Tesla recalls 90,000 cars following seatbelt fault

Tesla Motors is set to recall 90,000 Model S cars voluntarily following a seatbelt fault on a customer's car.

In a statement emailed to customers, Tesla said that a European Model S owner encountered a fault with the front passenger seatbelt, which was "not properly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner." The vehicle was not involved in an accident and none of the occupants were injured.

The front seatbelts in the Model S are anchored to the outboard lap pretensioner via two anchor plates which are bolted together. The bolt in the faulty car was not assembled properly, reports The Telegraph.

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A Tesla spokesperson told Bloomberg Business that the fault was exposed when the front passenger turned to speak to the rear occupants, causing the seatbelt to disconnect.

All versions of the Model S are affected by the recall, meaning anyone who has bought one can take it in to Tesla for inspection. Having been alerted of the initial fault two weeks ago, the Californian manufacturer has inspected some 3,000 cars for the issue and investigated its factory production and assembly procedures.

The problem has so far been found to be a one-off, which is why the recall is optional rather than mandatory.

However, Tesla wants to be seen as taking a lead in customer service and protecting owners, says Auto Express. The recall also comes at a time when consumer confidence in the car industry has taken a hit from recent safety recalls, such as a brake pedal fault detected on the Suzuki Celerio earlier this year, and the emissions scandal which has rocked the Volkswagen Group.

The Model S saloon was released in 2012 and has been a big hit in the executive sector thanks to unique features such as wireless software updates and patches, an autonomous mode, and the high performance of the most recent P85 D version.