2019 TESLA Model 3 Problems & Complaints
Real owner complaints and problems reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). View common issues by component.
VIN Decoder
566
Complaints Reported
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Complaints by Component
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
63 complaints
Vehicle in front stopped suddenly. The car gave NO alert AND did NOT stop whatsoever. The tesla collided with the vehicle in front. **I have dashcam footage of the incident
Oct 01, 2025
Vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor VIN: [XXX] Mileage: ~84,041 Software: v12 (2025.32.6 e575ed98d527), FSD Supervised v12.6.4 Date/Time: [XXX], ~[XXX] Location: [XXX] Incident Description: While operating Autopilot, I was stopped at a stop sign preparing to turn right. I lightly pressed the accelerator to prompt the turn. At that moment, the vehicle would not respond to steering or braking input. Despite applying full force on the steering wheel and brake pedal, the car continued straight ahead and struck a street sign. This represents a loss of manual override — I was completely locked out of steering and braking. Prior Behavior at Same Location: On prior occasions using Autopilot at this same intersection, the vehicle would attempt to make the turn but then immediately steer itself into the breakdown lane. I had learned to expect this and was prepared to take over. However, in this most recent incident, the vehicle did not allow me to take over at all, which created a far more serious hazard. Result: •Vehicle damage (front bumper, sensors) •Significant safety risk if pedestrians or cross traffic had been present •Demonstrates that Autopilot can both mis-execute turns and, critically, fail to relinquish control when the driver intervenes Action Taken: •Scheduled Tesla Service (Cherry Hill, NJ – Oct 7, 2025) •Requested Tesla to preserve all telemetry, camera footage, and Autopilot logs •Reported to my insurance carrier as a suspected manufacturer defect Request: I am reporting this as a serious safety defect. A system that prevents manual override of steering and braking is unsafe and could cause severe injury or death. Please investigate Tesla Autopilot’s behavior at this location and in similar right-turn scenarios. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Sep 28, 2025
* The AEB engaged when it shouldn't have. Yes. * Yes * No. * Yes, Tesla remotely told me that the error codes in my service menu had nothing to do with the AEB engaging when it wasn't supposed to. The problem has been reported to Tesla. * None. On [XXX] a car stopped suddenly in front of me and my AEB engaged when it shouldn't have. My car is a Model 3 Performance and it can stop much faster than most cars. The car behind me came inches from hitting me and my dog and myself were thrown violently forward. This is a *MAJOR* safety hazard and could have caused an accident and has caused accidents in other cases. [XXX] This thread has videos of the incident. There was around 20 feet between my car and the car in front of me when the AEB stopped my car. My foot was already on the brake and I was in the process of stopping at a reasonable rate when the AEB suddenly engaged. I could feel the ABS engaging. This happened another time about a month ago. A white box van two cars in front of me slowed down and turned right and the AEB engaged even though there was no need for it. Tesla has the ability to turn off the AEB but you have to do it each time you drive. Please require Tesla to make the AEB on/off choice sticky so you don't have to turn it off each time you drive. Also please make Tesla fix their software or disable AEB on their cars. Recent accident where AEB caused an accident. [XXX] Other incidents where AEB engaged almost causing an accident or caused an accident: [XXX] [XXX] Please do Google searches to find the rest. Thanks! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Jun 08, 2025
For the last few weeks while driving, my car will automatically put itself into FSD with out me authorization. Mean I will we driving and the car will just put itself into FSD. This has happened about 15-20 times over the last 2-3 weeks. Tesla wants to clean the front camera? Which makes no sense and charge me for it. If the front camera was obstructed, like in the case of fog. The car would alert me that it could not due to being obstructed, which isnt the case.
May 28, 2025
Driving on Hwy 8 (Houston Beltway), going west, dog came out from left side, Tesla auto pilot was engaged and did not detect collision with the dog. Car did not stop, did not alarm, dog was hit, my front bumper was damaged, and car kept on going.
Nov 18, 2024
+ 58 more complaints for this component
SUSPENSION
49 complaints
The two bolts that hold the front lower control arm on fell out (driver side). Luckily this happened when we were backing out of the driveway and not at speed. There were no warnings lights, just a loud noise from the wheel when it failed. There is already a recall about this problem for the same year and model of my car, but the dealer is saying my car is not part of the recall. Here is a link to the recall. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Dec 08, 2025
Lower lateral link , and front lower compliance link and upper control arm assembly all broken and needed repair. Tesla service shop confirmed lower links were broken on both side, causing major safety concerns. They said it needed to be fixed or car could not be driven. This is a WELL DOCUMENTED issue all over the internet. The shop confirmed and said this repair is made all the time, and typically needs to be performed every 30,000-50,000 miles. The car has not been abused, only normal driving. The problem started as a squeak coming from the upper control arms and turned into a clunk when accelerating. How has a recall not been issued? People have been talking about this issue for years. Tesla acts like the front suspension is a consumable part like a spark plug in a ICE car. really? the front suspension should be rebuilt as often as every 30k miles?
Nov 18, 2025
My car has same symptoms as previous recall and Tesla is denying repair
Oct 20, 2025
Front suspension has lost lower lateral link and bolt. There was a recall on this back in 2023 for our year and model but our car was no selected. Clearly it should have been as the suspension has failed. Please see invoice from Tesla attached. This should be taken care of by Tesla as it is a known issue.
Aug 20, 2025
Some 2019 Tesla model 3’s recalled due to lateral and control link issues. Problem seems to be more wide spread. Exactly same problem is apparently happening with my car - also a 2019 Tesla model 3, but not covered for some reason.
Jan 31, 2025
+ 44 more complaints for this component
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
33 complaints
RCM_a021 Front Left safety pretensioner becomes loose after moving seats, tesla refuses to fix this safety issue because there is no recall for this, regardless of how many people complain about this issue being a common problem in 2018-2020 model 3 Tesla
May 06, 2025
I have been an owner and fan of Tesla’s FSD for 5 and 1/2 years. Even though Tesla has repeatedly missed Elon’s promised delivery dates, I’ve remained an advocate. I am a Sr. Enterprise Architect and have a Masters in Software Engineering. I know how difficult a problem like an AI-based FSD is to solve, so I’ve been cutting Elon some slack on his constant over-promising and under-delivering. My daughter goes to school over 800 miles from home, and I’ve used FSD to do over 90% of the driving taking her to and from school, and it’s done pretty darn well, but the latest two versions I’ve received over the last few weeks have been so bad, they are dangerous in my opinion. Issues like panic braking for no visible reason, and today my car made an unexpected lane change across two lanes, cutting off a rapidly moving truck in the fast lane, all requiring me to take control. I now have interventions every few minutes, sometimes only a few minutes from engagement. With Tesla’s focus on “Robotaxi Day,” I am concerned that the demo may be more smoke and mirrors, because the latest version of FSD on my car is nowhere near ready for prime time. Can Tesla fix this? I’m sure they can, but this software version was definitely rushed out too soon, probably because Elon put heavy pressure prior to their big Robotaxi event. My wife has a Model Y with FSD behaving the same way, so it is not isolated to just my car. If Robotaxi Day is a smash success, they are either running a hardware or software version my 2 cars do not have, or they demoed in a very controlled environment. But here’s another issue. We’ve all been promised a working FSD. If Tesla found that level 3 hardware cannot deliver, and if Elon has to eat crow and embrace LIDAR, for example, there will be a class action against Tesla from owners stuck with an FSD technology that is not safe and doesn’t deliver on Elon’s promises. I doubt Tesla will upgrade all of us to hardware that works. Then what? My FSD is v12.5.4.1.
Oct 08, 2024
The component is a software update by Tesla, the change is in the climate control screen, the problem is that the recirculating air icon was large and easy to change status while driving but is now microscopic and not able to safely check status or touch to change the air recirculation. There is no way to revert or customize the size or placement of this control
Aug 29, 2024
The back window cracked with no impact. Even though this is a known issue with Tesla Model 3s, Tesla charged me $1400 for the replacement window because it was four months after warranty expiration. Six weeks after the new window installation, the glass cracked again. Both times the back window cracked at the car body joint which suggests a structural issue. This time Tesla claimed it was impact damage and again refused to pay for repair.
Mar 12, 2024
Heating suddenly stopped working after 3 years.
Dec 31, 2023
+ 28 more complaints for this component
LANE DEPARTURE
26 complaints
I see in today's news that the NHTSA is investigating Tesla's FSD due to accidents in poor visibility, but the articles I've read are not discussing another visibility issue that may actually be more widespread. I already reported concerns with Telsa's FSD in incident 11618812, but I forgot to mention another issue I believe is crucial to the success or failure of Tesla's FSD, and I am surprised to find that nobody is talking about this serious flaw. Because Tesla's FSD relies on camera video only, the vehicle is blind in the dark. I live in a rural area, and on some roads without streetlights or other vehicles nearby illuminating the areas around the vehicle, Tesla's FSD falsely assumes that the side and rear facing cameras are obstructed because they cannot see in the dark. This was also an issue when my son and I drove home through the night from South Carolina. When we hit North Carolina on [XXX] in the middle of the night between cities and no streetlights, traffic was sparse so there was nobody behind or to the sides of the vehicle. Every few minutes, FSD falsely warned us that the cameras were obstructed, and alerted us that FSD's capabilities were limited. One point of view is that there was nobody there so my car was clear, and FSD could assume that everything is okay and suppress the warning, but what if the driver of the other vehicle at night failed to have their lights on? And how will FSD ever know that the camera is obstructed, or is in pitch dark? Take an average of the low light across multiple cameras? Is that risky? In my opinion, Tesla's FSD cannot rely on video alone and either needs to use LIDAR, night vision, or 3D radar to see more accurately around the vehicle in poor visibility conditions. The answer to low light, bright low sun, fog, or dust is probably the same solution. But we were all promised FSD, so will Musk upgrade the hardware in our cars at Tesla's expense, or expect all of us to pay for the upgrade to get what we were all promised? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while his partner was driving at approximately 60 MPH in inclement weather, the lane departure feature malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to hydroplane and crash into the median. No air bags were deployed. The contact's partner sustained a sore neck and back; however, medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Dec 21, 2022
At night, both left and right side turn signal cameras (repeater cameras) become heavily obscured with glare when using turn signals. This interferes with lane keep assist, blind spot/collision warning, autopilot functions, and the ability for a driver to safely discern the presence of a vehicle in the vehicle’s blind spot. In November 2022 Tesla stated “It is a characteristic of the product… that has been design enhanced in newer vehicle production.” The issue is caused by 3 small holes located on the repeater camera’s printed circuit board (PCB) that allow internal light from the turn signal repeater to shine through the PCB to the camera sensor side, directly obscuring most of the camer sensor. The new “design enhanced” version covers these 3 holes with tape, eliminating the problem. Tesla does not view this as a concern and does not cover this safety issue under warranty. A very large number of owners have filed complaints with Tesla. Some owners had the parts replaced under “good will” while most have been charged for the replacement of the side repeaters as Tesla doesn’t classify this as a defect in “materials or workmanship”. Despite this, Tesla felt compelled to “enhance the design” by eliminating this problem. It’s absurd that Tesla knows about the issue and went as far as correcting it to prevent further problems, but won’t issue a TSB for vehicles effected by this “characteristic” that poses a major safety concern.
Nov 29, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. While FSD Beta was engaged, the road transitioned from being single lane and one-way only to two lanes and with traffic travelling in both directions. As we travelled over an intersection, the Tesla ignored this change in its surroundings and proceeded to travel in the wrong lane, towards oncoming traffic. Its failure to read road markings could have seriously endangered the driver and other road users. A link to the clip of the incident can be found below: https://vimeo.com/733967979/01bc3c3795
Jul 27, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. While travelling at 32 mph the vehicle moves to the right in preparation for an upcoming right turn. However, there is a parked truck in the lane the Tesla intended to enter, and the vehicle passes far too close to it before over-correcting and veering back into the original lane before once again moving back to the right-hand lane. A link to the clip of the incident can be found below: https://vimeo.com/733567653/6d929fc7d6
Jul 26, 2022
+ 21 more complaints for this component
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE
25 complaints
With the latest update of V12.3 FSD, the full self driving cannot predict the obstacles clearly, resulting in am incorrect left turn manuever, running over a central divider curb, and damaging tires. Not sure, what could have happened, if a human was standing there instead!
