BEIJING - Electric carmaker Tesla has started to recall 12,863 Model 3 vehicles in China due to potential safety risk of seat belt.

The recall covers 2,736 imported vehicles produced between Jan 12, 2019 and Nov 22, 2019, and 10,127 vehicles produced in China between Oct 14, 2019 and Sept 26, 2022, according to a statement filed with the State Administration for Market Regulation.

The recalled vehicles have had the middle safety belt of the second row seat inappropriately reinstalled during after-sales repair or maintenance, said the statement.

It is suspected that when the service center reinstalled the safety belts, some fixed parts of belt buckles might not have been fixed with connecting bolts. The result is that the safety belt will not play a restraining role in the event of a collision.