Tesla recalls nearly 2 million China-made Model 3 and Model Y vehicles

Tesla is recalling close to 2 million Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured in China, marking 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, vehicles that roll off the assembly lines at the company’s Shanghai Gigafactory. That factory is responsible for supplying 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 rodeo with seven-figure recall numbers 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. The culprit that time was the electronic power steering system.

The OTA advantage

Tesla has resolved its Chinese recalls almost entirely through over-the-air software updates. Traditional automakers issuing recalls of this scale would face logistical nightmares: scheduling appointments for millions of vehicles, sourcing parts, staffing service centers. Tesla pushes a fix wirelessly, and most owners wake up to a car that’s already been updated.

No injuries or fatalities have been linked to Tesla’s past recalls in the Chinese market.

China’s regulatory posture

SAMR has established itself as one of the more assertive automotive regulators globally. China welcomed Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory with open arms in 2019, offering favorable 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 completely separate issue from the Chinese actions.

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