Tesla recalls 1.8m cars over bonnet latch issue

Electric car giant Tesla was forced to update the software of more than 1.8m vehicles in the US after a software issue relating to the bonnet opening latch.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Tuesday that it asked Tesla to recall 1.85m cars from its 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y ranges.

"The hood latch assembly may fail to detect an unlatched hood condition after the hood has been opened," the NHTSA said in a statement.

Given Tesla can fix the problem remotely, it issued an over-the-air software update free of charge, the announcement said.

The fix is the latest in a stint of recalls for the US automaker. In late June, Tesla had to recall more than 23,000 of its Cybertrucks due to potential issues with their windshield wipers and trunk bed trims.

In May, it was found that a seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended across a number of models, prompting the recall of more than 125,000 vehicles; while in February, a recall affecting 2.2m cars was the result of incorrect font sizes on its warning lights.