Mar 20, 2024
Ever since Tesla updated my vehicle to 2023.44.30.8, the autopilot has become effectively unusable. It now nags and beeps at me whenever I am not looking straight ahead. It is ridiculous that Tesla has ruined one of the best aspects of my car due to (ostensibly?) NHTSA pressure. Please allow their previous driver attentiveness system with the steering wheel to be reinstated. It is so miserable to have my car nanny camera flip out on me every time I look anywhere other than straight ahead. At the very least, every other manufacturer should be forced to have just as annoying a system if my Tesla had to be ruined. Its wrong to punish every Tesla owner because some people misused autopilot.
Jan 30, 2024
Was using autopilot feature on the vehicle on thanksgiving. Was going about 75 miles per hour when suddenly autopilot failed and the car lost control. I had to quickly regain control of the vehicle before I crashed. I took photos of the error messages and reported the incident to tesla via the tesla app. Typically autopilot fails gracefully and provides notifications. I’ve never seen it fail with no warning and loss of control of the vehicle.
Nov 24, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. The vehicle made a turn left and found itself in a lane that was coned off. Traffic was queuing in the adjacent lane. The vehicle edged forward into the closed lane and waited to join the lane to the right. Even though other drivers were giving way, the vehicle failed to move. The driver took manual control in order to complete the manoeuvre. There is Go_Pro video here - https://vimeo.com/738880343/09033b5c2a
Aug 12, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. Cruising at 30+ mph the vehicle was late to slow down ahead of a left turn junction. The vehicle then cut across the junction as it was moving too fast to make the turn correctly. There is Go_Pro footage of the incident here... https://vimeo.com/738674524/5db5854102
Aug 11, 2022
+ 20 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
23 complaints
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the indicator, self-driving feature, and music sounds were inaudible. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Nov 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that his wife was driving approximately 30-40 MPH at night with Full Self-Driving(FSD) mode engaged. The contact stated that the driver was exiting the highway to merge onto another highway that would close intermittently. The contact stated that the driver briefly looked at the navigation screen, and the vehicle suddenly crashed into the first highway closure gate, and the windshield shattered. The vehicle then crashed into a second highway closure gate. The contact stated that the Full Self-Driving(FSD) mode failed to operate as needed to prevent the collisions. The driver was able to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway, and there was no oncoming traffic. The contact's daughter was occupying the front passenger's side seat during the incident. The driver called 911, and the police officers arrived at the scene. A police report was filed, but the police report number was not available. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was under evaluation. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Numbers: PE25012(Electrical System) and PE24031(Electrical System). The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer via phone, but the manufacturer was unreachable. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 111,725.
Oct 09, 2025
I am reaching out to report a high voltage isolation issue with my 2019 Tesla Model 3. Tesla determined the issue was caused by external factors such as grime and road salt corroding the battery seals, leading to an internal isolation fault with the high voltage battery. They deemed it out of warranty, with an estimated repair cost of $13,155.30. When I asked what preventative maintenance could have avoided this, Tesla only referred me to the owner’s manual, which simply instructs users to clean the car’s exterior. No specific maintenance regarding battery seal inspection or corrosion prevention was provided. Records from our local car wash subscription show the car has been washed regularly (at least 66 times since January 2024). The previous owner also had brake lines replaced due to corrosion under warranty, during which Tesla removed the battery in March 2023. In October 2024, the rear drive unit was replaced under warranty, yet no mention was made of battery seal corrosion during any of these service visits. At no point has Tesla’s maintenance guidance or service process addressed checking the seals for corrosion in regions where road salt is heavily used. I believe this omission creates a potential safety concern, as seal corrosion in a high voltage battery could lead to failures or hazards without prior warning. The Vermont AG Consumer Assistance Program recommended I contact your office for further assistance. This issue appears to be part of a broader pattern where Tesla attributes failures to “environmental factors” without advising owners of any specific preventative maintenance, effectively avoiding warranty responsibility while leaving potential safety issues unaddressed.
Aug 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while charging the vehicle at a supercharging station, the vehicle shut off once the battery charge reached 250 miles. The contact attempted to move the vehicle to another charging station, and the vehicle failed to shift to drive(D). Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center where the contact was informed that the pyro fuse used to regulate the battery voltage had failed to operate as needed. The contact was also informed that the pyro fuse inside the vehicle was an aftermarket part; therefore, the contact would be responsible for the repair of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local Tesla Service Center was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed on the vehicle due to the hardware of the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair required hardware 3.0; however, the vehicle hardware was 2.5. The dealer charged a fee to update the hardware. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and made the same assessment. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool shows no open recall.
Apr 04, 2024
+ 18 more complaints for this component
AIR BAGS
19 complaints
My Tesla displayed fault code RCM-A056 (Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault). This error disables or compromises the front passenger airbag/occupant restraint system. The fault appeared without accident or damage, and Tesla has declined to cover the repair because my Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty has expired. This is a critical safety defect because it prevents the front passenger airbag system from functioning properly in a crash. Tesla has issued recalls and service campaigns related to restraint control module calibration, and many owners have reported the same fault code. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA can investigate whether this is part of a broader safety defect trend and ensure Tesla repairs these failures regardless of warranty status.
Oct 09, 2025
We have recently incurred an alert that comes on as it pleases and has no rhyme or reason for popping up with passenger airbag restraint issue. Tesla is wanting to charge us over $900 to fix this issue yet this isn’t an us issue it’s a them issue. They installed a faulty airbag sensor which now requires the replacement of sensor, airbag, and harness as well as a software update. I have seen thousands of complaints online in regards to the same error code. This is something Tesla needs to take ownership for. This isn’t a wear and tear item, these airbags have never been deployed, so why are we being punished! Recall these cars they are a hazard
Jun 02, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the air bags warning light illuminated and the message "Front Passenger Safety Restraint Fault - Service Required" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger seat occupancy system had an internal fault and the bolts, knee and passenger air bag bolts, bolt mat, passenger air bag, harness retaining clip, front row seat harness assembly, right hand, front row seat belt reminder sensor box, front row occupancy sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Mar 31, 2025
A warning alert message popped up stating “RCM_a056 Front passenger safety restraint system fault”. I contacted Tesla dealer and they said at is out of warranty after 5 years and my car is 6 years old. On searching internet I noticed several people have same issue. Tesla said there is no recall at this time. Since this is a safety critical system which affects the air bag deployment, can NHTSA investigate and see if this can become a mandatory recall. Tesla are quoting $1130 for repair!
Mar 06, 2025
The OCS filter (occupant classification sensor) failed causing a “passenger restraint system fault”. This is simply a poorly designed component that fails. It is extremely common. The repair was quoted at nearly $2000 because the airbag and module have to be upgraded alongside it. Tesla sold a bunch of cars with a faulty $15 sensor, and is forcing $2000 worth of repairs just to get the passenger safety system to work.
Nov 08, 2024
+ 14 more complaints for this component
VISIBILITY/WIPER
17 complaints
Back window spontaneously cracked. Much of the back roof is this glass, thus I am concerned that in an accident will that tempered glass hold up
Mar 29, 2025
This morning the Tesla mobile technician informed me that the defrost is disabled. He explained that is something that only Tesla can fix. When talking to Tesla service they quote me over 1k to fix. After reading about this particular issue, Tesla has been recalling the model 3 ( 2021 -2023 ) for the exact same issue. Can someone look into this since it appears to be defective from Tesla Sincerely
Sep 02, 2024
My back glass on my Tesla model 3 started to crack very bad there is no sign of any impact to the glass Tesla even stated it’s a stress crack and stated many teslas have this problem and continued to tell me even though it is a defect and a safety concern that the back glass can shatter and injury passengers in vehicle I would be responsible for paying to replace a defective back glass.
Jun 24, 2024
Automatic windshield wipers have not worked since a firmware update several months ago. Unfortunately, the touchscreen controls for the wipers are not easily accessible and that makes it difficult to control them while driving. Drivers are required to take their eyes off the road to adjust the wipers. Making matters worse, the buttons are small, low contrast, and difficult to press while the car is in motion. These touchscreen controls are the only method for operating wipers. Do to the way the controls work, automatic wipers are a necessity for safe driving in bad weather. I live in an area with frequent rain so this is a serious issue. I have reported the issue to Tesla at least twice and they continue to say it is a “known firmware characteristic” with no ETA for a fix.
Nov 18, 2023
The automatic windshield wiper feature fails to properly respond to rain intensity. The wipers turn on when it is perfectly dry outside, causing premature wear. On the other hand, when it is actually raining out, the wipers consistently and ongoingly activate at a much lower frequency than necessary to keep the windshield clear, resulting in forward visibility of close to zero in most situations. Tesla ran diagnostics on the wiper system and determined that my vehicle's hardware and equipment is functioning properly, despite all the problems.
Oct 23, 2023
+ 12 more complaints for this component
STEERING
17 complaints
My 2019 Tesla Model 3 (RWD) began alerting error messages on the primary dashboard screen saying "Steering assist reduced. Steering may require increased effort." and "Lane Departure Avoidance features unavailable", followed by the power steering going out completely. Steering required significant effort, which was dangerous while turning through intersections or navigating parking lots, and almost caused a collision with other cars. The error goes away after parking the car and powering it off and on again, but reappears after driving short distances (anywhere from 5 to 30 miles). With the error on the screen, sometimes the power steering appears to work without increased effort (but with Lane Departure Avoidance unavailable), but other times the power steering is completely disabled. I received no warnings or alerts prior to the error messages and behavior I described above. I scheduled an appointment with Tesla Service (Plano-Lexington Drive-Service 300 Lexington Dr Plano, TX 75075) through the Tesla app, and after it was accepted, the app asked me to approve a repair estimate of almost $3000 to "remove and replace the steering rack". The replacement item is listed as "STEERING GEAR - LEFT HAND DRIVE (1188832-00-B)" with a unit price of 2,260.00. I contacted Tesla Service and asked if they would just do a diagnosis first to inspect the car, and they agreed and reduced the estimate to just a $215 diagnosis. The morning of my appointment (Jan 17th, 2025), Tesla Service sent me another new invoice for $3,176.36 for a complete steering rack replacement. When I arrived at the service center, the tech said they inspected the logs remotely, and found the steering rack was failing and needed a complete replacement, before even looking at the car in person.
Jan 17, 2025
I was driving with food donations from my local shop to deliver them. I was about to turn left to go onto a different street when the car showed a notification that read "Steering Assist Reduced. Steering may require increased effort". It was incredibly hard to turn the steering wheel, left of right. If the car is moving very slowly is becomes increasingly harder to turn it, making it almost impossible to park.
Nov 11, 2024
Driving on the freeway and steering completely locked up. Luckily on a straight away so the car could go to side of road. Restarted the system and it was functional again. Has happened again. Very concern over the safety of these vehicles.
Sep 03, 2024
[XXX] the vehicle provided an amber triangle alert that power steering may not be fully available. On [XXX], the vehicle lost power to the steering wheel and the car steering locked in a straight ahead position. Fortunately the car was traveling at low-speed in a parking to and came to a halt in the parking lot. However, the steering was locked. After several re-boot attempts the failure mode light was extinguished and the car could be driven home. It was brought to Tesla to service on [XXX]. Tesla reported "water ingress damage" to the steering unit, rack and electronics. Tesla charged me >$5,000 and implied the water ingress was my fault. The car is a southern California vehicle resident that has never been immersed in water, has only experienced periodic rain (CA 92865) and is driven on average 8,000 miles a year. It has never been out of State. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Jun 19, 2024
"Steering assist reduced" Error code UI_a020 Losing steering power mid-drive due to faulty power steering rack Many others have had this issue happen to their Tesla Model 3 and Ys, i would like to know if this is covered under a recall as my car is out of warranty for this type of safety repair happening very prematurely for a car
Jun 18, 2024
+ 12 more complaints for this component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
17 complaints
Tesla has combined cruise control with their Auto Pilot feature. Now there is no human override to what speed limit to use, Tesla determines the speed to used based on certain criteria. This puts the driver at risk who may want to lower or increase the speed limit based on certain conditions Tesla may not be able to detect. For me it was a 9 PM run to the store thru an area that had temporary road construction and known to be a speed trap zone.
