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Tesla recalls Model X for back seat latch

By Shawn Price
Car maker Tesla is recalling 2,700 of its Model X sport utility vehicles for a defective latch in the third-row seat. The defect was found in testing and no injuries have been reported. The part was made another company, which will pay for the recall and is not expected to affect Tesla's bottom line. UPI/Brian Kersey
Car maker Tesla is recalling 2,700 of its Model X sport utility vehicles for a defective latch in the third-row seat. The defect was found in testing and no injuries have been reported. The part was made another company, which will pay for the recall and is not expected to affect Tesla's bottom line. UPI/Brian Kersey | License Photo

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 11 (UPI) -- Tesla Motors announced Monday it is voluntarily recalling its Model X sport utility vehicles for a defective latch in the third-row seat.

The recall applies to the 2,700 Model Xs built before March 26. The company said tests revealed the defect, however there have been no reported injuries from related to it and the car has passed all crash tests in United States.

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Despite the recall, Tesla is coming off the highly successful launch of the Model 3, the electric car company's first car priced for a broad market at $35,000. The company's most popular model, the Model S sedan is priced at about $75,000.

"It's actually with the leverage of weight in the seat pulling it forward," said Jon McNeill, president of sales and service at Tesla. "So this would be an example of a front crash where the weight of the passenger seat belted to that seat could cause that latch to fail,"

The defective latch is made by Australian company, Futuris, and they will pay the cost of replacing the seat back. the recall is not expected to affect Tesla's bottom line, though its stock price dipped for a few hours on Monday after the announcement.

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"A fix to this issue is already in place. We have worked with our supplier to develop a new recliner design with improved quality that resolved the issue. We are now constructing new third-row seat backs to match all affected vehicles," Tesla said in a letter to Model X owners.

Although it's the first recall for the Model X, the car has suffered delays in production over time, due to what CEO Elon Musk said have been an overly ambitious design.

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