— Tesla is recalling 90,000 Model S cars after one reported problem with a front seat belt becoming disconnected. The recall involves all Model S cars that have been rolled out since 2012.
The Model S customer was sitting in the front passenger seat and turned to talk to people in the rear of the car when the seat belt disconnected. It was determined a bolt wasn't assembled correctly and failed to attach two anchor plates that should be bolted together.
The automaker says it's possible for a customer to test the seat belt by pulling on the lap portion of the belt with at least an 80-pound force.
The company was quick to point out there have been no accidents or injuries related to the seat belts and the recall was ordered after just one report of a problem in Europe. Tesla says it still doesn't know the root cause of the problem, so every car will be checked for problems.
Tesla says technicians will inspect a bolt used to attach the seat belt to the car's body, a job that should take about five minutes.
All Tesla personnel work directly for the automaker because Tesla doesn't have traditional dealerships. Instead, Tesla has over 120 service centers worldwide. However, Tesla said if a Model S owner can't get to a service center, a technician will travel to the customer, if needed.
It's possible Tesla wouldn't have been asked to recall the cars based on only one faulty seat belt bolt, but the automaker said it didn't want to wait for more problems to pop up. And it's not the first recall for Tesla and its Model S.
In January 2014, Tesla recalled almost 30,000 model year 2013 Model S cars because a fire could occur in the charger or wall outlet. The automaker fixed the problem by sending an "over-the-air" software update that allows the charging system to detect any changes in the input power or connections to the vehicle.
In June 2013, Tesla recalled 1,200 model year 2013 Model S vehicles because the left seat-back could fly loose in a crash.
Although the Model S has experienced a few recalls, Tesla has bragging rights considering the Model W still hasn't been recalled.
Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 877-798-3752 and use recall number SB-15-20-002.
