A series of fatal Tesla crashes spanning two continents over four days has intensified scrutiny of the electric-vehicle maker at the close of a year marked by sweeping recalls and expanding legal exposure. The incidents-one in southern England and another in Northern California-left three people dead and several others critically injured, as investigators on both sides of the Atlantic examine speed, weather and the possible role of driver-assistance technology.
In the United Kingdom, authorities said a white Tesla struck a tree late Saturday on Holland Road near Hurst Green in Surrey, killing two teenagers. A third passenger, also in their late teens, remained hospitalized in critical condition. Surrey Police arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with the crash and appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage.
Two days earlier in California, a Tesla carrying a driver and three juvenile passengers plunged roughly 15 feet down an embankment on Highway 49 near the South Yuba River Bridge. One juvenile boy died, while three others sustained major injuries but were expected to survive, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators cited speed and heavy rain as contributing factors and said they were working to retrieve vehicle data to determine whether Autopilot was engaged.
The December crashes capped a turbulent year for Tesla, which recalled nearly half a million vehicles in multiple actions between February and October, according to federal safety filings. The recalls spanned several models and failure types, underscoring persistent quality and compliance challenges.
Key 2025 recalls included:
- 376,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in February due to power-steering circuit boards that could overstress, risking loss of steering assist.
- 46,096 Cybertrucks in March after stainless-steel trim panels risked detaching and creating road hazards.
- 12,963 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in October for battery-pack contactors that could fail, potentially causing a sudden loss of drive power.
- 63,619 Cybertrucks five days later requiring software updates because front parking lights exceeded federal brightness standards.
In total, these actions affected 498,678 vehicles. The Cybertruck, Tesla's stainless-steel pickup, has been particularly troubled; industry tallies show eight recalls in its first 15 months on the road.
Legal pressure has mounted alongside the safety actions. In June, the estates of three family members killed in a September 2024 New Jersey crash filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court, alleging that a 2024 Model S equipped with Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features had a "defective and unreasonably dangerous design." The complaint says the vehicle drifted out of its lane and failed to apply emergency braking despite the occupants wearing seatbelts.
The lawsuit also cites comments by Elon Musk from 2016 asserting that Autopilot was "probably better" than human drivers, arguing that Tesla failed to adequately warn customers of system limitations. Tesla has said its driver-assistance features require drivers to remain attentive and keep their hands on the wheel.
