Tesla is recalling 26,681 vehicles in the United States due to a software error that could cause windshields not to defrost properly, raising the risk of a crash, U.S. road safety authorities said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a Feb. 8 letter (pdf) that Tesla is recalling certain 2021–2022 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020–2022 Model Y vehicles due to windshield defrosting issues that run afoul of federal safety regulations. A software glitch could cause a heat pump valve to open unintentionally, trapping refrigerant inside the evaporator unit, reducing defrosting performance, the agency said. “Decreased defrosting performance may reduce the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash,” NHTSA said in the letter. Tesla was cited by Reuters as saying it was not aware of any injuries or crashes related to recall, with the company adding that it was made aware of the issue after …