<p style="text-align: center;"><img title="1612327912112368.jpg" alt="6.jpg" src="/ueditor/php/upload/image/20210203/1612327912112368.jpg"/></p><p>After initially refusing a request from U.S. safety regulators,&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;has now agreed to recall about 135,000 vehicles because the large touch screens on the console can go dark.<br/><br/>The recall of certain 2012 through 2018 Model S sedans and 2016 through 2018 Model X SUVs ends a fight with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which had started the process of taking the electric vehicle maker to court.<br/><br/>Last month the agency sent Tesla a recall request letter, saying that after an investigation, it had concluded tentatively that the screens are defective and pose a safety risk because the backup camera displays and defroster controls would go dark. Tesla had refused to do a recall, saying that over-the-air software updates would take care of the problem.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p>But in a document posted by&nbsp;NHTSA&nbsp;on Tuesday, Tesla said it would recall the vehicles and replace the screens&#39; computer processors, even though it disagreed that the problem is a safety defect. The company said it would perform the recall &quot;in the interest of bringing administrative closure to the investigation and to ensure the best ownership experience for our customers.&quot;<br/><br/>Tesla said it wasn&#39;t aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem, but the unavailability of the backup camera display, defroster control settings and turn signal lighting may increase the risk of a crash. The company said the processors wear out after about 3,000 program-and-erase cycles.<br/><br/>Under a Jan. 22 firmware update that covered 88% of the vehicles, customers will get an alert from one to six months before the screens malfunction, Tesla said. For vehicles with older firmware, drivers can &quot;perform a shoulder check and use scthe mirrors&quot; when backing up, and they can also manually clear the windshield if the climate controls on the screen aren&#39;t visible.<br/><br/>Tesla says in documents that it will notify owners starting March 30 and will replace the processors.<br/><br/>Last June, the agency opened an investigation into complaints that the screens would malfunction. It upgraded the probe to an engineering analysis in November.<br/><br/>The recall request letter sent to Tesla said the agency has determined that the screens are defective because their computer processors have a finite number of program-and-erase cycles. NHTSA says the screens would fail in five to six years, which isn&#39;t sufficient for safety-critical features.<br/><br/>&quot;The lack of a functioning windshield defogging and defrosting system may decrease the driver&#39;s visibility in inclement weather, increasing the risk of a crash,&quot; the letter said.<br/><br/>In data submitted by Tesla, the agency found more than 12,000 customer complaints, field reports, warranty claims and other claims related to the screens, the letter said.<br/><br/>NHTSA also determined that the failure rate for the screens is higher than the rate for vehicles involved in prior recalls for similar problems.<br/><br/>Sending a recall request letter to an automaker rarely happens as most agree to the agency&#39;s wishes. If Tesla had continued to refuse the recall, NHTSA would have held a public hearing and eventually would have taken the company to court.</p>