Tesla Motors has launched a voluntary safety recall on two models of its Roadsters after discovering a single instance of a cable in one of the vehicles causing a short-circuit, smoke and possibly a fire behind the right front headlight.
The recall involves a 10-volt low-voltage auxiliary cable that could chafe against a panel and cause a short circuit.
The Palo Alto – based electric-car maker recalled the Roadster 2.0 and 2.5 models, a total of 439 vehicles. The earlier model 1.5, which doesn’t have the cable, is unaffected by the recall, as these cars do not include the 12-volt auxiliary cable.
The 12-volt low-voltage auxiliary cable is part of a redundant backup system that provides power to items such as the headlamps, taillights, turn signals, hazard lights and airbags in the unlikely event the primary 12-volt power fails or drops below a minimum threshold value, the company said.
Located forward of the passenger side front wheel behind the headlamp, the cable is physically isolated from the main battery pack at the rear of the car.
Tesla has begun to notify Roadster owners of the defect. The company plans to dispatch its service teams to the homes or offices of owners to complete the needed repair.
That will involve checking the placement of the cable and then installing a protective sleeve over it to keep it from shorting, Tesla said.
