Tesla recalls 12,963 Model Y and Model 3 cars for battery-pack defect

Tesla is recalling 12,963 vehicles in the United States over a battery-pack defect that can cause a sudden loss of propulsion, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday. The recall covers 7,925 2026 Model Y sport utility vehicles built between March 15 and Aug. 15, 2025, and 5,038 2025 Model 3 sedans built between March 8 and Aug. 12, 2025.

NHTSA said the affected vehicles may be equipped with a battery pack contactor that includes an InTiCa solenoid with a poor coil termination connection. If the contactor opens while the vehicle is in drive, "the driver loses the ability to apply torque to the vehicle using the accelerator pedal resulting in a loss of propulsion, which may increase the risk of a collision," the agency said. NHTSA estimated that roughly 1 percent of the recalled vehicles are likely to contain the defect.

Tesla identified the issue after an internal probe launched in August, prompted by reports of vehicles that would not shift from park into drive. The company found high coil resistance in the pack contactor, traced the problem to the component and began replacing affected parts. As of Oct. 7, Tesla had logged 36 warranty claims and 26...