Tesla Voluntarily Recalls 53,000 Cars A small gear in the electric parking brakes can fail, meaning cars get stuck in park.

If you're going to have a recall, the best type to have is a voluntary one as it means the issue with your product isn't super serious, just serious enough to need a quick fix. And so, Tesla is issuing a voluntary recall for 53,000 cars spread between the Model S and Model X crossover.

The reason for the recall is a fault with the electric parking brakes, which Tesla sourced from a third-party supplier for use in the cars. These brakes ensure the car does not move once placed in park, however, the affected models contain a small gear in the brakes that is prone to fracturing.

The broken gear can't cause any harm to the driver or passengers (hence the voluntary recall), but if it happens then the car will not be drivable. It's stuck in park, which I'm sure you can imagine would be very frustrating for the owner.

According to CNET's Road Show, the fix takes about 45 minutes once Tesla starts working on a car, as all it requires is both electric parking brakes be replaced with new units. Tesla believes only 2 percent of the cars being recalled contain the faulty gear as it occurred due to a manufacturing fault.

The Model S and X crossovers containing the faulty brakes were built between February and October 2016, with 31,000 of the 53,000 total being sold in the US. If your Tesla is on the list, expect an email in the next few days and then mail asking you to bring the car in for the fix.