A small number of Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys from the 2023 model year may have received a bad pyrotechnic battery disconnect, which could lead to an increased risk of fire under certain circumstances. Fortunately, the automaker appears to have caught the issue before any customers suffer consequences.
The pyrotechnic battery disconnect is a piece of safety equipment that isolates the high voltage battery from other vehicle systems when it detects a collision or other specific issues. Its role is to mitigate the risk of fires and battery shocks, making it an important safety component in Tesla’s vehicles.
Unfortunately, the part’s manufacturer, Joyson Safety Systems, sent Tesla a bad batch of them. The error appears to have occurred as a result of teething issues with a new assembly line, and a consequent gap in its traceability process.
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The problem was first noticed on April 20, during a validation test designed specifically to support the introduction of Joyson Safety Systems’ new assembly line. However, at the time, it was believed that only one pyrotechnic battery disconnect was affected by the issue.
It wasn’t until May 26 that the companies found out that the problem could impact a number of vehicles and, in that time, a total of 26 vehicles may have gone to customers with the bad parts in them. As a result, Tesla is launching a recall campaign.
Starting on August 15, the automaker will start getting in touch with owners, and will schedule a service visit during which the pyrotechnic battery disconnect will be replaced with one that has been tested and certified by the supplier as functioning correctly.
So far, Tesla is not aware of any warranty claims, field reports, accidents, injuries, or deaths relating to this issue. Any vehicles that may have received the bad part but were not delivered to a customer will have the pyrotechnic battery disconnect replaced prior to delivery.
