Batteries

Powerwall 2 recall replacement: what you get and what to ask for in writing

If your Powerwall 2 is part of the recall, Tesla will replace it for free, and in the meantime it has probably been drained remotely so it can't overheat. Your solar keeps working; your backup doesn't. The replacement itself is where owners run into trouble: it isn't always the same battery, it isn't always set up the same way, and it doesn't come with a new warranty. The fix for most of that is getting the details in writing before and after the swap.

Recall date: November 13, 2025, announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Units: About 10,500 Powerwall 2 AC Battery Power Systems sold from November 2020 to December 2022, through Tesla and certified installers
Problem: Battery cells in some units can make the unit stop working during normal use and overheat, in some cases with smoke or flame. The CPSC lists 22 overheating reports and no injuries.
Remedy: A free replacement. Until it's installed, online units are remotely discharged.
Contact: Tesla: powerwallsupportna@tesla.com, 877-961-7652 (Monday to Friday, 8 to 5 Pacific). The installer who put your system in is usually the one who schedules the swap.

First: who owns the battery?

You own it (you paid cash, or it's on a loan): the recall and the warranty are between you and Tesla, with your installer doing the work. You can ask Tesla and the installer directly for everything below.

It's part of a lease or PPA (a company bills you each month for the system): the battery belongs to that company, so it arranges the replacement with Tesla. Your questions go to the company that bills you, and your agreement decides whether anything changes on your bill while the backup is off.

What owners are told, and what actually happens

"Your Powerwall has been discharged." This is the safety step. The battery sits at or near empty, so there's no backup in an outage and no storing solar for the evening. Keep it online: that's how Tesla can see it and how the recall status shows up in the Tesla app.
"You'll get a replacement." The replacement may not be the same model. At least one owner has reported receiving a Powerwall 3, which is a different design with its own built-in inverter, in place of a Powerwall 2. Ask which model you're getting before the crew shows up.
"It's covered under warranty." It is, but only for what's left of your original warranty. Under Tesla's Powerwall warranty, a replaced product carries the remainder of the original warranty period. A new battery in 2026 does not mean a new 10 years.
"It's the same system." Not always. A Powerwall 3 can be installed so it uses its own inverter, or wired in alongside your existing solar inverters. At least one owner has reported that the replacement charges slower and drains faster than the battery it replaced. If yours behaves worse after the swap, that's worth raising in writing.

What to ask for in writing

Phone answers change from call to call. An email gives you a date and a name. Send one before the swap and one after.

Before: the date your replacement is scheduled, the exact model you're getting (Powerwall 2 or Powerwall 3), and how it will be connected to your solar.
Before: the date your warranty ends, in writing, so there's no argument later about which battery it started with.
After: confirmation of what was installed (model and serial number), the date your backup was working again, and the usable capacity and power of the new unit next to the old one.
If it performs worse: a short, dated note describing what changed (how fast it charges, how long it lasts overnight), with screenshots from the Tesla app, asking for it to be checked and set up the way Tesla recommends for that model.
On a lease or PPA: the same questions, sent to the company that bills you. If your agreement says anything about the system not working, or about credits when it doesn't, ask in the same email whether the months with no backup are covered. Only your agreement can say whether they are.

If you're not sure your solar side is still pulling its weight while all this happens, the free production check shows what your system should be making for your address.

A dated, specific letter is much harder to ignore than a phone call. If your swap is stalled, or the replacement isn't doing what the old battery did, the $29 Dead or Broken System Kit lays out a letter asking for the repair by a date, in your own words. On a lease or PPA, the Billing Dispute Kit covers bills for months the system wasn't doing its job.

Or I write it for you from your own papers: $99 flat. You read and approve it, then send it yourself from your own email.

See the kits, $29 or have it written for you, $99; or email jon@solarstillworks.com.

Sources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, recall notice, November 13, 2025: Tesla Recalls Powerwall 2 AC Battery Power Systems
Tesla, Powerwall Limited Warranty (USA): replaced products carry the remainder of the original warranty period
Tesla's Powerwall 2 replacement page, listed in the CPSC notice: tesla.com/support/energy/powerwall/own/powerwall-2-replacement
The Powerwall 3 replacement and its performance: one owner's report in a Tesla owners' Facebook group, October 2026

What this page isn't

It isn't legal advice, and it isn't from Tesla. Recall details can change, so check the CPSC notice and the Tesla app for your own unit. Your own warranty or agreement wins over anything general here.

“After the letter was sent, it was mere days that they got back to me with a much more positive email looking into all our issues causing the total system to be down.”
Tami B., SunStrong customer