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Tesla lemon law
If your Tesla keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Tesla owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Tesla owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Automatic emergency braking and collision warning | 3,261 |
| Cruise control and unintended speed changes | 1,023 |
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 970 |
| Brakes | 958 |
| Steering | 889 |
| Lane keeping systems | 576 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 1,334 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- Model Y 4,009
- Model 3 2,243
- Model S 483
- Model X 414
- Cybertruck 212
Latest Tesla recalls
- Suspension, August 31, 2026: 2026 Model Y, about 19 vehicles.
“A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V558000 - Exterior Lighting, August 4, 2026: 2023 Model 3, 2023 Model Y, 2022 Model Y, 2022 Model 3, about 20,349 vehicles.
“Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V507000 - Air Bags, July 7, 2026: 2024 Model 3, 2026 Model Y, about 15 vehicles.
“A noncompliant vehicle may have reduced occupant protections, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V445000 - Equipment, May 18, 2026: 2026 Model Y, 2025 Model Y, about 14,575 vehicles.
“Missing weight information provided by the label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V315000 - Back Over Prevention, May 4, 2026: 2021 Model 3, 2021 Model X, 2023 Model 3, 2023 Model X, about 218,868 vehicles.
“A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V283000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Tesla dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Tesla was not on the state's list of makers in the new lemon law process on October 26, 2026, so the older rules apply. The list
How a Tesla lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Tesla, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Tesla refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Tesla lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Tesla lemons
How many complaints have Tesla owners filed with NHTSA?
7,365 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is automatic emergency braking and collision warning.
How many Tesla recalls are there?
72 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Tesla models, for about 12,653,975 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Tesla a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Tesla lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Tesla at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Tesla have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Tesla opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Not on the state's list on October 26, 2026, so California's older lemon law rules apply to Tesla cars.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make TESLA. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Tesla a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More