Tesla rolled out a software update that caused a problem with the vehicles’ TPMS warning system.
As of December 17, Tesla launched a new recall campaign affecting 694,304 Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck vehicles due to an issue with one of its latest over-the-air software releases. According to what the automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), software update 2024.38.3 introduced a condition which “inadvertently reset the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) warning telltale when the vehicle turned on or awakened from sleep between drive cycles.”
Affected vehicles had software releases 2024.38.3 through 2024.44.1 installed, and vehicles with Full Self-Driving versions 12.5.5.1 through 12.5.6.3 and 13.0 (FSD (Supervised)) are also part of the recall.
Tesla says it isn’t aware of any accidents, injuries or fatalities related to the software issue. However, losing the TPMS warning telltale — various warnings vehicles use to tell drivers at least one of their tires is low on air — could lead drivers to continue operating the cars with low tire pressures, eventually leading to a blowout and increased risk of a crash. The lack of a TPMS malfunction telltale also puts vehicles out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (specifically, FMVSS 138, S4.4(b)(3). Tesla identified 76 warranty claims and one field report related to the problem, and decided to issue a recall on December 10.
Another software update will sort the issue, Tesla says.
As is typically the case with recalls for Tesla vehicles, an issue created by a software update can be fixed with another software update. So, this will not require owners to visit their local Tesla service center, and in fact the company says it’s already sorted the problem out through software update 2024.38.200, which it rolled out on December 14, and subsequent releases. If you have a vehicle with Full Self-Driving, you’re looking for a software version of 12.5.6.4 or later, or 13.1 or later, depending on which Tesla you drive.
Now, if you are a Tesla owner and you find the bewildering number of software updates confusing, I certainly can’t blame you. Not a Tesla App documents all of Tesla’s software releases and the change logs for each, so you can get a better idea of what each software patch actually means beyond looking in your vehicle’s infotainment system or the actual Tesla app. This recall is more a formality wherein Tesla has to inform federal safety regulators that there was an issue — as nearly all impacted vehicles already have a more up-to-date version of the automaker’s operating system that addresses the TPMS telltale warning problem.