Jun 18, 2024
The car will not allow me to use the cruise control, or put the car into auto-steer. Tesla says it do to a coax cable that is damaged or gone bad. Additionally the day a camera repeater also needs to be replace. The car has only 62,000 miles and is 4 year old. Which is out of Warranty.
May 06, 2023
On long, straight interstate highway roads where speed limit is 80mph in GOOD to EXCELLENT weather and visibility conditions the vehicle on average would apply emergency braking at least 10x per 1,000 miles when no hazard or obstruction was present. This was often caused by asphalt color changes, slight hills, or shimmer in the distance…all of which are normal conditions for average driving. If vehicle was being followed closely by another car it had potential to cause high speed collision and injury or death.
Apr 10, 2023
The car on multiple occasions while driving on the highway with either the cruise control or autopilot engaged, drastically brakes and slows down for no reason. These slowdowns are drastic and have occurred when there are no other cars or conditions to cause the response. The braking is so dramatic that it is unlikely that I could have intervened in time to prevent a trailing vehicle from potentially rear ending my car. The speed change was so drastic that a trailing driver also may not have been able to react in time. This is a serious issue that must be corrected without delay. This typically issue occurs within 15 minutes of engaging the cruise control or autopilot and has happened multiple times. The date below is the most recent occurrence.
Mar 06, 2023
On Feb. 18, 2023 when the Tesla model 3 was being driven on I-66E in a regular lane (55mph speed limit) parallel to an I-66 express lane (posted limit of 70 mph) going in the same direction, the car display showed the higher posted speed limit of the express lane. As a result, in assisted cruise control mode, the car would speed up more than 15 mph faster than the permitted speed for the non-express lane. Using assisted cruise control in such a circumstance is a serious hazard, but it has been observed many times on different highways since the vehicle was purchased in 2019. The problem puts the occupants of the car and other vehicles on the road at risk. The problem was initially experienced on I-395 and reported to Tesla in 2019 soon after purchase, but no action or follow-up was made. Recently, the problem has been consistently detected multiple times in similar circumstances.
Feb 19, 2023
+ 12 more complaints for this component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
17 complaints
I was at a toll booth paying for tow. All of a sudden the car accelerated forward by itself, ramming into the toll bar. At that time, my arm was still sticking out the window while interacting with the toll terminal. This incident is something that needs to be looked at. It certainly looks like this is a result of the accident avoidance feature. Not sure why it activated either. But I am 99.9% sure that I did not accidentally press the gas pedal because I had to slam on the brakes to stop. Currently contacting Tesla to see if they can get the log to prove whether I accidentally press the pedal or not. In addition to this, there were reports of inverter spikes causing acceleration issues. Please look into the linkage of these incidents. As an electrical engineer myself, this is very alarming.
Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at 3 MPH and slowing the vehicle into his residence driveway, as he took his foot off the accelerator the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed forward. The vehicle crashed into the residence and entered the house. The contact stated he did not notice any warning lights. The contact was rendered unconscious and was transported by ambulance to an ER. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The contact had sustained a broken back and had fractured his sternum. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Jan 31, 2023
This is a sudden unintended acceleration accident. I was driving into a hotel parking lot. I turned right at less than 5 mph for about 15 feet and then made another right. Suddenly, the car accelerated at very high speed. I was able to steer but can't stop the car until 200 yards after I made a turn into the bushes and knock down a tree. At about 50 yards the vehicle also banged into three parked cards.
May 31, 2022
MY 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 INDEPENDENTLY EXECUTED A MINOR ACCELERATION DURING A SHARP U-TURN ON A SIDE STREET WITH NO INSTRUCTION FROM MYSELF. I HAVE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO TESLA AND REQUESTED THEY REVIEW THE DATA. THIS ABSOLUTELY HAPPENED WHILE MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS VERY SURPRISED BY IT AND IT STARTLED ME. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE SINCE 2019 AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME.
Apr 02, 2021
I WAS PULLING IN HEAD FIRST TO A PARKING SPOT IN A SHOPPING CENTER AND WAS COASTING INTO THE SPOT. THE CAR SUDDENLY JOLTED FORWARD AT A VERY HIGH SPEED. OUR CAR JUMPED OVER THE CURB, TRAVELED UP A 4 TO 5 FOOT HIGH, SLOPED EMBANKMENT, AND STRUCK A PARKED CAR IN THE UPPER PARKING TIER.
Oct 20, 2020
+ 12 more complaints for this component
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
16 complaints
It brakes at highway speeds of 70 without reasons on cruise control and FSD. Happened three times on highway 46. It can be very bad if there was a car behind me. This happened to me through all these years since 2019.
Nov 13, 2024
The brakes of my car did not work on July 2023. I stepped on the brakes and the car did not stop. It accelerated. I almost crashed into another car as the car kept on going. The car beeped when getting close to another car & slowed. I had to maneuver the car to the side of the road to avoid a collision. It did not stop until the length of 2 cars. My husband checked my tesla car and saw there was an alert that the brakes did not work, however, he was unable to take a picture of the message and it did not re-appear. When I scheduled a Tesla service, at first it was a mobile service & they said it had to be checked at a service center. At the service center, I was told that nothing was wrong with my cars brakes and I was charged a $240 diagnostic fee. They state that they "test drove [the] vehicle and was unable to replicate customers concern. Using customers provided times stamp of 7/13/23 between 5:45 PM and 6 PM verified no brake related alerts where present. Technician inspected from and rear brakes, front and rear brake pad thickness was at 8MM. Customers stated about a recall related to loos brake caliper bolts, as of now there is no documentation available to service of any steps to take. For piece of mind technician torqued front caliper bolts to knuckled to 94NM and rear caliper bolts to knuckle to 83NM. Advise customer to monitor condition as it was a one time occurrence." - Component that failed were the brakes & the automatic emergency braking as it did not turn on quickly. - My safety was put at risk as I almost got into a car accident. - The Tesla Service Center at Buena Park "drove the vehicle and was unable to replicate" my concerns. - The vehicle was inspected by Tesla, but not by the police, insurance, representative or others. - There was a warning message that showed up when my husband went back to see if there were any messages and it stated that the brakes did not work. Of note, I do not recall seeing any messages before or during the incident.
Jul 13, 2024
Thursday, 2/29/23 I was driving through a busy intersection. The car in front of me was slowing and I too slowed by gently easing the brake. This slow down was not unusual for steadily moving traffic. As my foot was resting on the brake, I felt the car pull the brake down below my foot hard, forcing my vehicle to abruptly stop and due to the force, my body was pushed into the steering wheel. No injury or accidents resulted however, if a car had been driving behind me, I would have been rear-ended. If my toddler had been with me, his car seat would have protected him but this would have been the greatest force ever placed on him. The car did not provide warning that the emergency brake would be activated. I am not aware of a publicly-notified defect at this time. I have scheduled the most soon appointment available with a Tesla service center in order to audit my software system with hope this glitch will be resolved.
Mar 05, 2024
I was driving on the road at night a few days ago and there was a car that was pulled over on the side of the road with hazard lights flashing. The Tesla slowed down and applied the brakes very hard. The Tesla also applied the brakes for no reason. It was on adaptive cruise control, and all of a sudden it would hit the brakes really hard and I would have to take it off the adaptive cruise control because I did not want to get into an accident. The system automatically applied the brakes in both cases which I would call it, “The “phantom braking”. The car had done this before but not to this extent on adaptive cruise control. This only happened when it was on cruise control. I have been very hesitant on putting it on adaptive cruise control because it acts up at times.
Feb 24, 2024
The car is plagued by "phantom braking." It occurs when I am on the freeway - the car suddenly brakes and/or decelerates. (Sometimes it is a sudden braking and sometimes the cruise control just turns off.) This is very unsafe - I am fortunate that it has occurred when there is no car close behind me. I feel it happen and put my foot on the accelerator as soon as I can. It's happened as many as 3-4 times during a long (@500 miles) drive, and other times only once. It occurs in various kinds of weather and I have never been able to figure out why it happens. It has happened when there are no cars in front of or next to my car. I believe this problem has been reported many times before. I do not know what system or part is responsible for this. I have had the car since 2019 and this has been happening as long as I can remember. I have never received any kind of a warning or signal that the car would brake. NOTE: B/c the problem is ongoing, I did not put in an approximate date below.
Sep 16, 2023
+ 11 more complaints for this component
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS
15 complaints
System error code RCM_a021 "Front left safety restraint system issue" The wiring under the front seat may be damaged due to the "easy entry" function which raises, lowers and moves the seat backward and forwards for easier entry and exit of the car. Safety restraint system or airbags may be compromised in the event of a collision if wiring or controls are damaged. Warning code RCM_a021 appeared every time the easy entry function was automatically started.
Jan 05, 2026
Driving as normal when an alert for a front passenger safety restraint system fault appeared. It went away on its own. I thought it was a software glitch. It would periodically reappear, then go away after a driving session. Last week it persisted between sessions. I learned that if the seat was moved slightly forward or back, then the alert would go away. I scheduled a service with Tesla. Tesla advised that the entire car seat and airbag would have to be replaced for $1800. This is a ~50,000 mile car with no collision history. It's just out of warranty. Tesla refuses to tell me if the car will safety function in an accident or not. The alert is gone, but I have a service estimate that says the car has all of these problems. Major safety concern.
Aug 29, 2025
Passenger Restraint System Fault causing the system not to sense the presence of front passengers. This could possibly lead to safety systems for the passenger to not work in the event of a crash.
Aug 04, 2025
Started getting intermittent RCM_a056 faults stating "front passenger safety restraint system fault". Apparently this can be a safety issue as the airbag may not deploy and seems to be a common issue reported by owners. Tesla is charging owners to fix this safety issue, which in some cases is completely replacing the full seat and airbags. Instead, this should be covered under recall or bulletin fix.
May 20, 2025
I am submitting a complaint regarding an unresolved safety issue with the front passenger restraint system in my 2019 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ). Since February 2024, I have encountered recurring alerts for this system, despite multiple service visits to address it. Service History and Concerns: The initial repair attempt on February 27, 2024, involved Tesla replacing the Occupant Classification System (OCS) filter module. However, the alert returned shortly after, showing the issue was not resolved. On October 14, 2024, I returned to Tesla, where they quoted $1,800 for further repairs, claiming my general warranty was expired. Their records indicate that this failure directly impacts the front passenger’s safety restraint, making it a serious defect. During a follow-up visit on October 23, 2024, the issue was confirmed but left unaddressed unless I paid out-of-pocket. This recurring fault poses a critical safety risk, as a defective restraint system compromises passenger protection in a crash. Tesla’s refusal to provide coverage, despite prior similar recalls for restraint systems, suggests a pattern of shifting safety costs onto consumers. I request the NHTSA to investigate this fault’s prevalence and require Tesla to provide a remedy that upholds passenger safety. Thank you for your attention to this serious issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Oct 30, 2024
+ 10 more complaints for this component
STEERING,SUSPENSION
12 complaints
After 3 prior repairs 2 of which were recalls of the front suspension, control arms. I was driving when me and my 3 children’s life’s were almost taken. While driving on the expressway immediate loss of control of the car shaking while driving to work, I stopped immediately thank God no cars around next to me to crash into. We called for a ride and walked off the expressway. Immediately car was taken to Tesla where they told me they couldn’t help and come back in a few days. The car was later inspected by Tesla where instantly knew the issue and later the report came back where the lateral links on both sides of the front where completely out of socket, the compliance links bushing completely torn. This is critical failure and breakdown of critical safety components that almost took our life. We had moments before this happened and thank God we made it out before imminent life changing things happened. No warning no alerts in the car at any time.
