Tesla recalls 14,000 cars in China over Takata airbags

Electric-vehicle maker Tesla will recall over 14,000 Model S cars in China as part of the global automotive sector's effort to replace potentially dangerous airbags made by Takata, China's market regulator announced on Friday.

The US giant will recall imported Model S cars made between February 2014 and December 2016, the State Administration of Market Regulation said, joining other carmakers in an effort affecting tens of millions of cars worldwide.

Takata went bust in 2017 after defective airbags were blamed for a number of deaths.

The Chinese regulator said the passenger-side airbags of the affected Model S cars were equipped with a Takata-made device containing an ammonium nitrate propellant. Under certain conditions the device can break, ejecting debris that can cause injury.

Tesla will replace the defective devices, the company said.

A Tesla spokesperson said the move was part of a phased recall under a schedule previously set by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"According to this schedule, the recall of 2012 Model S vehicles began in 2017, was extended to 2013 Model S vehicles in 2018, and is now being extended to 2014-2016 Model S vehicles," the spokesperson said.

"The safety of our customers is paramount and we are taking this action even though there have been no airbag ruptures or other related incidents in any Tesla vehicles."

Tesla does not announce how many cars it sells in China overall.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was on hand earlier this month for the ground-breaking of a factory outside Shanghai, which the company says will eventually have an annual production capacity of 500,000 units, and is geared towards meeting growing Chinese demand for electric vehicles.

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