Azernews.Az

US carmaker Tesla is launching a massive safety recall in China affecting up to 3 million electric vehicles, triggered primarily by risks linked to door-handles, alongside a separate defect in its driver‑attention monitoring for the assisted‑driving system, AzerNEWS reports, citing Global Times.

The moves were disclosed in official statement released by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Friday, as part of a broader industry‑wide recall campaign covering more than 4.27 million vehicles across nine automakers. Tesla cars make up nearly 70 percent of that total volume, CNR reported.

The recalled cars face safety risk as the interior emergency mechanical pull handles share similar color with surrounding cabin trim, making them hard to spot and operate. In extreme crash scenarios where the vehicle’s low‑voltage electrical system fails, occupants may struggle to unlatch doors for emergency escape, while external rescuers could face barriers accessing passengers, according to the statement released by SAMR.

A customer‑service representative told the Global Times on Sunday that the recall will start in late September, mainly consisting of affixing warning labels to the interior door handles and rolling out software upgrades. It has so far sent recall notifications to the affected vehicle owners.

Starting from September 25, Tesla will call back 973,156 domestically built Model 3 EVs manufactured between March 4, 2019 and April 29, 2026, plus 1,956,713 domestically‑produced Model Y units made between November 16, 2020 and April 30, 2026.

The recall also covered 35,590 imported Model 3 EVs, 8,328 imported Model X and 2,123 imported Model S.

Tesla will affix warning labels free‑of‑charge on affected cars. It will also update the window‑control logic, enabling automatic window lowering following severe collisions to improve escape and rescue conditions.

According to the same statement, a total of 2,740,642 domestically‑produced Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are being recalled over flaws in their driver‑monitoring systems. Per the document, when combination driving‑assist functions with steering assistance are activated, the existing system fails to issue alerts if the driver’s gaze drifts away from the road.

Tesla said it would provide customers with free over-the-air software updates and improve in-cabin camera monitoring. The enhanced system will issue reminders requiring drivers to stay attentive, maintain responsibility for vehicle control and observe traffic rules while using assisted‑driving features. Most vehicles can finish the update remotely without visiting Tesla service centers.