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NHTSA announced an open investigation into a certain Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model X vehicles due to seat belt failures.
The regulator’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said it has received two recent complaints about “a failure in the the front seat belt remains connected to the seat belt anchorage pretensioner while driving with the seat belts properly worn in the 2022 and 2023 model year Tesla Model X vehicles.” The vehicles were delivered in that state, according to the complaints.
“In both cases, the pretensioner and linkage were not properly connected during assembly, resulting in a friction fit that maintained the connection between the two until eventual separation,” the investigative notice states. “The linkage and pretensioner suddenly separated when the force exerted on the linkage exceeded the resistance of the friction fit while the vehicles were moving. Both known incidents occurred with low mileage on the vehicle. None of the incidents involved a vehicle collision.”
It is estimated that a total of around 50,000 vehicles are covered by the investigation.
The Model X’s pedestrian alert sounds remain under investigation, as does an investigation opened by ODI earlier this month regarding reported loosening of Model Y’s steering wheels. The model has received a total of 36 official complaints, according to the NHTSA.
A total of 11 recalls have been issued in connection with the Model X, the most recent due to issues with the Tesla Fully Self-Driving (TSLA) beta.
