Tesla has recalled a single unit of its Model X crossover electric vehicle for not being equipped with a necessary safety reinforcement. In the early days of the EV revolution, most electric cars used to be sedans or hatchbacks. However, that has changed in recent years with the launch of a series of crossover vehicles, full-size SUVs and even pickup trucks. The Model X is a classic example of a large, luxury crossover EV and is one of the best-selling vehicles in its segment in the U.S.

The latest Tesla recall comes close on the heels of several other recalls from the company this year. Just last week, Tesla recalled around 48,000 Model 3 Performance vehicles due to a speedometer malfunction. Before that, in February, the EV-maker was forced to recall more than 800,000 vehicles over a seat-belt chime malfunction and around 54,000 units due to faulty Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. It also recalled nearly 30,000 cars because of problems with windshields that were not defrosting quickly enough in cold weather. Thankfully, the latest recall is for just one car and not thousands of units, unlike the earlier recalls.

Related: Model S Vs. Model X: Best Tesla Buy For Distance And Range?

Tesla has recalled one 2022 Model X car that shipped without a bracket that provides additional reinforcement to the body structure at the second-row seat. The missing hardware reportedly resulted in heightened safety risk for back-seat passengers in the event of a collision. According to the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, the vehicle in question was a pre-production unit without a body structure reinforcement bracket. Once Tesla realized that it had shipped a pre-production model without the proper safety hardware, the company says it contacted the owner, informed them of the safety risk, and replaced the defective vehicle free of charge.

Tesla Sold The Unsafe Vehicle Due To An ‘Oversight’

Tesla cars with logo

As for Tesla’s explanation of the events leading up to the unauthorized release of the unsafe vehicle from its Fremont factory, the company says that a handful of pre-production Model X units without the reinforcement bracket were manufactured at the facility mentioned above on Feb. 25, 2022. Subsequent compliance testing showed that these units did not meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards due to the missing bracket. Following that assessment, the vehicles were placed on a containment hold until further notice, but the unit in question was released for sale “due to an operational oversight.”

The now-recalled Model X was delivered to an unidentified customer on March 31, while Tesla Quality was notified that the vehicle didn’t meet the federal safety standards on April 6. Once it was established that the car needed to be recalled immediately, the company contacted the customer and arranged for a replacement vehicle for free. Tesla says that a risk assessment was completed on April 11 but didn’t say when the customer was contacted and the replacement carried out.