Tesla recalls 1.1 million cars to address glitch

Tesla Model 3. Photo / Supplied

Tesla will recall more than 1 million cars in America to address problematic power windows.

The electric car manufacturer says 1,096,762 cars, which is roughly a third of all Teslas built to date, pose a risk to consumers through a flaw in the car's window mechanism.

Power windows must be designed so that they automatically stop and reverse direction if an object – such as an occupant's hand – blocks it when closing. Tesla says faulty software in the Model S, Model X and Model Y "may increase the risk of a pinching injury to the occupant" by not detecting an obstruction and reversing direction quickly enough.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, Germany in March. Photo / AP

A recall notice published in the USA says "affected vehicles may not meet certain automatic window reversal system requirements" and that the window "may exert more force" than permitted.

The manufacturer said engineers conducting routine tests discovered "greater than expected variations in response to pinch detection", prompting the brand to issue an over-the-air software update in America. It is not clear whether the issue applies in New Zealand.

Tesla says it is not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the window problem.

America's Kids and Cars foundation claims that more than 65 children have been killed by power windows since 1990. Pinch detection systems and modern switches that must be pulled upward to raise windows have reduced the rate of serious injuries caused by power windows.