Tesla has 92 recall campaigns across 6 models. A defect is admitted 2.57 years after the car was built on average, and 19.7% of campaigns come five years or later.
What gets recalled on a Tesla
By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.
| System | Campaigns | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 16.3% | |
| Air Bags | 13% | |
| Back Over Prevention | 8.7% | |
| Steering | 7.6% | |
| Structure | 6.5% | |
| Exterior Lighting | 6.5% | |
| Seat Belts | 6.5% | |
| Suspension | 6.5% |
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Tesla acts once a defect exists.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average gap | 2.57 years | Between the car being built and the defect being admitted |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 19.7% | Share of campaigns on cars already well used |
| Campaigns on record | 92 | Across 6 models, 2008–2026 |
Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.
Tesla recalls by model
6 Tesla models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the Cybertruck a defect is admitted in 0.4 years, on the Model S it takes 3.5 — the same company, the same paperwork, 3.1 years of difference.
| Model | Campaigns | Years covered | Most recalled system | Avg gap before admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 2020–2026 | Electrical system | 1.5 yrs | |
| Tesla Model S | 2012–2026 | Electrical system | 3.5 yrs | |
| Tesla Model X | 2016–2026 | Electrical system | 2.3 yrs | |
| Tesla Model 3 | 2017–2026 | Electrical system | 2.8 yrs | |
| Tesla Cybertruck | 2024–2026 | Exterior lighting | 0.4 yrs | |
| Tesla Roadster | 2008–2012 | Wheels | 1 yrs |
Check your own car
Tesla has 92 campaigns on record across 6 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 92 figure says nothing about any particular Tesla: checking the VIN narrows those 92 down to the handful that touch one car, and shows whether the free fix was already carried out on it.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Tesla stands among all makes on record →
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does Tesla have?
92 campaigns across 6 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.
Is Tesla slow to admit defects?
On average a Tesla defect is admitted 2.57 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 19.7% of campaigns come five years or later.
Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?
It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.
How do I check my own Tesla?
By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.
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