Dec 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, there was an abnormal creaking sound. The failure occurred at various speeds and occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed and determined that the creaking sound was coming from the front upper control arm while turning the vehicle and the front lower control arm while in reverse. The dealer also diagnosed that the latter link was torn. The contact was informed that the control arms and suspension nuts and bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.
Dec 15, 2023
Loud squeaking noise inside cabin while driving started immediately after warranty expires and software update. Steering shakes with bumps. Almost felt like something is falling apart. Tesla service said known problem and since out of warranty customer will be charged. Wonder why all problems started immediately after warranty expires. Pls investigate if this part ( control arms and suspension) cause any safety issues. Also, software updates should be investigated as well.
Aug 03, 2023
At just 10 days over 4 years of ownership, which is out of warranty, and at about 44,360 miles, I noticed noise when going over small bumps, moving from stop to go and while turning the steering wheel. It appears that the upper control arm, a recall on about 3000 Tesla Model 3 and Y, was the culprit. I contacted the service center and right away, over the Tesla Mobile App, the knew it was the control arm going bad. They said it was safe to drive, however, it is a bit scary to hear the squeaking and noises when driving and turning the steering wheel, especially at highway speeds. The problem was fixed by Tesla's service center, however, because I was 10 days or so out of my 4 year/50,000 miles warranty, I was charged about $190 for the repair. I feel that since this is a know issue and has happened to many other non-recalled vehicles by Tesla, this would/should be a know defect and safety concern that should have been repaired under warranty.
Apr 24, 2023
Front upper control arm is failing, making an awful noise and can be felt grinding inside the car while driving. Reported to Tesla service and they denied the repair. It is a known issue, they need to recall all effected vehicles for repair.
Oct 01, 2022
+ 7 more complaints for this component
SEAT BELTS
12 complaints
On October 25, 2025, the vehicle suddenly displayed an alert stating that the front left safety restraint system required service. The failure involved the front left seat harness, where a broken wire connected to the lap pretensioner squib caused the restraint system to malfunction. As a result, the driver’s seat belt pretensioner may not deploy correctly, putting occupant safety at significant risk in a crash.  There were no warning signs prior to the alert. The problem was inspected and confirmed by a service technician, who documented the broken harness wire and noted that the harness inspection failed before replacement. The defective component was removed and replaced, and the alert cleared after the repair. The part is available for inspection if needed.  This failure affected a critical safety restraint component, occurred without prior symptoms, and created a situation where the primary seat belt system may not function as designed.
Nov 15, 2025
There has been a consistent warning "safety restraint system fault rcm_a021". My initial investigation pin pointed to the harness pinched by the seat. Tesla service center diagnosed and required to replace FIRST ROW SEAT HARNESS ASSEMBLY - LEFT HAND (see attached service estimate). The safety restraint system related issue put every Tesla's driver at risk and thus should be recalled.
Jul 21, 2025
Seatbelt pre-tension system fault (RCM_a021). Can be cleared by adjusting seats sometimes, but remains constant at my current seat configuration.
Jul 15, 2025
The rear driver side passenger seat belt buckle abruptly stopped latching, there is no debris in the the latch mechanism.
Jan 15, 2025
Driver Seat belt system(Front left safety restraint system fault) Error code: RCM_a021 with this error, there is a message/symbol showing as no air bag available on driver side. error message has been showing for a week now.
Sep 30, 2024
+ 7 more complaints for this component
STRUCTURE
11 complaints
The accident happened in a parking lot. There was a tap of the bumpers going really slow. The passenger in the Tesla is claiming whiplash. The car is not safe if it cannot take a slight bump on the fender in a parking lot.
Dec 20, 2024
On at least 3 occasions, the glass (windshield, roof and rear window) on my car has been shattered by a small nut (beechnut) falling from a tree. The cost of the damage has totaled thousands of dollars. The latest incidents were on July 31 and August 15, 2024. A previous incident occurred a few years ago.
Aug 15, 2024
When heavy down rain falls and the streets start to collect water of 1-2 or more the uderbody skid plates with collect water and the body panels fasteners will fail and the skid plate tears. This has happed twice since I've owned the car. This last time happed last week when a heavy rain came through. I'm now over my warranty but the problem keeps happening. Tesla has a bulletin specifically for this dated September 19, 2019 address this problem. Tesla TSB SB-19-12-00. Tesla service in Austin, TX is denying my car a replacement skid pad since I'm at 55,000 miles, just 5K past my warrenty. Even though they know this part will fail if the car happens to go through enough water from a heavy rain. If this part is not replaced water can then get into the rear bumpers and then cause them to be ripped off which could then cause an accident if this were to happen at hwy speeds.
Jul 07, 2022
Vehicle handle will become frozen and because of the design, it is difficult to open the door. Once it is opened, the windows will not roll down far enough for the driver to close the door. Because of this, the driver will need to move or drive the vehicle with the door open.
Feb 26, 2022
The casing that the batteries are covered in will sometimes "pop" during charging or preconditioning events. I think it's made from AL and the temperature increase during cold days causes this pop. This may cause high cycle fatigue in colder climates while the vehicle is being charged constantly.
Oct 29, 2021
+ 6 more complaints for this component
SERVICE BRAKES
9 complaints
Brakes failed to stop the car. The car sat at Tesla service center for one month with no action from Tesla.My wife rear ended another car. The air bags deployed. No one was injuryed and the other was not damaged. Both people could have been seriously hurt or killed. Car was finally towed to Classic Collision November 24 by State Farm Insurance for repair. Estimate to be repaired January 8, 2026.
Dec 22, 2025
The brake lines have completely failed on my 2019 Tesla Model 3 due to rust / corrosion in the drivers side front wheel well. Fortunately failure was caught before an accident occurred. Had I not caught this failure, at highway speed this could have resulted in a very bad accident putting me and my family in danger. After the failure occurred the vehicle indicated it had low brake fluid and that it should be taken to a Tesla service center. I had two different Tesla service centers review the brake line failure, and inspect the remaining brake lines. Both service centers denied that the brake lines were covered under warranty. After connecting the second service center with a Tesla shop in the New England region the Tesla service center agreed to cover replacement under good will. While this is a positive outcome the failure of the brake lines has also identified massive corrosion issues on the battery, subframes, and bolts holding critical components together. I've been informed that removal of the sub-frames and battery may result in the battery being deemed faulty. This is due to corrosion found at the edges of the battery which may result in failure of the required battery pressure test. If the battery is faulty it will need to be replaced and is also not considered under warranty. The estimate for replacement is $23k which would mechanically total this vehicle. Battery corrosion is another safety issue, since the battery is designed to be sealed removing moisture from being able to penetrate the battery cells. Corrosion both on the battery pack and battery cells could contribute to failure of the battery pack while driving.
May 04, 2025
The vehicle is supposed to automatically slow down (regen) when you let off the accelerator. Recently the car continues to coast or stay the same speed. The battery is not close to being full (will not regen). I will apply the brake and let go and the car will continue to move forward. It is dangerous.
Oct 27, 2023
The NHTSA is forcing Tesla and other self-driving cars to come to a complete 0 mph stop at stop signs and according to Elon, only 0.5% of all drivers in their fleet actually do this and that seems inline with the general public also doesn't come to a 100% stop at every stop sign and as a result I got rear-ended because in a completely wide-open intersection the driver behind me thought I was going to do a rolling stop but didn't. The point of the NHTSA is to keep drivers safe and driving like a safe driver and not a robot that follows 100% of all road rules makes an unpredictable driver therefore an unsafe driver. The NHTSA has allowed car manufacturers like Volvo set max cruise control to 125 mph!!!! That breaks the speed limit on 99.999% of all roads in America but you've allowed it for years because everyone goes above the speed limit and that's ok with the NHTSA. Letting self driving cars slow to 1 or 2 mph before proceeding in an intersection where no other cars or people are present aligns with what over 99% of all drivers do so that would make them a predictable driver and therefore a safe driver. Not saying allow them to blow through intersections at 3+ mph but not come to a 100% stop, seriously no one does that!!
Aug 29, 2023
I've been experiencing "phantom braking" where the car will decrease it's speed, sometimes up to 50% while it's in self-driving mode.
Feb 09, 2023
+ 4 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
9 complaints
Tesla remotely disabled Supercharging access on my vehicle without any warning, safety errors, or mechanical problems. The vehicle charged normally for months, including recent Supercharging sessions, and still operates safely. Tesla stated Supercharging was disabled due to a “salvage” title and now demands a $1,900-$2,400 “inspection” to restore access, with no diagnostic evidence of any issue. This appears to be a remote software lockout of a critical charging feature without a safety justification. It limits safe operation and access to public charging infrastructure. I request NHTSA investigate this policy as an unfair and potentially unsafe manufacturer action.
Nov 08, 2025
Error comes up replace auxiliary battery low voltage. And then it says vehicle may not start. I was told by the dealer where I bought the car that their a recall and I wanted to see if my vehicle is qualified. Which the dealer said it is. I can't drive my car and I do ride share with it please can you help me.
Feb 07, 2024
Climate control unavailable. Unable to heat cabin. Ran test and received a PTC heater faulty. Vehicle is over 50K miles and no longer under warranty. Through research online. Many heating issues become available. Software and numerous PTC failures especially older vehicles that had similar issues with 30K, 40K, and 50K miles.
Jan 02, 2024
Battery system is malfunction with power conversion system. I notice it is only charging 32/48A. After talking to Tesla, they said it is the power conversion system failure and it wouldn’t be cover under the battery warranty. I know there is a lot of other Tesla owner with this issue as well. Please investigate this incident to see if Tesla should recall the system. Thank you.
Nov 26, 2022
A recall was issued on Dec 21, 2021 regarding a potential camera issue due to a cable wearing out. It states that a remedy is unavailable. However, it has been almost a year since this recall and I believe this is not a reasonable time frame at this point. My camera has become glitchy and sometimes shows a green screen rather than the actual camera view
Nov 21, 2022
+ 4 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION
8 complaints
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
May 01, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Jun 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced intermittent loss of the back-up camera. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 14,419. Parts distribution disconnect.
Dec 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) and 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Nov 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Oct 28, 2022
+ 3 more complaints for this component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS
7 complaints
Front left safety restraint. Airbags won’t deploy due to this issue.
Sep 10, 2025
There is an error with my car's Occupant Classification System (OCS) which is giving me an alarm of "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault". Tesla only "fix" is to replace the OCS with what seems to be a newer version. You can tell it is a new version because they are also telling me I need to replace my airbag as my current airbag is not compatible with the new OCS.
Aug 21, 2025
passenger safety restraint system light came on, Tesla says to fix needs to install OCS filter module and replace existing OCS sensor because its not compatible with existing OCS sensor...cost is $806....there are no broken parts in my car. according to Teslas service bulletin Sep 21, 2020 this problem is caused by electrical interference in the seat harness causing the airbag restrain system message on screen due to faulty design.....Tesla says i need to pay for it because car is out of warranty, i say its a faulty design and they have to fix free. this should be a recall because Tesla is aware of many of same problems that make the airbag inoperable. from the bulletin "On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen." Tesla has been aware of the problem for 4 years at least.
Feb 04, 2025
Safety issue: Got a "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" (code RCM_a056) out of a sudden. Apparently, the passenger's occupied-seat sensor is not communicating with the system, leading to potential hazard in airbag deployment scenario. Upon reaching out to the Tesla Service Center, got a quote for $1600, which includes a replacement not only of the passenger's seat sensor, but there's also a need to replace the airbag - to maintain compatibility with the new sensor. Upon additional research, I've discovered that this is not merely wear and tear; some owners reported that this error appears on brand new cars. In short, Tesla is requiring customers to pay $1600 to cover a design failure that could result in a safety / injury. The company should be held liable to its errors, not customers.
