- Tesla is recalling nearly 13,000 electric cars built this year for the U.S. market.
- Certain 2026 Model Y and 2025 Model 3 vehicles were fitted with high-voltage battery contactors that have a faulty solenoid.
- If the contactor opens while driving, the car loses power, which may increase the risk of an accident.
Tesla is recalling 12,963 electric cars built and sold in the United States this year, because they may lose power while driving. According to official documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected vehicles have been fitted with high-voltage battery contactors that have a faulty solenoid.
The problematic solenoid may force the contactor to suddenly open due to a poor coil termination connection, which stops the flow of electricity from the main battery to the electric motor or motors.
The 2026 Tesla Model Y makes up the majority of affected vehicles, with 7,925 cars built between March 15 and August 2025. The remaining 5,038 cars are all 2025 Model 3 vehicles built between March 8 and August 12.
Photo by: Tesla
Per the NHTSA documents, the affected EVs don’t issue a warning before losing power, but the cars’ main screen will instruct the driver to stop safely after the issue has occurred. Tesla said it is not aware of any collisions, injuries or fatalities related to this issue, but the company has identified 36 warranty claims and 26 field reports related to this condition.
The faulty solenoid was manufactured by Mexico’s Sistemas Mecatronicos InTiCa, and it was embedded into contactors made by Taiwan’s SongChuan. To fix the issue, Tesla will replace the contactors in all the affected vehicles for free, with certified contactors that don’t contain an InTiCa solenoid and maintain coil termination connection.
The repair, which should take roughly one hour to perform, can be scheduled using the Tesla smartphone app. Owners can select the “Something Else” option in the “Request Service” menu, where they should mention “Open Recall Repair – Battery Pack Contactors” as the issue.
