According to reports, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today, after receiving two complaints, has launched an investigation of 50,000 Tesla Model X electric vehicles front seat belt failure.
NHTSA said the initial investigation covers Tesla’s Model X models manufactured in 2022 through 2023. The reason is that some owners reported that the front seat belt connectors came off and failed to stay connected to the seat belt anchors when they were driving the Model Y.
NHTSA also said that in both reported accidents, no seat belt passengers were involved in a collision with the vehicle.
Tesla has not yet commented on this.
Of the two complaints NHTSA received about the problem, one occurred in Larkspur, Calif. A Tesla Model X was traveling at approximately 10 mph to 15 mph when the Model X’s automatic braking system activated when a large truck parked on the side of the road suddenly opened its door.
The owner stated in his complaint, “Due to the sudden deceleration, my upper body tumbled forward and the impact of my body caused the seat belt anchor on the lower seat to completely disengage.”
After initiating an initial evaluation, NHTSA next has to decide whether to escalate it to an engineering analysis before it can require a recall from Tesla.
Earlier this month, NHTSA also launched an investigation into a steering wheel disengagement problem in 120,000 Model Y electric vehicles.
NHTSA said at the time that it had received two complaints of accidents in which the wheels came off the steering column, or steering wheel, while the owner was driving a 2023 Model Y SUV electric vehicle.
