From January to October, 106,236 Model Y units were sold in China.

Tesla is recalling tens of thousands of locally made Model Y vehicles sold in China because of a safety hazard in the vehicle's steering knuckle.

The company is recalling a total of 21,599 China-made Model Y electric vehicles with production dates between February 4, 2021 and October 30, 2021, according to a statement posted on China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) website.

Data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) monitored by CnEVPost shows that as of the end of October, 106,236 Model Y units had been sold in China since the data became available in January.

Some of the vehicles included in the recall may have front and rear steering knuckle strengths that do not meet design requirements due to supplier manufacturing reasons, according to the statement.

In the process of using the vehicle the steering knuckle may deform or fracture, which may cause the suspension linkage to come out of the steering knuckle under extreme force, affecting the vehicle driving control and increasing the risk of a collision, posing a safety hazard, the statement said.

Tesla will inspect the front and rear steering knuckles of the recalled vehicles free of charge and replace the knuckles whose strength does not meet the requirements to eliminate the safety hazard.

The Model Y is one of the most popular electric cars among Chinese consumers, with all versions sold out of available capacity this year and all expected delivery dates in the first quarter of next year, information on Tesla China's website shows.

Tesla doesn't announce its monthly deliveries in China, but according to data released by the CPCA early last month, the Model Y was the third best-selling new energy vehicle in China in October, behind SAIC-GM-Wuling's Hongguang Mini EV and BYD's Qin Plus DM-i.

The data showed that the Hongguang Mini EV sold 47,834 units in October, the Qin Plus DM-i sold 17,393 units and the Model Y sold 13,303 units.

Tesla China's October wholesale sales were 54,391 units, including 40,666 units exported, meaning Tesla sold 13,725 units in China itself in October.

The CPCA has not yet released November's figures.