Tesla Told to Fix Overly Bright Headlights After Two-Year Battle with Regulators

In spring 2024, Tesla notified federal safety regulators that nearly 20,000 of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles had headlights exceeding legal brightness limits, in some cases by almost double. But instead of issuing a fix, the automaker filed a petition arguing the defect was “inconsequential” to safety.

After a two-year review, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rejected that argument, ordering Tesla to repair the lights on vehicles from model years 2017 through 2023.

Tesla had claimed the excessive brightness occurred only in specific zones positioned off the roadway, outside a driver’s natural line of sight. The company even conducted its own study suggesting oncoming motorists wouldn’t experience glare. NHTSA wasn’t convinced, noting that a driver’s line of vision constantly shifts with road conditions, hills, curves, and straightaways can all expose problematic angles.

The agency also pointed out that rain, snow, and fog can turn those noncompliant beams into a dangerous veil of glare for nearby drivers.

Tesla isn’t alone in losing this fight. In 2022, General Motors made a similar “inconsequential” argument for roughly 725,000 GMC Terrain SUVs with headlights even brighter than Tesla’s, and NHTSA rejected that too. S. drivers say glare is a problem after dark, and three-quarters believe it’s gotten worse over the past decade.

For now, Tesla must notify owners and arrange free repairs, a reminder that no automaker gets a pass on safety, no matter how bright their arguments.