2026 Tesla Model Y 'Juniper' Photo by Clayton Seams

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Automotive recalls typically deal with problems stemming from a manufacturing issue that may lead to a breakdown or unexpected vehicle behaviour, though some are for inane minutiae such as misplaced stickers or owner’s literature. But a new campaign targeting just over a dozen examples of the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y in America is unique: these cars are being bought back by the manufacturer because they’re simply too Canadian.

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No, the vehicles aren’t hanging out too much at the hockey rink or swilling maple syrup straight from a glass bottle shaped like a leaf. At issue is a concern these 15 cars, built in either the company’s Berlin plant or its Shanghai facility, were imported to the States but certified instead for sale in Canada. Despite both countries largely hewing to safety regulations that are broadly the same, there’s apparently enough difference between their Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and our Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) to warrant this type of action.

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2026 Tesla Model Y Photo by Tesla

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A total of 15 vehicles are ensnared in the net: certain 2024 Tesla Model 3s built between December 2023 and July 2024; plus certain 2026 Tesla Model Ys manufactured from August 2025 to February 2026. The feds cite the absence of a knee airbag as one problem, along with the lack of crash testing pursuant to a specific bumper-impact resistance procedure.