious to the user when it has not been properly closed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Nope it's the latch switch. So something that is switched when the latch is closed. Not the latch itself.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The comments read like a lot of people don't quite understand the issue....There's no issue with the actual latching mechanism.

..."Although the problem is with the hood latch" <--- literally from the article. Care to re-read?

It's just the sensor for reporting the latching state.

You skipped over the part where a) the latch is deforming, and as a result of that deformation b) the sensor can't detect that it's not closed, and so c) Tesla is pushing an update that lets people know their deformed latch isn't closed properly.

But yes, we all misread the article. Not you. Definitely not you.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

And what is the next word after the bit you have quoted?

Is it by any chance switch.

The full quote is deformation of the hood latch switch. Not the hood latch.

Thanks for further confirming my point that you're not reading it correctly.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

No, it's quite literally not. Click the article, read the article all the way. Including the last paragraph. Where my quote is from.

Then read the recall. Then lookup the part. See what it is? Oh, it's the entire latch assembly. Good job! Proud of you sweetie. 😘 Keep licking those musky boots!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Did you read the recall? Again it says hood latch switch deformation.

That may be part of the hood latch assembly but again at no point does it say that the latch not latching is the issue. Only the reporting of the latching state.

You're really rather pathetic and I'm certainly no fan of Tesla or Musk. A brief check of my previous posts would confirm this.

As you're obviously not very good at reading or understanding things then that fact probably did slip by you. You seem to be only capable of latching (you might not see what I did there being a bit dense) onto certain words without understanding the full issue.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You missed the part where the latch is deforming, causing it to not close or alert the driver. The software fix is yet another attempt to dodge the fact that they do not have enough repair capacity or financial reserves for a major fleet recall.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Read it again. It's deformation of the hood latch switch. Not the hood latch.

Thanks for further confirming my point that you're not reading it correctly

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Too bad the software isn't open source.

diff --git a/hood.js b/hood.js 
- if(false) { 
+ if(true || false) {
+     alert("Check your hood")
[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) 
+ if(crashed) {
+     alert(e)
+ } else {
+     load_ad("vote_for_trump")
+ }
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

While that may "solve" the issue, it's still due to a faulty physical component. A software update is just a bandaid over the real problem.