Tesla Recalling Nearly 200,000 Vehicles In China Hours After Recalling 475,000 Vehicles In The U.S.

Just one day after we reported that Tesla was recalling about 475,000 vehicles in the U.S., the EV maker is now reportedly recalling almost 200,000 vehicles in China. 

Reuters reported Friday morning that Tesla will recall 19,697 imported Model S vehicles, 35,836 imported Model 3 vehicles and 144,208 China-made Model 3 vehicles in China.

The cars are being recalled “due to possible security risks such as sudden opening of the trunk lid during movement,” the report says.

It’s poor optics for the automaker in China, where Tesla has been fighting tooth and nail (including suing some of its critics) to keep its image looking clean and appease Beijing. In fact, Tesla filed “defamation claims against at least two Chinese citizens who raised concerns about the safety and quality of its vehicles,” Bloomberg wrote last week.

Recall, yesterday we wrote that Tesla’s latest quality control issue in the U.S. stemmed from opening and closing the trunk lid that may damage the rearview camera cable harness and increase the risk of a crash. Tesla filed a recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Dec. 21 for 356,309 U.S. vehicles that could be prone to wiring harness damage, reports on Thursday morning revealed. 

There was also a recall of 119,009 2014-21 Model S U.S. vehicles that had a front trunk latch assembly possibly misaligned, preventing the secondary hood latch from engaging. 

Adding fuel to the fire for Tesla is the fact that NEV subsidies are going to be reduced by 30% heading into 2022 and will be phased out in China entirely heading into 2023. 

Maybe this is why Elon Musk is predicting a recession “not later than 2023”. 

For years we’ve covered the countless quality control issues some Tesla owners have reported, to the point that it has now become clear that the high-tech EV carmaker with a $1 trillion market cap has had an awful lot of trouble manufacturing its flagship car that has created a cult following.

Some owners have reported bumpers ripping off in adverse weather conditions, roofs flying off, and trim and paneling not lining up, among many other defects.