NHTSA Rejects Tesla Petition Over Headlight Recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has denied Tesla's petition to avoid recalling nearly 20,000 vehicles with potentially over-bright headlights. Tesla claimed the issue was not a safety risk, but NHTSA insists the recall is necessary to address potential glare concerns for other drivers and Tesla vehicle operators.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Thursday its decision to deny a 2024 petition from Tesla seeking to avoid a recall of vehicles with potentially hazardous headlights.

Tesla had argued that the issue of the headlights possibly exceeding maximum lighting levels was trivial and did not warrant a formal recall or customer notification.

In contrast, NHTSA maintained that there is an increased risk of glare, justifying the recall of approximately 19,900 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from the 2017-2023 model years.