— A Tesla brake caliper bolt recall includes nearly 6,000 model year 2019-2021 Model 3 and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles with fastener bolts that may be loose.
This can cause the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim and cause a loss of tire pressure.
The Model 3 and Model Y brake calipers are attached to the wheel knuckles using fasteners, but the fastener may loosen over time if it's not secured to specifications.
Tesla says it's rare, but the fastener can separate from the knuckle and allow the caliper to touch the inner wheel rim.
There have been no crash or injury reports, but a chance of losing tire pressure was enough to convince Tesla to issue the recall. The problem occurred during assembly when operators may have mistakenly loosened properly secured fasteners.
Tesla learned about a missing fastener on a 2021 Model Y in December 2020, sending engineers to the production and torque records for that specific vehicle.
From January through April 2021, engineering teams reviewed torque records of other Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to determine the root cause of the loose fastener and if the field report was unique.
Engineers learned about at least one other vehicle with the same problem, leading Tesla to believe more vehicles may have loose fasteners.
About the only sign of a problem is abnormal noise coming from the inner wheel rim.
Tesla will inspect the vehicles for proper torque of all eight bolt fasteners that secure the brake calipers to the wheel knuckles. If a loose or missing fastener is found during the inspection, Tesla will tighten any loose fasteners and check for damage caused by a loose or missing fastener.
The vehicle will be towed to a Tesla service center if vehicle damage is found.
Tesla doesn't know when the Model 3 and Model Y recall will begin, but concerned customers may call 877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-33-002.
