These are the consequences of the “Takata scandal”. Tesla will recall 14,123 Model S cars, a top-of-the-range model of the brand ($ 100,000), in China because of problems with airbags manufactured by the late Japanese manufacturer, according to the Chinese authorities.
The American automaker of electric vehicles had already announced recalls of some models. They are part of a worldwide recall of Takata’s coins, which went bankrupt in 2017 after the disclosure of deaths due to product failures.
Presence of a chemical agent
The offending cars were built between February 2014 and December 2016, said China Market Regulatory Administration. Due to a chemical agent used by Takata, ammonium nitrate, the front passenger seat airbags can degrade and explode in a dangerous way, according to the Chinese authorities.
The group Elon Musk Friday declined to comment. But a statement posted on its website indicates that “the recall of the front passenger airbags for the Model S 2012 began in January 2017, was extended to Model S 2013 in January 2018 and is extended to Model S 2014-2016 from January 2019 “.
Tesla does not say how many vehicles he sells in China, but this market is crucial, and his boss was present in early January in Shanghai to the launch of the construction of the group’s factory. Tesla says it will have an annual production capacity of 500,000 units, designed to meet China’s growing demand for electric vehicles.