FBI Warns Americans to Be Vigilant Around Tesla Dealerships as Arson Attacks Persist

The bulletin was issued after the Department of Justice announced three arrests for acts of Tesla-related arson.

An FBI agent walks toward a crime scene in a file photo. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The FBI said on March 22 that Americans should be wary of individuals who may try to target Tesla dealerships and vehicles as a rash of arson and vandalism persists.

In a post on social media platform X, the bureau warned Americans to employ “vigilance and awareness around Tesla locations” amid a series of “nationwide incidents” including “arson, gunfire, and vandalism targeting Tesla EVs, dealerships, and charging stations” in at least nine states.

While the FBI did not make mention of the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, serving as an adviser to President Donald Trump and front man for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the agency noted that the attacks are “linked to political grievances.”

Separately, the FBI released a bulletin a day earlier that provided more details about graffiti written on Tesla vehicles and property and that they contain “grievances against those the perpetrators perceive to be racists, fascists, or political opponents.”

“These criminal actions appear to have been conducted by lone offenders, and all known incidents occurred at night,” the bulletin said. “Individuals require little planning to use rudimentary tactics, such as improvised incendiary devices and firearms, and may perceive these attacks as victimless property crimes.”

Americans are advised to be aware of violent threats made against specific Tesla locations and properties, surveillance or photography of Tesla personnel or dealerships, or attempts to gain access to Tesla locations or related properties, the FBI said. The agency also recommends that people report such activity to the FBI or local police.

“Reporting these crimes can help law enforcement identify violent or malicious actors and prevent further damage,” the FBI added.

On March 20, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against three individuals who allegedly carried out attacks against Tesla dealerships. Those individuals face between five and 20 years in a federal prison if convicted, officials said.

One person was arrested after allegedly throwing eight Molotov cocktails at a Salem, Oregon, Tesla dealership, while another person was arrested in Loveland, Colorado, after allegedly trying to set Tesla vehicles on fire with Molotov cocktails, the DOJ said. An individual in Charleston, South Carolina, was arrested after writing messages critical of Trump near Tesla charging stations before lighting them on fire with Molotov cocktails.

“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”

Musk said in a March 20 post on X that his car company has ramped up security and activated its “Sentry Mode” on all vehicles at dealerships. Earlier this month, Trump purchased a new red Tesla vehicle on the White House driveway to show his support for Musk’s company amid the vandalism and a drop in the company’s stock price of more than 24 percent over the past 30 days.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Tesla Cybertrucks were recalled by U.S. safety regulators after discovering that an exterior panel on left and right side of the vehicle’s windshield could detach while driving and potentially create a road hazard. The recall affects more than 46,000 vehicles, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Tesla said that it will replace the panel at no cost to drivers and will send recall notification letters on May 19 to Cybertruck owners.