Tesla is recalling thousands of its newer cars due to a serious defect that could cause the electric vehicles to lose power in motion. According to Forbes, the move affects the automaker's Model 3 and Model Y EVs, raising yet another concern about the company's ability to provide safe and reliable products.
What's happening?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shared on October 21 that Tesla had notified the agency it would be recalling nearly 13,000 EVs due to a faulty part in the vehicles' battery systems. The defect — found in 5,038 Model 3 (2025) sedans and 7,925 Model Y (2026) SUVs — involves a battery pack contactor that can fail unexpectedly.
That failure can lead to what the NHTSA described as a "sudden loss of propulsion," creating a serious safety risk if it occurs at high speeds or in traffic.
Tesla has logged 36 warranty claims and 26 field reports connected to the issue, according to Forbes, but said, as of October 22, that it had not received any reports of crashes or injuries.
Why is this recall important?
Losing power while driving poses clear safety risks. Meanwhile, this recall adds to a growing list of reliability issues with Tesla products.
Earlier this year, the company recalled more than 40,000 Cybertrucks over an exterior panel problem and hundreds of thousands of older Model 3 and Model Y cars due to a power-steering defect, according to USA Today.
Since the battery pack issue, the automaker has issued another recall for Cybertrucks, this one related to overly bright lights.
Each of these setbacks could chip away at consumer confidence, causing potential buyers to think twice before buying an electric vehicle — a shift that's critical to reducing harmful, costly heat-trapping pollution and our dependence on combustion engine vehicles.
What's being done?
Owners of the Tesla vehicles impacted by this battery-related recall are expected to be notified by December 9, and the company has said it will replace affected battery packs at no cost.
The NHTSA continues to monitor Tesla closely, especially as it also investigates the company's Full Self-Driving software for potential safety violations, according to Forbes.
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