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.

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.

U.S. safety regulators say in documents posted Wednesday that 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, cutting visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Tesla says in documents that it doesn’t know of any crashes or injuries due to the problem.

The documents say Tesla will send out an online software update to fix the problem.