Aug 11, 2024
An error has displayed on the screen stating: "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault RCM_a056 Service is Required" and reaching out to the local Tesla service center, I discovered the prescribed repair costs $1600. After searching online for other owner's experience with the error, I discovered that this is a common issue caused by a wire connection to the seat control model coming loose due to a poorly tensioned connector. Those other owners have reported that Tesla knows about this issue in their manufacturing and is refusing to fix the issue or issue a recall even though it is a safety issue.
Aug 02, 2024
+ 2 more complaints for this component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
7 complaints
Phantom braking (as it's referred to by experts) happened to me twice on the highway using Traffic-Aware-Cruise-Control. Very scary. I was on cruise control going 60 mph when suddenly my car braked suddenly and inappropriately, losing at least 20 mph in a split second before I was able to slam on the accelerator and prevent an accident (rear-end collision). This happened TWICE in the course of 5 minutes on the same highway! There was no obstruction in the road, no cars moving into my lane, nothing but normal road conditions, when it occurred. From my research, this is a huge problem with Tesla vehicles that thousands of individuals are loudly complaining about online and now in court cases in the country. I see there are thousands of reports to your organization about this, but it says you have only complaints from 2021 and later years. However, I have a 2019 and it's happening to me. And it's happening to every single model year out there, just from researching and talking to Tesla owners. This is a major safety hazard, plain and simple. I was inches of being in a rear-end collision, and drivers behind me are extremely upset and vengeful on the road after an incident like this (understandably!). Because of this I fear for my safety and well-being on the road using Tesla's cruise control features. Very disappointing. Above for the ADAS option, I wasn't able to select 2 options, but "automatic emergency braking" is also applicable here as that is what happened. Somehow Teslas are falsely activating emergency braking during cruise control!
May 05, 2025
When cruise control or self-driving systems are engaged, there have been numerous times when the automatic emergency braking system mistakenly slowed the car suddenly. At 70+ mph, this is incredibly dangerous. The AEBS apparently sees shadows as dangers. Fortunately, there has never been an instance when another vehicle has been close behind.
Feb 18, 2025
On 10/17/2021 my son was killed along with his passenger in this Tesla. The car was thought to be going over 100 miles an hour on a city road Coconut Point Road in Estero Florida. The car was thought to have hit a tree with the rear tire and was sent flying through the air and hit another tree and split in half. My son knew this road well as it was close to his home and drove it on his way home from work. I feel strongly that this was an acceleration issue!! He has driven this car for 2 years, so knew the car well.
May 29, 2023
I live in a very rural area with very little traffic on two-lane country roads. When my cruise control is active, my Tesla sometimes brakes for no reason. A couple of days ago it violently braked from 70 mph to 50 mph for absolutely no reason. On that particular trip of 30 miles or so it "phantom braked" four times. I have had this car for almost 4 years and this problem appears to be getting worse.
May 13, 2023
While freeway driving with autopilot (adaptive cruise control) engaged the car will suddenly break VERY hard when there is no reason to. This is SUPER dangerous when traveling at 70 mph and someone is behind me. This is a known issue (phantom breaking) that has been a problem for years and not resolved.
Nov 18, 2022
+ 2 more complaints for this component
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS
7 complaints
The front passenger seat’s OCS required a service bulletin application, involving a retrofit of the seat belt reminder sensor and component replacement, confirmed by a Tesla technician. The repair likely falls under TSB SB-19-20-003 (2017-2019 Model 3), addressing OCS electrical interference causing airbag indicator issues, which can affect seat belt reminder functionality. The TSB involves retrofitting parts My 2019 Model 3 (39,140 miles) needs an OCS repair per SB-19-20-003, a known safety issue from 2019 affecting airbags and seat belts (FMVSS 208). Since it’s a manufacturing defect and a safety risk this should be under a recall.
Apr 15, 2025
Passenger safety restraint system fault warning keeps alerting on the display screen. I contacted Tesla about the situation and they want to charge me for the fix. This is a safety issue and not a mechanical issue
Feb 08, 2025
I along with many people online have reported the occupant safety restraint system having an issue and setting off a fault. I took it back several times on a warranty to Tesla. However, they were unable to replicate the air. Now the air is started again. the car is out of warranty and Tesla wants $2000 now to put in a new airbag new occupant sensor and clip. This is absolute ridiculous, and has really undermined my faith in Tesla. They should not be having occupant faults.and not fixing it.
Nov 20, 2024
Over the last few days, an alert has come and gone numerous times indicating a fault of the front left safety restraint system. As of today, the alert persists and does not go away. The computer reports an error code of “RCM_a021 Front left safety restraint system fault. Service is required.” Additionally the airbag indicator is illuminated, which I believe means that it is disabled because of this error.
Sep 11, 2024
While driving I received an error on the screen stating “front passenger safety restraint fail -service needed”. This would go on and off randomly. It took over a month to get into Tesla. By the time I got into service the error was gone but Tesla replaced a sensor and airbag to be complaint with the sensor costing over $1300. I have seen a lot of posts of other Tesla owners experiencing the same error.
Aug 16, 2024
+ 2 more complaints for this component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
7 complaints
I have a 2019 Model 3 and yesterday, while making a left turn and applying pressure to the brake, receiving feedback from the brake, my car lurched forward for about half a second. I thought I may have been rear ended, but no one was behind me. This has happened on the freeway before as well. I'll be accelerating at a totally even place and BAM, I'll jolt forward out of nowhere. On the rare occasions that I use the car's "autopilot" feature, I will also encounter phantom braking, but that's easily avoided by not using the feature, which I haven't since first encountering the problem. I haven't suffered any damages from this, but if my car is able to do this, that's extremely alarming. What if this tripped while I was parking?
Jul 27, 2023
Multiple extreme braking so much where today actually hurt my neck it stopped so abruptly up a hill miscalculating that a walker was about to be hit by my car, the man was nowhere near being hit and the auto braking skid to a halt whipping my head forward and my sweatshirt choked my Adams Apple area. It was extremely abrupt, scared me, the walker and nearly caused a rear end collision with the car behind me. This has happened a lot in the past 3 months yet I’ve had the car for over 4 years so I am assuming something is wrong with the software updates - it’s super scary not to have control of your own car. Also, I can opt out of auto braking on my car yet that’s not what I’m reporting, I’m reporting the fact that it’s phantom braking miscalculating street situations and causing dangers to me, my passengers and others like I’ve described above. Also noticed recently, when I hit the gas, it’s often the car doesn’t “go” it pauses and then may go with similar miscalculation of street situations like pedestrians on a adjacent sidewalk or motorcycles in between cars yet literally the Tesla won’t let me move…this isn’t safe.
Jun 01, 2023
Car will break "phantom breaking" slowing down +20mph very quickly with nothing on the highway in front or behind. It typically happens before bridges, major shadows on highway. There are 2 places in Little Rock Arkansas on the highway that it does it every single day in the same spot with nothing around! Has nearly caused people to crash into me from behind. I stopped driving with the autopilot.
Jun 05, 2022
This is related to the latest recall for Tesla unnecessary braking and acceleration on the highways . This happens to me a few times while I am on autopilot the car would suddenly break and accelerate right after .
Feb 17, 2022
WHILE DRIVING IN THE LEFT-MOST LANE ON MOPAC EXPRESSWAY IN AUSTIN (ALTHOUGH HAS HAPPENED OTHER TIMES AND PLACES AS WELL) WITH "FULL SELF DRIVING" AUTOPILOT ENGAGED (AND WITH THE CAR HAVING BEEN IN CONTROL FOR QUITE SOME TIME BEFORE THIS), THE VEHICLE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I IMMEDATELY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO OVERRIDE THE BREAKING ACTION AND AVOID BEING REAR ENDED. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE NO ACCIDENTS OCCURRED AS A RESULT, HOWEVER IT DID CAUSE MULTIPLE CARS BEHIND ME TO HAVE TO BRAKE. SIMILAR ISSUES INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE, HOWEVER IT SEEMS TO BE DOING IT MUCH MORE OFTEN NOW. I'M UNABLE TO UPLOAD IT, BUT I ALSO HAVE A VIDEO FROM THE VEHICLE ITSELF SHOWING THE INCIDENT.
Oct 07, 2020
+ 2 more complaints for this component
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE
7 complaints
The right camera and coax cable have gone bad. The coax cable is corroded and have water inside the camera. This is affect the car to use cruise control and the auto steer function.
May 11, 2023
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. The vehicle was navigating through roadworks with temporary signage and cones in place. This seemed to interfere with the FSD with the vehicle moving left to right in an erratic manner and accelerating to 28mph whilst still in the roadworks zone. There is Go_Pro video of the incident here https://vimeo.com/736104870/581215a7e7
Aug 03, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. The vehicle failed to recognise a speed limit change approaching a sharp left turn. The vehicle took the turn too fast at 29mph veered into the oncoming lane. The quick reactions of the driver, who took control averted a collision. There is Go_Pro video of the incident here https://vimeo.com/736115753/289c3413e9
Aug 03, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. On a section of road with a 15 mph limit the vehicle was travelling at 39 mph. It then attempted to take a corner at 25 mph veering into the oncoming lane. Vimeo Link - https://vimeo.com/735797650/15baa75187
Aug 02, 2022
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. On a section of road with tight, blind turns, the vehicle accelerated from 23mph to 27 mph into the approach to a turn. In making the turn the vehicle crossed the median into the oncoming lane. There is a Go-Pro video of the incident here https://vimeo.com/735805944/eab3a31083
Aug 02, 2022
+ 2 more complaints for this component
AIR BAGS,SEATS
5 complaints
Front passenger safety restraint system fault - this seems to be very common issue on Tesla Model 3 where I'm told some wires or sensor is pinched on the seat when the seat is reclined too far back or forward. It could cause an issue with the airbag misfiring or not firing at all during an accident, leading to death. I think this needs to be investigated immediately - this is a common issue and Tesla is not repairing for free. They're quoting people with a "filter" fix which is a band-aid fix only for about 300$ (Tesla says there is 50% change this will fix it) or they want us to replace the whole seat with the sensors that cost close to 1500$. Even with the new seat, the issue has come back few times for many people.
Sep 05, 2025
Tesla wants >$750 to "fix" a bug it sold in the car, & won't turn off the beep that happens every 5 minutes of driving, telling us that their sensor is defective. They want us to pay to tear the seat apart so they can replace the entire sensor. This error is happening in most of their vehicles (at least 2019 Model 3's). It's probably a Malfunctioning Occupant Weight Sensor (which determines if someone is in the seat and dictates whether the airbag should deploy). This fault triggers the painful loud beep/warning every 5 minutes of driving, & may disable the airbag in a collision. Tesla's systems rely heavily on software, & it may be a glitch or bug, but they say they can't fix it w/o making us pay to take out the seats. Or it may be Wiring and Connection Issues. (We have just 35,000 miles on this vehicle.)
Jul 14, 2025
Around February or March of 2025, my Tesla Model 3 (year 2019) began to flag an electronic warning for a passenger occupancy sear sensor and recommended immediate service. The sensor and warning did not stay on and would only appear intermittently. I still decided to service the vehicle and took the car to the manufacturer service center closest to me in May 2025. I was quoted for $500-$600 to repair the sensors. Later the quote was updated to over $1,200 because the new sensor was “not compatible” with the old air bag. It seems like Tesla intentionally or knowing used an updated sensor either because the old sensor was known to have issues or because of refreshed models but then did not ensure they used a part that worked with their existing model cars. This seems like a major safety issue and requires customers to pay twice their expected repair cost in order to ensure basic required safety functions work on a 6 year old car. I clarified with the service advisor that if I did not replace the airbag that they would not deploy in a collision and they affirmed my understanding which forces me to have to replace the airbags on a 6 year old vehicle for no reason other than Tesla’s poor safety planning.
