Electric vehicle maker Tesla last week issued its second recall of 2023, calling for 3,470 of the 2022-2023 Model Y cars to be inspected due to potentially ​​loose bolts in the second-row seat back frames.

The defect can cause seatbelts to malfunction in the event of a crash, according to the recall report submitted on Feb. 27 and released publicly on Saturday. The report notes that the problem "may increase the risk of an injury for occupants seated in affected second-row seating positions."

The report states that the second-row driver-side and passenger-side seat back frames on the Model Y are secured to the lower seat frame with four bolts per seat back. One or more of these bolts may not have been tightened to approved specifications during production says the report, leading to the recall.

An estimated 4% of 2022-2023 Model Y vehicles are affected, according to the recall report.

Tesla received five warranty claims regarding the bolts since last December, and while it is unaware of any injuries or deaths due to the issue, the company has urged drivers to see if their car is affected by checking if their second-row seat back frame folds improperly or if it's loose and rattling when driving.

The leading electric vehicle manufacturer said owner notification letters will be mailed to affected drivers by April 25 and repair costs will come free of charge.

The recall by Tesla follows the massive February announcement that over 350,000 of its vehicles may have faulty self-driving software. That recall encompassed the 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with FSD Beta software.

Tesla has had a rocky start to the new year, as its stock prices fluctuated following the company's March 1 Investors Day conference which saw CEO Elon Musk lay out promising goals for the future, while avoiding key questions about new Tesla products.

The Austin, Texas-based company has also been on a discounting streak, slashing costs for many of its most popular models in an effort to both compete with an increasingly flooded EV market and make a wider range of its vehicles eligible for newly established tax credits.

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