Tesla has had to recall 3,800,000 cars since 2018

Tesla has had to recall a whopping 3,800,000 cars since 2018 for a myriad of reasons, from software glitches to steering issues.

Although it's had some struggles in recent months, the Elon Musk-led company is the largest electric vehicle seller on the circuit.

But even successful businesses face dreaded recalls, which can make a significant impact on both brand reputation and profit.

Last week, it was revealed that Tesla is set to recall more than 362,000 of its US vehicles due to issues with its Full Self-Driving Beta software.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the software allows the firm's vehicles to 'exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash'.

But, as highlighted by Gizmodo, withdrawals aren't uncommon in the EV industry – and Tesla's had a fair few in recent years.

Kicking off in 2018, the company voluntarily recalled 123,000 of its Model S cars due to an issue with its steering component.

The company explained in an email to its customers at the time that there was 'excessive corrosion' in the power steering bolt of the affected cars.

"This primarily makes the car harder to drive at low speeds and for parallel parking, but does not materially affect control at high speed, where only small steering wheel force is needed," it said.

Fast forward to 2021, and a further 285,000 vehicles, including its Model 3 and Model Y cars, were recalled in China over cruise control safety concerns.

Clarence Holmes Photography / Alamy Stock Photo

According to the Wall Street Journal, the China’s State Administration for Market Regulation claimed a software issue could activate the cruise control system by accident, causing them to speed up out of the blue.

In the same year, a further 675,000 Teslas were withdrawn in both the US and China over issues with the latch assembly, with regulators expressing concerns that the trunk and front hood could pop open at random.

Even if you don't drive, you can see why that would be a worry.

There were two recalls in February 2022, the first involving the Full Self-Driving Beta software. Approximately 53,000 cars were removed from the market as it appeared some had an issue with driving through stop signs.

Again, not ideal.

Shortly after the announcement, another 817,000 EVs were pulled as there were issues over the audible seat belt reminder chime.

The NHTSA said at the time that the chime didn't activate for certain Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y cars.

Perhaps one of the most significant incidents arrived in September 2022 when 1.1 million cars were removed after a defect was spotted in a number of Model 3 sedans and Model Y SUVs.

ZUMA Press Inc/Alamy Stock Photo

Tesla explained that the automatic window reversal system could be incorrectly reacting if there was an obstruction, meaning the windows could have pinched a person's fingers when being rolled up.

Then, in November 2022, a number of new retractions ensued, including 40,000 cars over a power steering fault and a further 30,000 due to the risk of the airbags deploying incorrectly in certain situations.

In the same month, Tesla recalled 321,000 vehicles over a software glitch causing the taillights on some of its models to flash at random.

Now while this might look terrible, as said, recalls in the car industry aren't exactly rare. The reason so many are pulled back is to fix the potential problem and make sure there aren't any terrible incidents down the line.

UNILAD has contacted Tesla for comment.