May 08, 2025
Seat sensor error. "Front left safety restraint system fault" Car was still under warranty when the right seat fault happened. Clearly an issue with Tesla since there are many reports out "restraint system fault"
Aug 22, 2024
The issue pertains to a persistent warning message that displays "front passenger safety restraint system fault" with associated error code "rcm_a056". This warning suggests a potential malfunction in the safety restraint system, which could pose a significant risk to the passenger in the event of an accident. Tesla Service quoted $1180 for the repair including replacing the front passenger airbag and retrofitting SBR in the OCS passenger seat. This issue appears commonly reported among social groups.
Jul 12, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
5 complaints
"Full Self Driving" (FSD) 10.69.3.1 disconnect events lock out driver after five 'strikes.' This makes it impossible to diagnose repeatable faults until a future version unlocks FSD. My testing suggests there are problems with controlled intersections making a left turn. However, the lockout prevents documenting the problem(s). Locking out the software also makes it impossible for NHTSA, IIHS, and even the National Transportation Safety Board to identify and document failures with FSD. It also impacts car reviewers as well as this owner.
Dec 21, 2022
A Tesla model 3 was eastbound on a two-lane roadway at approximately 7:20am local time. A westbound school bus slowed, and activated its amber warning lights, followed by the red stop lights and driver side stop sign. The Tesla, proceeded through the traffic control devices of the school bus while the bus was accepting child passengers. It was evident that the "driver" of the model 3 had full self-driving mode engaged, and was not fully paying attention to the road as he was clearly interacting with his smart phone, held at steering wheel height. The Tesla FSD system clearly failed to appropriately stop and wait for the school bus traffic controls. Had the students needed to cross the highway (instead of only boarding from the shoulder) a serious vehicle/pedestrian incident could have resulted. NOTE: Model 3 was NOT my vehicle - This form is flawed that it makes the assumption that the reporting party is the owner of the vehicle.
May 23, 2022
While streaming Bluetooth audio, the forward collision warning fails to activate sometimes until after a few seconds. What happens is when it is supposed to sound, all audio in the car stops and there is a clicking for a few seconds. Then after a few seconds, the alert goes off. The alert is very dangerous because it severely reduces the time for a reaction. Secondly the backup camera has ghost images and stutters. When placing the vehicle in reverse, a ghost image appears for a second or two then goes into the live view. The live view is very laggy and non responsive. The image freezes and does not update. This causes issues when backing as any sudden movements may not be recorded and will cause an injury because the driver will not be able to see what is going on.
Apr 20, 2022
We were driving our Model 3 on autopilot on the LIE from Southampton to New York. We have the “Full Self Driving” software from Tesla. We drove past a parked SUV about halfway through the ride, but the Tesla did not notice. It drove straight through the side of the SUV, ripping off the side mirror and skullcap from our car. We checked and the SUV driver was totally fine, scared. We called Tesla immediately and told them that in our opinion, our car had gone crazy and did not see the but my wife and I were other car stopped in the shoulder as we drove by at 60 mph. We have the invoices from Tesla service documenting this issue and their repair of it, but we were then and remain now really scared when a car has its hazards on in the shoulder.
Aug 16, 2021
MY SON WAS DRIVING ON THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE WHEN THE AUTO PILOT APPLIED THE BRAKES. HE SAID A TRAFFIC CONE APPEARED ON THE SCREEN. THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC CONE OR ANY OTHER OBJECT IN THE ROAD. THIS ISSUE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BEHIND HIM BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN BRAKE APPLICATION. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD THE CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKES WERE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED WITHOUT ANYTHING IN THE ROAD.
Jan 15, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
4 complaints
In 2020 my driver side headlight assembly stopped working then in 2023 my passenger side headlight assembly stopped working. This includes the day time running light as well as headlight and turn signal in each assembly. No warning was displayed. This can cause confusion for other drivers and pedestrians through the inability to indicate my location or intention of travel. The first time this happened, the service center explained it was a component issue and the assembly was replaced by them. No warnings were shown from the vehicle.
Apr 05, 2023
Poor LED headlight/headlight seal caused severe condensation (water dripping) inside headlight housing, which led to the headlight and turn signal to not function. No warning/notification received from the car. The car is 3 years old, past 50,000-mile warranty. Headlight inspected by Tesla service center and had to be replaced at owner’s expense due to out of warranty. Condition led to poor visibility and danger/risk to other drivers/pedestrians on the road especially at night. Attempting to obtain old headlight from service center, but have pictures on hand.
Dec 16, 2022
The high beams frequently don’t work. It has to be off auto. They only work sometimes I have to pull the left stalk forward to have them on. They should over ride the system if I push the stalk forward so I can see the road. I have allot of deer in my area and I’m afraid to drive often because the system isn’t working right. They want to charge me $1,363 to look at it.
Nov 28, 2022
Tesla software update 2022.24.6 is an update that forces the vehicle to use Tesla Vision for Autopilot adaptive cruise control. The driver does not have the option to disable auto high beam features and the software is not accurate enough to prevent flashing and high beaming of other drivers. This hazard has occurred at least 5 times within two days of receiving the update. A hazard is created in two different ways: - blinding approaching vehicles, including turning on high beams when approaching vehicle is in direct area of glare - flashing high beams when following other vehicles at a close distance, distracting and blinding the lead vehicle While this problem has not been verified by a dealer, auto high beams while using Autopilot cannot be disabled and many other drivers are reporting similar issues in online forums. There is no warning or way to adjust the feature. This will likely lead to a collision because approaching drivers cannot see through glare.
Sep 15, 2022
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
3 complaints
My vehicle has developed a rapidly worsening battery performance issue. It loses range far faster than expected, shows inconsistent energy usage, and experiences sudden drops in projected mileage even during normal driving. Charging behavior is irregular, and the vehicle’s energy regeneration is inconsistent. There was no crash, fire, or damage. Based on the symptoms, this appears to be a potential battery or propulsion system defect. The issue continues to worsen and affects the safe and reliable operation of the vehicle.
Dec 02, 2025
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH MY WORK PLACE PARKING LOT, MY TESLA SUDDENLY STOPPED AND DISPLAYED A FAULT CODE AND REQUESTING IMMEDIATE RETURN OF THE CAR TO A TESLA SERVICE CENTER. MY CAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS WHEN I TRIED TO EXIT, EITHER VIA THE TOUCH SCREEN UNLOCK ICON, ELECTRIC DOOR UNLOCK BUTTON, OR USING MY PHONE APP. I ENDED UP USING THE EMERGENCY DOOR OPEN LATCH TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. I CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND ME BUT WAS UNABLE TO REENTER THE CAR. TRIED MY KEY CARD AND MY PHONE APP TO UNLOCK IT BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR ENDED UP HAVING TO BE TOW AWAY.
Sep 26, 2019
I WAS MOVING FORWARD AT ~15 MPH OVER A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS ON A CITY STREET WHEN BOTH ELECTRIC MOTORS STOPPED WORKING BRINGING US TO A HALT ON THE TRACKS. THE CAR WOULD NOT SWITCH INTO NEUTRAL TO ALLOW IT TO BE PUSHED OFF OF THE TRACKS NOR WOULD IT RELEASE THE BRAKES UNTIL PUT INTO TOW MODE WHICH REQUIRED 4-5 PEOPLE TO PUSH AT THAT POINT. THERE WERE NO STEPS DISPLAYED TO GET THE CAR INTO A MODE THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO MOVE.
Aug 27, 2019
BACK OVER PREVENTION
3 complaints
My vehicle was working fine when Tesla issued an over-the-air software update recently. The next day, my backup camera was not working. The back up camera is required for this vehicle under FMVSS 111 and is otherwise essential for this vehicle due to limited rear vision through the rear window. In addition, GPS/navigation stopped working, the windshield wipers did not function on certain settings and the display was at times not legible, presumably because it believed it was a different time of day and was in the wrong mode. There are likely additional issues that have not revealed themselves yet. I took the vehicle to the local Tesla Service Center on July 25, 2025. They confirmed the reported issues and said it was a problem with the software update, which they would perform onsite while I waited. The service center personnel also stated this was not a firmware issue or anything to do with my car and that it was just the software update. After a few hours, the personnel reported they could not get the update to install and asked that I bring the vehicle back the following week for further diagnostics. Before I brought the vehicle back, I was sent an invoice for approximately $2,300 for replacement of on vehicle's computer. I brought the vehicle back today, July 29, 2025, and asked them to perform the onsite diagnostics they wanted me to bring the vehicle back in for and did not agree to pay for the computer replacement. I also informed the Tesla personnel that, at a minimum, the the back up camera failure is a safety related issued covered for this vehicle under FMVSS 111 and that they were not permitted to charge me for fixing it. The vehicle warranty period recently expired but it is well within the 10-year date of manufacture. Other issues with the vehicle may also qualify as safety related, but the back up camera is clearly one - Tesla recently issued a recall for this very same problem impacting the Model 3, but the recall did not include my model year.
Jul 29, 2025
Hello. A recall was issued in 2022 on my vehicle. There was an issue with the wiring harness that would sometimes cause the rear camera feed to be dropped when opening and closing the trunk. According to Tesla, this issue was fixed in 2022 is therefore no longer subject to being fixed again. This issue is occurring again and Tesla is refusing to fix the issue without me paying for it. As this was a recall item, that is reoccurring. I feel that as a safety component that can drop out the rear camera/cross traffic detection system. This is a serious safety concern. NHTSA campaign number: 21VO0DO00. Tesla's own number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.
Dec 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera frequently failed to operate as designed with a blank screen being displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Feb 09, 2024
SEATS
3 complaints
Passenger safety restraint system fault is occurring and Tesla service has noted this is a very common issue on the vehicles. It poses a risk to whoever is sitting in the seat since safety systems may not work or deploy airbags.
Mar 02, 2025
Seat weight sensor does not always work. This results in the car putting itself into park while reversing / driving at low speeds. This also results in the car both not booting up / shitting down correctly depending on if it thinks someone is in the car.
Jul 25, 2024
"front left safety restraint system fault/service is required" this is the error message, and i am being charged over $300 for a faulty seat wiring harness being replaced out of warranty for a massive safety issue
Jun 18, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS
3 complaints
The airbag and seat belt system on the driver's side is faulty, which may result in an unsuccessful deployment of the airbag should I get into an accident. This is an immediate safety concern, yet Tesla would like to charge me over $400 to remedy the situation. That's why I'm reporting this as a safety recall so that no other owner/ leasee faces this risk or financial burden.
Jan 04, 2025
There is a common warning message on Tesla Model 3 and Y that states “Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault” I just received it on mine. Tesla service advised that the passenger airbag and safety system may not function in the event of a crash. I searched online and can see in forums that many people receive this warning. Tesla also confirmed that if someone receives this message while driving and then they get into an accident during that same drive, the airbag may not work. This is a HUGE safety issue, and Tesla should be held accountable.
Sep 21, 2024
Received a system fault for seat belt SRS airbag safety restraint system for front left passenger. code RCM_a021_pretenLapFrontLeft Causes the pretensioner and restraint system to not function as designed. Has not been in an accident and verified problem was persistent with hard system reset and software update. Did not do modification or touch the seat belt components at all during ownership period. Worried that the pretensioner and SRS airbags will not go off if involved in a crash. First appeared last year intermittently and then starting June 1st, 2024 The airbag lamp is on inside the warning panel of screen.
Jun 04, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
3 complaints
I’m at the Tesla service center and Tesla is refusing to perform recall work without payment/diagnostic time. Even though Tesla’s website and notices states that they will perform recall work free of charge they are in fact refusing to perform recall work free of charge. They are mandating that I be charged diagnostic fees for them to determine whether they will perform the recall work as of 11/13 at 7:15am per Marc the service advisor at Tesla Service Center Kearny Mesa.
