Tesla is recalling nearly 2 million Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built in China, the automaker's latest mega-recall in its largest production hub. The vehicles come from the Shanghai Gigafactory, and Tesla has resolved its past Chinese recalls almost entirely through over-the-air software updates.
Tesla is recalling close to 2 million Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured in China, another massive-scale action in a market that has become both the company's largest production hub and its most recall-active region. The recall covers China-made units of Tesla's two best-selling models, built at the Shanghai Gigafactory. That factory supplies not just the Chinese domestic market but also export markets across Asia and Europe.
A pattern of mega-recalls in China
This is not Tesla's first seven-figure recall in China. In January 2024, the company recalled more than 1.6 million vehicles in the country, addressing problems with Autopilot steering functionality and door latch mechanisms. Both issues were flagged by China's State Administration for Market Regulation, or SAMR, the regulatory body that oversees product safety.
Then in January 2025, another recall swept up more than 1.2 million vehicles. Of those, 871,087 were locally produced Model 3 and Model Y units built between January 2022 and September 2023, and the cause that time was the electronic power steering system.
Fixes arrive over the air
Tesla has resolved its Chinese recalls almost entirely through over-the-air software updates. Traditional automakers issuing recalls of this scale would face scheduling appointments for millions of vehicles, sourcing parts, and staffing service centers, but Tesla instead pushes a fix wirelessly, and most owners wake up to a car that has already been updated. No injuries or fatalities have been linked to Tesla's past recalls in the Chinese market.
A tougher regulator, a smaller US recall
SAMR has established itself as one of the more assertive automotive regulators globally. China welcomed Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory with favorable terms in 2019, terms that helped the company build its most efficient production facility.
For comparison, Tesla's recent US recalls have been far smaller in scope: a recall of approximately 13,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the US addressed battery contactor defects, a separate issue from the Chinese actions.
Source: Crypto Briefing
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