Tesla recall: Heat pump won’t defrost windshield fast enough

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly 27,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the cabin heating systems may not defrost the windshield quickly enough, cutting visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. The latest in a series of recent recalls covers certain 2021 and 2022 Models 3, S, and X, and some 2020 through 2022 Model Y vehicles. Tesla says it doesn’t know of any crashes or injuries tied to the problem. Documents posted Wednesday (Feb. 9, 2022) say the electric vehicle maker will send out an online software update to fix the issue. U.S. safety regulators say a software error can cause a valve in the vehicles’ heat pumps to open unintentionally, trapping refrigerant inside the evaporator. That can reduce defrosting performance.