US agency denies Tesla petition to avoid recall fix over headlight issue

WASHINGTON, July 16 (Reuters) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday said it was denying a 2024 petition filed by Tesla TSLA.O to avoid a recall fix for nearly 20,000 vehicles with headlights that may exceed maximum lighting levels.

Tesla argued the issue was inconsequential to motor vehicle safety and did not require a recall or notification to consumers. NHTSA said it disagreed with Tesla’s conclusion that there is no increased risk of glare for surrounding traffic or the driver of the vehicle. The recall covers about 19,900 2017-2023 model year Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y vehicles, NHTSA said.