Tesla recalled more than 14,000 Model Y SUVs after an automated inspection tool failed to consistently verify certification labels. An estimated 14,575 vehicles are affected, according to a report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The labels provide weight specifications, and their absence could increase crash risks if owners overload the vehicles.
The recall, affecting 2025 and 2026 models of the popular SUV, traces back to mid-April when Tesla discovered a vehicle with a missing certification label during a routine audit of its Fremont, California, factory.
The Austin-based automaker determined that an automated vision-scanning tool used to verify the labels was working inconsistently. After investigating whether vehicles produced at Gigafactory Texas were affected, Tesla made a voluntary recall.
While Tesla worked on a remedy for the faulty tool, the company had production teams manually check vehicles being produced in Austin and Fremont. The tool was eventually fixed on April 17 in Fremont and on May 7 in Austin, the recall report notes.
The company said it is not aware of any crashes, fatalities or injuries related to the issue.
Musk has previously acknowledged the limits of automation, saying in 2018 that "excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake" and that "humans are underrated." Still, he has continued to promote a future centered on AI and robotics. While speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum late last year, Musk predicted that work would be optional within 10-20 years.
"It'll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that," Musk said. "If you want to work…the same way you can go to the store and just buy some vegetables, or you can grow vegetables in your backyard. It's much harder to grow vegetables in your backyard, but some people still do it because they like growing vegetables."
The Model Y recall is the latest involving Tesla vehicles this month. Tesla recalled more than 200,000 electric vehicles because of a software error causing delayed images from their rearview cameras. And in late April, Tesla recalled 173 Cybertrucks over concerns that wheel components could fail and increase crash risks.