Nov 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at high speeds with the auto pilot feature activated, the vehicle experienced intermittent phantom braking. The contact stated that no warning light appeared on the instrument panel prior to the failure. The contact attempted to notify the service center of the failure but was informed that he could only report the failure soon after the failure. The service center offered no further assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Jan 17, 2023
WHITE BLOCK APPEARED ON SCREEN, WOULD NOT CLEAR. BLOCKED VISIBILITY OF ANY DISPLAYS UNDER THE BLOCK, INCLUDING GEAR SELECTOR, SPEED, ENERGY STATUS, TURN SIGNALS, MOST OF ANY OTHER DISPLAY, SUCH AS MAPS, CAMERA DISPLAY. BLOCK REMAINED WHEN WE LEFT THE CAR, AND RETURNED. ONLY COULD CLEAR W/ DISPLAY RESET, WHICH I UNCOVERED ONCE I RETURNED HOME AND LOOKED ONLINE. WHITE BLOCK DID NOT APPEAR TO IMPACT DRIVING, BUT OBSCURED BASICALLY EVERY DRIVING FEEDBACK YOU'D EXPECT FROM A DASHBOARD.
Dec 20, 2020
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
3 complaints
I was driving my Model 3 when this alert occurred: ALERTS DRIVABILITY - VEHICLE MAY NOT RESTART/SERVICE IS REQUIRED ADDITIONALLY THE SCREEN STATED PULL OVER THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SAFELY. I was in the middle of the road driving so it became dangerous. I could not steer the vehicle and the brakes were barely working. I could not immediately stop because I was in the middle of traffic. I pulled right over as soon as I could and shut down the vehicle. I believe this is a defect. When I spoke to Tesla repair personnel I was told they know about this and it is happening when the Model 3 reaches 40K. How can they not address this - why would someone wait until someone is in a serious accident? I called to set up an appointment for this emergency and was told I cannot get an appointment for 1 month and I should not drive my car. When an electric vehicle just shuts down you cannot control the vehicle - this is very very dangerous.
Jun 10, 2024
I was driving with my 5 yo in a car. We had to swerve to miss a truck pulling out in front of us, and when we swerved slightly, the systems of the car shut down. I could not drive the car to get us out of the middle of the road, but I also could not put the car into park. In order to prevent the car from rolling down the hill with my daughter and I inside, I had to keep my foot on the break. The emergency flashers also did not work, so there was a material risk of being rear ended. The AC also stopped working. It was 100+ degrees outside. The doors and windows did not work, so we were trapped in a hot car, in the middle of the road, without emergency flashers. Tesla Roadside refused to come. They also refused to help me because the car was in my husband's name. My 5 yo daughter and I could have died either of suffocation or by collision.
Jul 12, 2022
I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A CONCERN WITH THIS CAR THAT OCCURRED IN DECEMBER 2019. TESLA IN MILFORD, CT HAD THE CAR IN SERVICE FOR 23+ DAYS BECAUSE OF ERRORS WITH THE CAR: ALERT MESSAGES INCLUDED (BUT WEREN'T LIMITED TO) POWER REDUCED, FRONT MOTOR DISABLED, ETC. THE CAR KEPT POWERING OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND THE BRAKES AND STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. TESLA ULTIMATELY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A "SHORTED PENTHOUSE HARNESS." TWO WEEKS AFTER RECEIVING THE CAR BACK, THE ERROR MESSAGES REAPPEARED. THE CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN AND HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO TESLA IN MILFORD, CT. WHILE TESLA INDICATED THAT THE PRIOR ISSUES WERE RESOLVED, THEY OBVIOUSLY WEREN'T. THE CAR SHUT DOWN AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND ALSO IN THE CITY. THE BRAKES AND STEERING DIDN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY. I RECEIVED ERROR MESSAGES INDICATING POWER REDUCED, BRAKES DISABLED, POWER STEERING DISABLED, FRONT MOTOR DISABLED, AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING DISABLED, CAR MAY BE FREE ROLLING--JUST TO NAME A FEW. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE. AS OF TODAY, THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR 28+ BUSINESS DAYS; HOWEVER, TESLA TOLD ME THEY WORKED ON THE CAR OVER THE WEEKEND, WHICH WOULD INDICATE THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE OVER 30 DAYS.
Feb 13, 2020
TIRES
3 complaints
Continental 235/40/r19 This is what I sent to Consumer Affair website: My personal experience reflects exactly the same as the poor rating of this brand. Tire has separation at 32k miles on the Tesla 3. I first noticed a thumb thumb sound. I ignored but it got worse then the vibration inside cabin started to occur. I pulled the tire off and inspected. My God i have a tire separation with steel wire sticking out and a big hump. I got mad after i found out that Tesla wants nothing to do with it (heck they don't even a have no. to call for an expensive car, shame on you Tesla) and Continental does not have a warranty. Spending time searching for another tire to buy i find out it is expensive for EV tire. I was frustrated and angry that i have to deal with a defective tire with no warranty from Tesla and Continental for low miles (plenty of thread left on tire). I decided to call Continental. The experience was horrible with them hung up on me and a run around. They told me to take to Discount tire to have it inspect. Dt agreed tire is defective and expect me to pay $250 with pro rate covered by Continental. I already found the same tire for $225 so i tell D.t take a hike. I called Continental back and [XXX] broke loose. I got a lot of run around, hung up with the rep. then manager and they won't do the tire pro rate more than 30%. I got fed up with lot of cussing I went back to D.Tire and settled with another Continental tire that is cheaper. I was pushing my luck driving with the tire that will blow anytime. The [XXX] Tesla does not have a spare tire on an expensive car (shame on you Tesla). I had no choice to replace a tire out of my pocket of $150 for the same brand as that is the only one with similar thread pattern very reluctantly as I had NO other choice or take a risk driving and NO spare tire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
May 05, 2024
In November both rear tires shredded, while driving. The metal belts became exposed. Tesla replaced the tires, claimed there was no other problem. The tires had been appropriately pressurized during the entire life of the tires. Mileage 9800. Two months later one of the rear tires (new tire) sustained a nail in the side wall- non-repairable (the sidewall on a new tire should not be on the pavement, but the side), and now at 3000 miles on the new tire not replaced due to the nail- the tire is beginning to shred again. This is coupled with inordinate road noise since the tires were changed. I think the problem is the car being inadequately made, and the tires, that seem to be exposing the weak sidewall to the pavement. Neither company claims credit for their handiwork.
Jun 02, 2021
2019 TESLA 3. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND FLIPPED OVER. THE VEHICLE HAD 16,000 AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. IT WAS TOTALED. THE CONSUMER STATED UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE NEXT DAY, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WAS FLAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *JS
Nov 09, 2020
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
3 complaints
The vehicle will randomly start emergency braking for no reason once so ever when using teslas full self driving. This is extremely dangerous as it can happen at any moment while the autopilot feature is in use. In my most recent instance autopilot was set to 70 mph, and with no vehicles are traffic control devices present what is known as “phantom braking” started to occur. Which requires me to quickly reassume control of the vehicle and bring it back up to speed.
Oct 23, 2023
Unintended acceleration during public street and highway while approaching a stop to make a right turn on November of 2022 in Orange County California onto a highway I let go of the pedal ready to press the brake and while turning it made a unnecessary acceleration to speed up making steering difficult, another incident where I believe in February 2023 as I was driving in the right lane a truck made a sudden stop and the accident avoidance never deployed nor warn me and the acceleration maneuver my steering pedal as I felt it degrease on the brake and increase on the acceleration pedal this was very traumatic and scary knowing I might have bodily injuries or even death also while setting the speed limit I notice while using the regenerative braking the brake pedal would vibrate very aggressively also while using the back up cam and side views it would glitch a lot after a bug update I feel this is very concerning for me and my kids and a lot of reviews and even attorneys or aware of the situation most of all it's a safety issue for California
Jun 02, 2023
Two lane highway I was in the left lane with the cruise control on not Full Self Driving. In the right lane was a semi which I came up along side off on the left , I was driving 70mph. (Speed limit) The car suddenly hard braked on it’s own. The car behind me had to brake to avoid an accident and went into the dirt. After that on this same drive, there were at least 6 more instances of phantom braking when traveling over a “wash bridge “ going under a highway sign, driving along side another semi and once without anyone near and an open road. This also happened 3 months ago and when I reported it to Tesla they said when I received the FULL self driving down load which I got the next day, the problem should be corrected. I also reported the previous problem to you, the case # 11488958.
Dec 01, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3 complaints
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A SCHOOL PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNINTENTIONALLY STRIKING ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE AND A SIGN POLE IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE THEN COMING TO A STOP ON TOP OF A BOULDER. THE PRIVATE SECURITY PATROL AT THE SCHOOL FILED AN INCIDENT REPORT WITH ALL DETAILS.
Feb 27, 2020
MY TESLA MODEL 3 KEEPS UNINTENTIONALLY AND ERRATICALLY BRAKING WHILE IN MOTION USING THE AUTOPILOT OR CRUISE CONTROL ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE MULTIPLE DATES AND TIMES OF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENING. THIS IS KNOWN AS "PHANTOM BRAKING" A FALSE POSITIVE THAT THE AUTOPILOT SYSTEM ENGAGES IN.THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM AREAS AND TIME (DAY OR EVENING) ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE CONTACTED TESLA SERVICE AND THEY HAVE GIVEN ME THE COLD SHOULDER AND STATED THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS.
Feb 19, 2020
CAR TURNING AND PULL UP TO THE GARAGE DRIVE WAY, IT SUDDENLY UNINTENDED ACCELERATE AND CRASH INTO THE GARAGE GATE. (VIDEOS AVAILABLE)
Jan 20, 2020
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2 complaints
I am reporting a safety defect involving a welded rear subframe component. The welded section snapped under normal driving conditions, and this is a safety-critical structural suspension component. There was no collision, misuse, or accident prior to this failure. The vehicle is currently not safe to drive due to the compromised rear suspension structure. I have included photos showing the snapped weld and overall rear subframe area. This appears to be a premature structural defect, not normal wear. I am requesting that this failure be documented and reviewed as a potential safety defect. Additional Notes: This component is part of the rear suspension and is expected to last the life of the vehicle. The failure created a serious safety hazard, and I am not driving the vehicle. I have scheduled a service appointment, but I am filing this complaint to ensure the defect is officially reported.
Jan 03, 2026
Upper control arm unit is defective on most model 3's. This has been reported by thousands of Tesla owners. After 50,000 miles the upper control arm will fail due to being assembled incorrectly, which causes a hard time driving the car and causing a strange sound in the suspension which can cause a risk in driving and increase the likelihood of an accident.
Oct 19, 2024
STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES
2 complaints
The vehicle’s front suspension began making loud squeaking noises and felt unstable while driving, especially when turning or going over uneven surfaces. At times, the vehicle does not make a proper turn and almost feels like it loses grip, which is extremely unsafe. I brought the vehicle to a Tesla service center. After inspection, Tesla provided a service estimate and documentation confirming the failure of the front lower lateral links — the exact part and condition described in NHTSA Safety Recalls 21V835000 and 23V235000, which cover defective front suspension lateral link fasteners on this vehicle make, model, and year. Despite the clear match, Tesla did not recognize the repair as recall-related and categorized it as a customer-pay service. This raises concern that some affected vehicles are being excluded from proper recall coverage, despite experiencing the same safety defects. There were no warning lights or alerts prior to the failure. The issue was confirmed by Tesla and the part is available for inspection upon request.
Jul 30, 2025
Suspension lateral links attached to subframe became loose causing the lateral links to separate from the sub-frame. Wheel alignment shifted causing instability, which adversely impacted vehicle controllability and nearly caused a collision while driving. Problem was inspected, reproduced, and confirmed by the dealer/manufacturer/service center. Before the failure occurred, the primary symptoms were abnormal noises from steering/suspension area. Service center attempted to address these noises by inspecting and retightening the bolts, but unfortunately, this action did not resolve the issues and, eventually lead to a failure of the suspension system. It should be noted that parking brake functions and vehicle hold feature may have been affected by this failure. This incident may be associated with with the following recalls, NHTSA Recall: 23V-235 or Manufacturer Recall: SB-23-31-001. However, my VIN does not appear to be included.
