Tesla issues voluntary recall on 35 Semi trucks over brake valve module defect

It seems Tesla is facing some difficulties with its Semi truck line this week as the company issued a voluntary recall of a number of the vehicles, citing defective parts relating to the braking system. A total of 35 Semi trucks are said to have been affected by the defective parts, which are said to cause the truck to be vulnerable to “rollaway” incidents, as well as increasing likelihood of a crash.

Tesla posted a recall filing for the affected Semi trucks on the National Highway Traffic Safety Traffic Administration website on March 24, 2023, as reported by CNBC. According to the filing, the trucks are said to have been built with an electronic parking brake valve module from supplier Bendex, which reported a defect in the module in February 2023. With the defective modules, the affect Tesla Semis could “fail to move into park position when the parking brake is activated,” which could cause the Semi to roll away and risk an accident. Luckily, the recall filing also claims no accidents or crashes relating to the defect have been reported thus far.

The crux of Tesla's recall of Semi truck vehicles is a defect in an electronic parking brake valve module, which increases likelihood of rollaway or crashes.
Source: Tesla

For its part, Tesla has stated that it will replace the module in affected Tesla Semi trucks free of charge, as the recall filing states below:

Tesla service will replace the PVM, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 23, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-33-001.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Tesla began its delivery of the Semi truck with an event back in December 2022. The truck is one of Tesla’s first major moves into commercial vehicle territory and Tesla claims it had already been producing trucks for the Pepsi company earlier in 2022. Nonetheless, it seems truck owners will want to look into the recall and ensure safety sooner than later. Stay tuned as we continue to follow this story for further updates.