Vehicle loans and leases
Tesla: what servicemembers report to the CFPB
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database, complaints tagged servicemember, received 2023 to 2025. Read October 28, 2026. Open the same query on consumerfinance.gov.
- Servicemember complaints
- 33
- Closed with money back
- 0
- 2023 to 2025
- 4 to 20
Tesla received 401 complaints from everyone in the window; 33 carried the servicemember tag. The complaints are mostly about vehicle loan or lease, and the single most common issue is "Getting a loan or lease". 0 of the 33 closed with money back. The count is too small for a reliable percentage, so compare it with the 2% rate across all 349 companies only loosely. The yearly count rose from 4 in 2023 to 20 in 2025.
What the complaints are about
By product
| Vehicle loan or lease | 23 |
| Debt collection | 3 |
| Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan | 2 |
| Checking or savings account | 1 |
| Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports | 1 |
By issue
| Getting a loan or lease | 10 |
| Managing the loan or lease | 5 |
| Problems at the end of the loan or lease | 5 |
| Electronic communications | 2 |
| Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan | 2 |
| 2023: 4 | 2024: 9 | 2025: 20 |
Which accounts, specifically
| Lease | 18 |
| Loan | 9 |
| Installment loan | 2 |
| Auto debt | 2 |
| Payday loan | 1 |
What went wrong, specifically
| Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing | 5 |
| Problem with fees charged | 5 |
| Termination fees or other problem when ending the lease early | 4 |
| Changes in terms mid-deal or after closing | 3 |
| Lender trying to repossess or disable the vehicle | 2 |
Busiest month: October 2025, with 5 servicemember complaints. Most were submitted by web.
Most complaints came from CA (6), FL (4), TX (4) , then IA, OH, VA.
How Tesla answered
| Closed with explanation | 33 |
Tesla responded within the CFPB's 15-day window on 88% of servicemember complaints (directory-wide: 99%). Where the company published a response, the most common was: "Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law" (5). A complaint closed "with explanation" means the company answered in writing and changed nothing; "monetary relief" means money moved.
In servicemembers' own words
Narratives the CFPB publishes with the consumer's consent. Personal details are removed by the CFPB before publication. Each links to the original complaint.
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Debt collection; Attempts to collect debt not owed. PA, 2024-08-29. Outcome: Closed with explanation. Complaint 9985340
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Debt collection; Electronic communications. TX, 2024-09-01. Outcome: Closed with explanation. Complaint 9982439
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Vehicle loan or lease; Getting a loan or lease. NC, 2024-05-22. Outcome: Closed with explanation. Complaint 9071717
If this is your problem at Tesla
For a pre-service debt above 6%: the written request and the refund estimate; for repossession, foreclosure, a default judgment or eviction, the court-protection guides and the Department of Justice; for a loan or card taken during service, the Military Lending Act. A CFPB complaint is the dated record that follows, and it is the data on this page.
Compare with vehicle loans and leases peers
- Americas Car-Mart 31 servicemember complaints; 0 with money back
- Driveway Finance 37 servicemember complaints; 0 with money back
- Byrider Franchising 40 servicemember complaints; 0 with money back
- DriveTime 27 servicemember complaints; 0 with money back
- Cig Financial 26 servicemember complaints; 0 with money back
Next in the directory by volume: Winklevoss Exchange, Guaranteed Rate, Moneygram Payment Systems Worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints did servicemembers file against Tesla?
33 complaints tagged servicemember were received by the CFPB about Tesla, Inc. between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025 (database read October 28, 2026). The tag covers active duty, Guard, Reserve, veterans, retirees, and their spouses and dependents. The yearly count rose from 4 in 2023 to 20 in 2025.
What do servicemembers complain about most at Tesla?
Vehicle loan or lease accounts for 23 of the 33 complaints, and the most common issue is "Getting a loan or lease" (10). Next: "Managing the loan or lease" (5).
Does Tesla give money back when a servicemember complains?
0 of the 33 closed with money back. The count is too small for a reliable percentage, so compare it with the 2% rate across all 349 companies only loosely. 0 closed with non-monetary relief and 33 closed with an explanation only. Tesla answered 88% of these complaints within the CFPB's 15-day window.
Tools for this topic
- SCRA refund calculator What a lender owes back for charging over 6%.
- Savings calculator What the 6% cap saves you per month and per year.
- Letter generator A rate-cap or lease letter that cites the statute.
CFPB counts for complaints tagged "Servicemember" received 2023-01-01 to 2025-12-31, read October 28, 2026; names are the CFPB's; percentages only at 100+ complaints; a complaint is not a finding of wrongdoing. Method and the full directory.
Heads up: SCRA Saver publishes general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws change and every situation differs. Confirm details with your installation legal assistance office (free for service members) or a licensed professional.