Seat latch problem prompts first Tesla Motors Model S recall

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Joseph C. Cassini drives his 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria onto the winners platform after being awarded the Best of Show award at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Ben Rehm, 20, of Carmel photographs a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Murphy Convertible Saloon at the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Mitzy from Salinas takes a moment to rest in the shade of a 1955 Lincoln Indianapolis Boano coupe. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A Duesenberg with a tool kit mounted inside the driver’s door is displayed at the Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Photographer Phillippe Carre takes a picture of a vintage Alfa Romeo. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Julia Binke, 6, walks in front of a 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost at the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Sporting racing-flag toenail polish, Lori TenEyck of Colorado was one of nearly 10,000 people enjoying the display of about 200 collector cars at the Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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One of the nearly 200 collector cars greets the dawn as it rolls onto the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Chewing on his cigar, Rick Rawlins drives a 1908 Prince Henry Benz, owned by Ann Bothwell but originally owned by race car driver Barney Oldfield, as nearly 200 collector cars greet the dawn as they roll onto the 18th fairway at Pebble Beach to begin the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Spectators line up to see the nearly 200 collector cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A rumble-seat passenger in a 1933 V-12 Packard at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Wearing a variety of hats, contestants ride in their Rolls Royce. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Adele Tanaka, left, and Jo Yuan capture the moment as the first of nearly 200 collector cars greets the day to begin the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A 1957 Ferrari 250 GT 14-Louver Berlinetta is on display at the Gooding & Co. auction as part of the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A prospective buyer looks down a line of cars up for auction at the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A Shelby 289 Cobra Competition Roadster from 1964 is reflected in the fender skirt of a 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante at the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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At the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach, a 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix is on display. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aerodyne, featuring an early version of a sun roof, is on display at the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Sports Car magazine photographer Dave Tomaro photographs prospective buyers as they spend the afternoon ogling vintage and rare automobiles on display at the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A Bentley radiator ornament at the Gooding & Company auction tent at the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A man uses a camera to get a closer look at the undercarriage of a 1956 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Expensive cars are lined up at the Concours d’Elegance weekend at Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A racing rim signed by Carroll Shelby, the father of the Cobra, in Lynn Park’s garage. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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“If one’s good, two’s got to be better,” Park said of the cars, chuckling. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Park stands beside the second Cobra he ever bought. One of his sons is going to race in it. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Park checks the hoses of a Cobra he will take to Pebble Beach. This particular car is worth about $2 million. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Park opens the garage door in front of one of the Cobras he plans to take to Pebble Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Lynn Park with his garage full of Cobra cars. Known in classic car circles as Mr. Cobra, Park has been collecting the marque since he bought his first after getting out of the Army in 1969. The first purchase got him hooked. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Lynn Park keeps his Cobras in his garage in La Cañada Flintridge. He and his sons plan to race race three of them at the Pebble Beach, Calif., event. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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“You can’t have any more fun than playing with old cars,” Park said of vintage racing. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Lynn Park drives one of his vintage Shelby Cobras around his neighborhood in La Cañada Flintridge. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

By Jerry Hirsch

June 19, 2013 8:10 AM PT

Add another first to electric car company Tesla Motors’ list of accomplishments -- its first recall of its Model S sporty sedan.

Tesla will recall about 1,228 of its expensive Model S because of a problem with a seat latch, Elon Musk, the automaker’s chief executive said in a statement.

“The mounting bracket for the left hand latch of the second row seat could be weaker than intended. This reduces our confidence that the left hand seat back will be properly retained in the event of a crash,” Musk wrote on the company’s website.

Musk said Tesla discovered the problem during routine testing and no customers have complained of problems with the latch. He said the automaker knows of no injuries resulting from the weaker than expected latch.

Tesla plans to reinforce the bracket. Musk apologized for the problem and said Tesla will contact owners, pick up their cars, provide a loaner if needed and make the repair. Only cars manufactured in May and June have the problem, Musk said.

The Model S, currently Tesla’s only model, starts at about $62,000 and can top $100,000, depending on trim level and options. The car is stylish and fast, boasting a zero-to-60-mph acceleration of less than six seconds.

Earlier this year Tesla post its first quarterly profit in its 10-year history, and Consumer Reports gave the all-electric car its highest rating. The Model S was given 99 points out of 100, only the second vehicle to get such a rating.

Investors shrugged off the recall. In morning trading, Tesla shares rose $1.72, or almost 2%, to $105.11.

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