Tesla has issued a recall of three different accessory outlet-adapter designs after the company last month became aware of two instances where the charging adapters overheated. No fire or property damage resulted, according to the automaker. “However, out of an abundance of caution, we’re replacing NEMA 14-30, 10-30, and 6-50 adapters that were made years ago by our original supplier,” it reported in an information page on the recall, which affects about 7000 adapters.
At the center of the recall are NEMA 14-30 adapters (the type that overheated), which adapt charging systems to an electrical-outlet format that is commonly used for clothes dryers and electric ranges—also one of the outlet types that Tesla recommends installing to use the Mobile Connector that comes with the Model S and Model X.
With such an outlet installed at home, the stock charging system can deliver up to 24 amps to the vehicle, or about 17 miles of added range per hour for a Model S—enough to fully charge overnight, in most cases.
The recall involves only accessory adapters (Tesla-designed but supplier-made) that were sold separately, not the adapter that came standard with a new Tesla. The newer NEMA 14-30 adapter, sold by Tesla for the past couple of years at a price of $45, also isn’t subject to the recall.
If your adapter has one of the following part numbers, it needs to be replaced: 1016021-00-A, 1016021-00-B, 1016174-00-B, 1018243-00-A, 1018243-00-B (see the above illustration from Tesla). Tesla says that it will send those who regularly use a 14-30 adapter a new one within a couple of weeks; the other two designs won’t be made for three months, and Tesla says that since it was the 14-30 and not the other two that overheated in both instances, owners can continue to use those others until the new ones arrive.
While the Silicon Valley automaker may make bold moves in pushing active-safety systems out to customers, this stands as another example of the cautious side it has shown with respect to traditional vehicle-safety recalls. Just last year, the automaker recalled about 90,000 vehicles to check for a loose bolt that helped hold the seatbelt pretensioner in place. It also recalled about 2700 of its Model X crossovers for an issue with rear seats failing to latch in a crash.
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