Thousands of Tesla Model X SUVs named in recall

The Tesla Model X is being recalled in Germany after the country's road authority identified a roof trim fault could affect thousands of cars around the globe.

In Germany, the notice concerns 195 Tesla Model X SUVs built between 2015 and 2016 that have a roof trim glued with an adhesive that could deteriorate and block the driver’s view when the trim dislodges.

However, Germany’s government road authority, the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), has outlined 12,308 vehicles are affected worldwide.

America’s market could be accounting for a large chunk of that number. In late 2020, the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a warning for 9136 Model X SUVs built in 2016 with faulty roof trim adhesive. But, it’s unclear if this is the same issue.

If the American recall was included, this still leaves 2977 affected vehicles elsewhere in the world.

We’ve reached out to Tesla for comment on whether any Australian owners are affected, but the numbers would be slim, or even zero, given the Model X did not land until 2017.

The news comes only weeks after Tesla founder Elon Musk confessed about struggles to maintain build quality with mass production.

That said, recalls are part of the automotive game, with brands issuing recalls every year for various reasons.

And Tesla’s experience with manufacturing cars has enjoyed good news, as well, like in 2017 when it introduced price cuts for the Model X SUV after discovering efficiencies at the factory.

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