Tesla Recalls Its Model Y To Fix Reverse Lights – They Can’t Be That Complicated?

Tesla announces recall of Model Y sold between February and July 2025
Reverse lights failed to operate when tested at the end of the production line
It is estimated that 260 vehicles are affected by the issue

Car manufacturers can recall often, for some vital reasons. These have tended to be fire risk, airbags, structural problems, and doors popping open suddenly with no warning. However it’s astounding that a company like Tesla, a world leader with regards to electrification, announced a recall of some of their Model Y due to faulty reversing lamps. This is a legal requirement in most markets, and in the US is represented by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, yet this seems like a very straightforward system considering the capability of the electric motors that Tesla have championed since 2008 when the Roadster was launched. How could this have slipped through the net?

How Did It Lead To The Recall?

This recall was submitted on October 1, yet the discovery goes back to July 13. At the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin it was discovered at an end-of-line review that a reverse light on a Model Y failed when the vehicle was tested. Understandably, considering how such a failure would rarely be expected on a car (how many times have you questioned whether a new car has got a faulty reverse light?), engineers jumped into action and from July 14th to September 22nd Tesla conducted an investigation to identify the effect, recreate the conditions that caused it, and identify how many new cars could contain it. Bare in mind, the standard model has impressive performance with 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds, and the main metric for electric car capability, a range of 372 miles. 17 years of production with not a single particle of CO2 leaving a tailpipe, and something foundational like a reverse light could fail. Due to this, on September 24th Tesla announced a voluntary recall of affected vehicles built between February 6th and July 26th, so if you have one between those dates, need I say you should check.

The Effect of The Faulty Reverse Lights

A total of 260 vehicles are suspected to have this issue, where owners can take their Model Y to a local Tesla garage, have their rear reversing lights and fascia harness inspected and replaced if necessary. Something as simple as a connector not seating correctly can make this occur. This sadly is unlike many modern fixes that can be solved remotely, and does need an old fashioned hardware replacement. This could be done on a lunch break as Tesla says it be 20 minutes to identify and repair. Perhaps a dodgy batch of harnesses, or a sample of lights that snuck past quality checks. Either way it is Tesla that shoulders the public responsibility. I can’t help but think that for a pioneer of electrification, this is undoubtedly a small but arguably embarassingly simple recall that could easily have been avoided.