Tesla is recalling nearly 200,000 vehicles over backup camera issue

The Tesla brand logo is on the nose of a Tesla electric sedan in Vail, Colorado. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Tesla is recalling nearly 200,000 cars in the U.S. due to a backup camera that may not work when the vehicle is in reverse.

The automaker’s recall covers certain Models Y, S and X from the 2023 model year with the full self-driving computer 4.0 and certain types of software. 

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration letter, software instability could prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.

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And a rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash, the NHTSA noted. 

Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update for free. Owner notification letters will be mailed on March 22.

Owners can call Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, or visit www.nhtsa.gov.

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Tesla stated in documents that it's not aware of any crashes, injuries or deaths related to the issue.

Tesla began getting complaints about the problem in late December and decided to do a recall on Jan. 12, documents say. As of Jan. 22, the company had 81 warranty claims potentially related to the problem, the Associated Press reported. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.