Trump's $90,000 Tesla: A Luxury Purchase With Dozens of Recall Notices

Following his March 11, 2025 South Lawn photo-op with Elon Musk, President Trump purchased a Tesla Model S Plaid for roughly $90,000, framing the buy as a show of confidence in Musk and the company amid a stock slump and calls for a Tesla boycott. Reporting at the time noted the specific model had accumulated 37 recall notices over the years, covering issues ranging from touchscreen and airbag problems to power steering, door handles, and driver-assistance software.

Tesla, like most automakers, has typically resolved many such recalls through over-the-air software updates rather than physical repairs, but the volume attached to a single model drew attention given the symbolism of the purchase. Trump later acknowledged he would not personally drive the car.

The episode became a minor but widely covered example of the tension between Trump's public promotion of a politically connected company and his administration's broader rollback of consumer-protection and regulatory oversight, including safety regulation of the auto industry.