Lucid Recalls 27,000 Air Sedans Over Exterior Lighting Fire Risk

Lucid Motors has issued a safety recall for 27,185 Lucid Air vehicles due to a software flaw that could cause exterior lighting circuits to overheat and catch fire. The recall, filed under NHTSA campaign 26V540, affects model years 2022 through 2026.

According to the NHTSA report, the defect resides in the software logic of the "eFuse" that controls low-voltage exterior lighting. Lucid USA, Inc. stated that insufficient overcurrent protection in these circuits can lead to overheating, which may result in smoke or fire, increasing the risk of injury. To resolve the issue, Lucid released software version 2.10.0 in July 2026. This update fixes the vulnerability by lowering the amperage thresholds for the eFuse and disabling the retry logic for circuits that have already faulted.

The Scale of the Fix

The recall encompasses 27,185 Lucid Air vehicles. Because the remedy is delivered via an over-the-air (OTA) update, a significant portion of the fleet was secured before the formal recall announcement. As of August 20, 2026, Lucid reported that 20,719 vehicles had already been updated to version 2.10.0. This leaves 6,466 vehicles still requiring the software patch to eliminate the fire risk.

Software-Defined Safety

This incident underscores a pivotal shift in automotive safety management: the rise of the software-defined vehicle. Traditionally, a fire risk involving electrical circuits would necessitate a massive physical recall, requiring thousands of owners to visit service centers for hardware replacements or wiring harness repairs. By utilizing an OTA update to modify how the eFuse handles amperage, Lucid was able to mitigate a hardware-adjacent safety risk remotely.

However, the recall also highlights the inherent risks of relying on complex software logic to manage critical electrical safety. A gap in the eFuse's logic—specifically its failure to stop energization at excess amperage—created a physical hazard that could only be solved by rewriting the code. This demonstrates that while software can fix hardware risks, it can also be the primary source of them.

What to Watch

Owners of affected Lucid Air vehicles who have not yet updated to version 2.10.0 are urged to do so immediately. While the majority of the fleet is already patched, the remaining vehicles remain at risk until the update is applied. Industry observers will likely view this as another case study in the efficiency of OTA remedies, though regulators will continue to monitor whether such software-based fixes are sufficient for long-term electrical stability in high-voltage EV architectures.