China orders recall of 1.1M Teslas to fix accelerator pedal problem that raises crash risk

A Tesla electric vehicle emblem is affixed to a passenger vehicle Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, in Boston. Chinese safety regulators have ordered Tesla to recall 1.1 million vehicles because drivers might step on the accelerator for too long, increasing the risk of a crash. The State Administration for Market Regulation says in a notice Friday, May 12, 2023, that the recall involves imported S, X and 3 models , and the Chinese-made Models Y and 3. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

DETROIT (AP) — Chinese safety regulators have ordered Tesla to recall 1.1 million vehicles because drivers might step on the accelerator for too long, increasing the risk of a crash.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said in a notice Friday that the recall involves imported Model S, X and 3 models as well as the Chinese-made Models Y and 3. The models were produced between January 12, 2019 and April 24, 2023, but it wasn't clear from the notice whether those dates applied only to the Chinese-made vehicles.

The recall, which starts May 29, was triggered because drivers aren’t able to select the regenerative braking system and because of the lack of a warning when they press hard on the accelerator pedal, the watchdog said on its website.

The combination of these issues “may increase the probability of mistakenly stepping on the accelerator pedal for a long time, which may increase the risk of collision and pose a safety hazard,” it said.

Regenerative braking takes energy that would be lost from stopping a vehicle and uses it to help recharge the battery in electric and gas-electric hybrid vehicles. When it's operating, vehicles don't coast as well as they do without it.

Tesla will use an online software update to fix the problem, the regulator said.

It wasn't clear whether the recall would be extended to other markets. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it's aware of the China recall and is getting more information from Tesla. A message was left Friday seeking comment from Tesla.