Tesla Fire Lawsuit Claims Battery Defects Caused Vehicle’s ‘Spontaneous Combustion’

Lawsuit claims that battery fires in Tesla vehicles have resulted in drivers and passengers suffering serious injuries or death.

An Oregon woman has filed a product liability lawsuit, alleging her Tesla vehicle suddenly caught fire while she was driving, causing her to lose control and crash.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Maria Salcedo in Oregon Circuit Court on May 1, naming Tesla Inc. as the sole defendant. The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on May 18.

Salcedo claims the Tesla caught fire without warning while she was driving with her children and a friend, causing a crash that left her with a concussion, severe psychological trauma and injuries requiring surgery. Her passenger, Jewlien Battles, allegedly helped Salcedo and her children escape the burning vehicle, suffering permanent second-degree burns to his hands, arms, neck and abdomen, as well as a concussion.

Tesla Battery Fire Risks

According to the complaint, the fire was due to a dangerously defective battery system that allegedly caused the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery to spontaneously combust.

Similar allegations of battery fires have been raised in other lawsuits involving Tesla cars and trucks. In one case, a California man claims he suffered severe and life threatening injuries when the electronic door locks on his Tesla Model Y failed after the vehicle crashed and caught fire, preventing his escape.

In a separate wrongful death lawsuit, the daughters of a California man allege malfunctioning electronic door handles in a 2023 Tesla Model Y trapped their father inside the burning vehicle after it crashed while on Autopilot.

Tesla Battery Fire Allegations

Salcedo alleges that on January 8, 2025, she was driving her Tesla under normal conditions when the vehicle suddenly caught fire without warning, causing her to lose control and strike a median barrier.

Battles, who was a passenger, then assisted Salcedo and her children in escaping the burning vehicle, sustaining substantial permanent second degree burns to his hands, arms, neck and abdomen, along with a concussion. Salcedo also suffered a concussion and psychological trauma requiring surgical treatment.

The complaint further states that Salcedo involuntarily urinated on herself from the impact and fear, and now suffers from nightmares, anxiety and a persistent fear of driving or riding in vehicles after witnessing her children and friend nearly perish in the fire.

Salcedo claims the fire was caused by defects in the vehicle’s battery or energy management system and was not the result of driver error or any outside force.

“Plaintiff alleges that Tesla’s design, manufacturing, and/or failure to warn of the dangers of its vehicle’s energy systems directly resulted in the fire, injuries, and resulting trauma.”

— Maria Salcedo v. Tesla Inc.

The lawsuit raises allegations of product liability and negligence. It seeks at least $250,000 in general damages, more than $50,000 in medical expenses and over $500,000 in non-economic damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress, along with interest, costs and other relief the court deems appropriate.

Sign up for more legal news that could affect you or your family.