EVs with the most safety recalls in 2026

The Tesla Model Y has been recalled five times this year, more than any other electric model in America, according to an October 2026 report on the least reliable EVs. With electric vehicle sales up nearly 140% across the US over the past five years, this freshly released study by Rerev reveals which models first-time buyers might want to avoid.

Here’s what we found:

• Lucid’s Air was recalled four times so far in 2026, including once for a fire risk caused by faulty software.
• With nearly 130K cars affected, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E had one of the biggest EV recall campaigns of the year.
• Owners of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 filed over 600 complaints with NHTSA this year, and the model required four safety fixes already.
• The Tesla Model Y tops the list with five separate safety recalls in 2026
• See the full top 10 rankings table

Tesla Model Y

Safety recalls in 2026: 5
Vehicles recalled: 146K
Owner complaints to NHTSA: 787
Complaints reporting a crash: 157
Open NHTSA investigations: 7

Tesla’s Model Y is the most recalled electric car of 2026, with five separate recalls filed this year. Most were for smaller problems, like a rearview camera that shows the image late in about 113K cars, headlights that are too bright, and a missing certification label. Another involved loose front suspension fasteners. In total, 146K Model Y cars were called back. Owners also sent 787 complaints to NHTSA this year. These are driver accounts rather than confirmed defects, though, and the agency currently has 7 investigations open on the model.

For model-year guidance, see Tesla Model Y years to avoid.

Lucid Air

Lucid Air is the second least reliable car of the year. None of the other electric models in the study had recalls rated as severe as the Air’s, which included a fire risk linked to faulty lighting-circuit software. The rest covered half-shaft bolts that may loosen, inverter failure monitoring, and driver-assist software. Three of the four recalls were fixed with a software update, which spared owners a trip to the dealer for those. That said, these safety fixes affected over 40K cars in total.

Rivian R1S

Rivian’s R1S SUV ranks third, with two of its four recalls tied to things drivers use on every trip. A message on the screen can cover up the rearview camera, and a rear suspension part may come apart on cars that have been to the shop before. The other two recalls are for front turn signals that don’t work properly and seat belts. Close to 73K SUVs were called back, the second-biggest group in the top five after the Model Y. On top of that, owners sent 47 complaints to NHTSA, and 8 of them mention a crash.

Rivian R1T

Rivian’s R1T pickup is fourth and shares all four recalls with the SUV above it, from the rearview camera notification to the seat belts. About 47.8K trucks were called back, roughly 25K fewer than the SUV. For pickup owners, the toe link recall is the one worth checking first, since that part may separate after earlier service. Owners sent in 40 complaints, 2 of them reporting a crash, and NHTSA has one investigation open on the model, the same as on the R1S.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 rounds out the top five with some of the most serious recalls. Only 2.6K cars were involved in these safety fixes, yet two of the four recalls were for battery short-circuit fire risks, and one came with a warning to park outside. Rear suspension fasteners that may loosen and instrument display software made up the rest. Battery trouble shows up in owner reports too, with 131 of the 610 complaints filed with NHTSA this year citing the battery or propulsion system.

See Hyundai Ioniq 5 years to avoid before you shop.

What the data says about acting on recall notices

Our take — REREV Team:

A recall notice only helps if the owner acts on it. According to the latest reports, of the vehicles recalled in 2025, only about half had been repaired by February 2026. Notices often arrive by mail, and they are easy to miss. The repair is always free at a dealer, and any owner can type their VIN into NHTSA’s recall lookup to see if the car has an open recall. That’s especially worth doing for anyone buying a used electric car, since an open recall stays with the vehicle.

Full top 10 rankings

Here’s a look at the 10 electric models with the most safety recalls this year:

You can access the complete research findings here.

The remaining models in the top 10 show how recall counts stay elevated even when fewer vehicles are affected:

Ford Mustang Mach-E — 3 recalls covering 129.41K vehicles, 96 owner complaints, and 1 open NHTSA defect investigation.

Kia EV9 — 3 recalls, 21.74K vehicles affected, 55 complaints, and 0 open investigations.

Jeep Wagoneer S — 3 recalls, 23.83K vehicles affected, 45 complaints, and 0 open investigations.

Volvo EX30 — 3 recalls, 1.79K vehicles affected, 9 complaints, and 0 open investigations.

Tesla Model 3 — 3 recalls covering 69.94K vehicles, 412 complaints, 60 crash-related complaints, and 6 open investigations.

Methodology

The research examined 50+ electric models sold in the US to find which ones had the most safety recalls this year. It counted how many separate recalls each model had and how serious they were, from labeling mistakes to fire risks and warnings to park outside. The report then checked how many cars each recall covered, using reports filed with the US vehicle safety agency NHTSA. These figures were combined into a single score, revealing which electric models have been recalled the most in 2026.

When using the data, please credit https://rerev.com/.