Topline
Tesla is recalling almost 13,000 newer model electric vehicles due to a battery pack issue that could fail and cause “loss of drive power,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a notice.
The issue was found in some 2025 Model Y vehicles and some 2026 Model 3 cars.
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Key Facts
The issue is potentially found in 7,925 Model Y (2025) vehicles and 5,038 Model 3 (2026) sedans, the NHTSA said in a report filed earlier in October.
A battery pack contactor in some of these vehicles can fail, the NHTSA said, causing “sudden loss of propulsion,” according to the agency, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Tesla said it identified 36 warranty claims and 26 field reports related to the battery issue, but are not aware of it causing any accidents or injuries so far.
Tesla will replace the battery packs of impacted vehicles free of charge, the NHTSA said in a notice, and the agency expects to notify owners by December 9.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Key Background
Tesla has only seen nine recalls in 2025, according to NHTSA data, and several of those impacted very few vehicles. Only four impacted more than 1,000 cars, including a February recall of about 376,000 older Model 3 and Model Y for an issue that caused some cars to lose power steering. In March, Tesla recalled more than 40,000 Cybertrucks over a structural issue that caused an exterior panel to sometimes detach while driving. Although Tesla has faced recalls for years, other automakers have seen significantly more this year. Ford has issued 126 recalls so far in 2025 for a record breaking year, according to NHTSA data, impacting millions of vehicles on the road.
Tangent
The most recent recall comes only weeks after the NHTSA opened an investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” features. Investigators are looking into reports of vehicles using the feature violating traffic laws, including running red lights and driving into wrong-way lanes. A Forbes investigation weeks earlier was able to recreate troubling issues with the self-driving mode, including instances of a vehicle starting to drive down a closed road and speeding past a school bus with a flashing stop sign.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/10/22/tesla-recalls-about-13000-newer-cars-over-battery-issue-that-can-cause-power-loss-while-driving/