Nov 02, 2023
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2 complaints
Tesla has just informed me about a safety concern on the 2019 M3 They explained that despite of the car not giving me a notification, it is showing on their end that my car has an airbag safety concern and by law they have to tell me. So I asked why this recall is not being addressed and fixed by Tesla. They told me that is my choice and if I choose to be safe I have to pay. This is not acceptable. Recalls that fail the nhtsa standards need to be accounted and addressed by the manufacturer. Please assist I find interesting that I didn’t receive a notification but they have and we all know that notifications can be manipulated by Tesla.
Jun 02, 2025
The passenger occupancy sensor and airbag failed and needed to be replaced. The system alerted me to the failure. Tesla does not cover this as a manufacturing issue. $1300 for repairs on parts that are designed for safety Tesla is not responsible for the quality of parts used to assemble the vehicle. Per Tesla safety related issues are only covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. There must be a higher standard for safety.
May 29, 2023
SEAT BELTS,SEATS
2 complaints
Error message from tesla: front passenger safety restraint system fault. Potentially impaired airbag deployment for passenger. Tesla fixed it under warranty in 2021. The issue is appearing again and I am out of warranty. The car will warn me once every 15 minutes (very annoying).
Aug 08, 2024
Tesla model 3 frequently displays front passenger safety restraint system fault message. This message is hard to take seriously as it comes and goes. It is rather confusing as the message full disappears if full self driving is enabled or subscribed. While I got the message on the display consistently from Jan to March 2024 I did not get the message during moth of April as I had free trial full self driving enabled. Now the full self driving grinders ended, the message is back. I am paying tesla to troubleshoot and fix. I believe this issue should looked by NHTSA and possible issue a recall.
May 10, 2024
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2 complaints
Tesla Model 3 battery pack coolant connector design flaw. It is made by plastic and covered with very thin cheap plastic cover which can very easily create impact and break the battery pack connector when any small objects hit front wheels(both side) while driving that leads the following safety and hazard issues to driver and passengers. 1. When there is hit in the coolant connector while driving the coolant start leaking which put safety of car,driver,passengers and others in very high risk 2. When it happens the dashboard shows the car is running reduced power and not giving enough info to take immediate action 3. This issue can be easily reproducible just driving the car in freeway where the road has debris or due to work zone 4. This issue reported to Geico Insurance 5. There is no warning before it first appears 6. It leads to change the entire battery pack which cost ~ $20,000 7. Since this is very critical component it should be well protected which is not the case currently
May 07, 2024
I have had multiple compressor issues since the car was made in 2019 and already replaced once. Now it is failing again and as the compressor is used to cool the powertrain it can degrade performance and who knows when my car could fail while on the road due to lack of cooling capacity.
Aug 26, 2023
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2 complaints
Power steering and regenerative braking was intermittently work. Steering fully locked up while driving 70 m/hr on a freeway when I was on my way to service appointment. Very scary!! Service detected full steering rack replacement. When they took off the cable connectors water came pouring out. Water ingress caused corrosion to the body harness connector where it connects to the steering rack module. This seems to be an issue on online forums. Clearly this is a design flaw. How is water getting in and destroying all the electrical? Very unsafe and how is this issue going to be fixed so water doesn’t continue to get in
Mar 19, 2024
THE DRIVER WAS INVOLVED IN A FATAL ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AUTO-PILOT AND/OR LANE-ASSIST FEATURES FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TRAVEL OUT OF ITS LANE AND INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHILE TRAVELING WEST ON OSCEOLA POLK LINE ROAD EAST OF SULLIVAN ROAD IN FLORIDA. THE TESLA THEN COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC, KILLING THE DRIVER OF THE TESLA. FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL AND OSCEOLA COUNTY FIRERESCUE INVESTIGATED.
Jan 28, 2020
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS
2 complaints
The car is showing a system failure of the passenger restraining system, including the airbag. Car is only five years old with 67,000 miles. This condition should be repaired by Tesla at no cost to the consumer for this early failure. Also, the air conditioning compressor has failed, it is part of the battery cooling system which may create hazard of overheating The battery. This repair should also be covered by Tesla since it is a safety feature. These two failures seem to be very common among Tesla owners as evidence by the multiple social media post on these failures, a safety recall should be implemented to provide these repairs, and no cost to the consumer. Thank you so much.
Feb 12, 2024
Front right safety restraint system fault. Rear right safety restraint system fault.
Nov 07, 2023
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
2 complaints
FSD causing more Nagging to the steering wheel due to recent recall update, making it much more dangerous to constantly having to move the steering wheel while the car is in motion and can cause the car to serve out of control or into another lane, DANGEROUS RECALL, revert this back
Dec 19, 2023
Two problems 1. vehicle breaks randomly on the road when on assisted driving is enabled on freeways 2. new vehicle steering makes creaking/ clicking noise when turning. reported to tesla and vehicle was repaired, but same issue again.
Feb 02, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
2 complaints
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while approaching a stop, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the generator braking was able to stop the vehicle. The contact stated while driving to the residence, there was a spraying sound coming from the vehicle while braking. The contact became aware of fluid leaking from the brake when the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the front and rear driver’s and passenger’s side brake lines had ruptured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Jul 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 12 MPH, there was a rattling and grinding noise coming from the front passenger’s side tire. The contact pulled over and noticed that the front brake caliper bolts had detached and the rear brake caliper bolts appeared loosened. Additionally, there was damage to the front passenger’s side tire and rim. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and the contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V387000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The brake caliper bolts were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, a case was not opened. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.
Sep 30, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2 complaints
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the Autonomous Self Driving or Adaptive Cruise Control feature activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the roadway. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions without any other vehicles or objects nearby. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
Apr 24, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving the cruise control or auto pilot activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking with a beeping sound coming from the vehicle with a manual control warning message appearing on the infotainment screen. Neither the Service Center nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
Feb 08, 2023
POWER TRAIN
2 complaints
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the message “Vehicle Hold Disabled” and vehicle shutting down and pull over safely. The contact was able to pull on the side of road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The failure mileage was 34,148.
Mar 15, 2023
Around 12:30 PM PST on 7/1/2021, I got back into my car which was parked at a local shopping center to return home. I quickly noticed when I shifted my car into reverse, it instead drove forward. I performed a hard reset of the vehicle, which did not fix the issue. I also tried putting the car into drive, then back into reverse and it still proceeded to drive forward. What eventually fixed the issue was putting the car into drive, then tapping the accelerator, then putting it back in reverse.
Jul 01, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS
1 complaint
Safety restraint defect
Oct 07, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FIRERELATED
1 complaint
See attached document for complaint.
Sep 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS,SEATS
1 complaint
My vehicle displays a persistent warning: “Front Left Safety Restraint System Fault.” A technician told me this fault relates to the driver seat sensor and is the same defect addressed by a previous NHTSA recall. However, I’ve confirmed that my VIN was not included in that recall. Despite the recall fix being implemented for some vehicles, my car still has this safety restraint fault with no resolution offered. This ongoing problem concerns me because it affects the proper functioning of the vehicle’s safety system, and I fear that my vehicle’s defect remains unaddressed. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue, as it appears the recall did not cover all affected vehicles and that Tesla’s recall scope may be insufficient.
Aug 12, 2025
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the passenger's side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger's side seat sensor had failed. The seat was replaced with a new seat; however, the air bag warning illuminated after the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the service center, where the contact was informed that the technician had failed to install the module connected to the air bag during the previous repair. The seat replacement was performed a second time; however, the failure persisted, and the contact noticed that the seat was not installed correctly. The contact requested for another service through the Tesla App, but the request was denied. The contact was informed that the vehicle was repaired, and the notification of the failure was due to a glitch in the system. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal creaking sound coming from the front suspension. The contact stated that the sound became louder while turning. An appointment was scheduled with the Tesla Service Center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Aug 04, 2025
AIR BAGS,SEATS,BACK OVER PREVENTION
1 complaint
The rear camera on my Tesla intermittently fails when shifting into reverse. Additionally, the rear trunk will not open using the in-car release button, mobile app, or key fob. A warning appears stating the function will return on the next drive, but I am often forced to use the emergency release to access the trunk. I believe this may be related to a prior recall involving the rear trunk harness, but when checking my VIN, no active recalls appear. Tesla service also reports no recalls on file. I am also receiving an intermittent fault message regarding the front passenger safety restraint system, stating that service is required. This is a serious concern, as a malfunctioning restraint system may fail to protect occupants in the event of a crash. Tesla has given me an estimate of $225.00 to address the safety restraint fault and $495.27 to repair the trunk/rear camera issues, with a total cost of $739.60 including taxes. I believe that safety-related repairs, especially those involving airbag and restraint systems, should be covered by the manufacturer and not passed on to the vehicle owner when not due to misuse or damage. The passenger restraint fault poses a direct safety hazard in a crash. The rear camera issue, while less severe, still impacts safety, as the camera provides a wider and clearer view than mirrors alone. I am asking NHTSA to review whether these issues are safety defects and whether they may be connected to known problems or recalls not applied to my vehicle.
Jul 23, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
[XXX]- [XXX]am. Trying to park in YMCA located in camp hill PA. Took soft right turn to park. Car accelerated instead of recognizing break, which I applied when I see it accelerating. Then I left break so it can take emergency break that didn’t happened it keep going and cross over the parking curb about six Torah inch high and went in a ditch. I did not hurt but car front damaged. Tesla was informed and they have the log of the time but told they don’t see any issue. My insurance is paying all the expenses. This was the third incident where car did not tool emergency break itself or recognized the break. I did reported last incident to Tesla. It only happened three times in last six years. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Jul 07, 2025
SUSPENSION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
Two major safety issues need to be reported: 1) The left front lower control arm falling off in the middle of driving, caused car wheel stuck on a traffic street (luckily it was off the freeway 5 minutes ago). The long bolts connected the lower control arms were loss due to the defective design (the bolts are screwed upward vertically, falling off is definitely just a matter of time). I found there was a class action against Tesla due to this problem (it is referred to Model X and S) 2) The other major safety issue I encountered as I turned on the “advanced autopilot “ feature, the car could break suddenly without warning on the freeway. There were no cars or obstacles in the front. I researched online and found many Tesla owners have experienced this so called “phantom breaking” problem as I had (I had experienced this unsafe auto breaking randomly since I have driven this car)
Jan 07, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 complaint
We own a 2019 Tesla model 3 which had a left front headlight stop working (headlight, turn signal, and daytime running light). As soon as the headlight went out the windshield wipers stopped working. The vehicle does not have fuses but the headlight and wipers share a wiring circuit. I thought it might be a coincidence but found several of the same issues on a google search. It is beyond ridiculous that lowing a headlight at night would cause your wipers to stop working. Its bad enough to have a reduction in visibility due to a light going out but to have the windshield wipers tied to the headlight causing them to stop working is nothing short of reckless. The warning stating the turn signal needed to be serviced and to make an appointment came on when the light stopped working. I own an automotive repair shop so I ordered the headlight assembly and installed it, the lights then worked and not surprisingly so did the windshield wipers.
Dec 27, 2024
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1 complaint
steering rack failed due to water intrusion connector integrity failed
Oct 03, 2024
STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE
1 complaint
Car intermittently gives me a "reduced power steering" error making it impossible to steer and had to stop in the fast lane on the freeway and reset the car just to get the error to to away I could have been killed and Tesla refuses to have a recall on my year and model and I must pay out of pocket for a new steering rack this is not fair that other models is covered for a recall but not a 2019 model 3
Aug 25, 2024
LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION
1 complaint
Nothing happened my cameras just stop working I was told it was a defective sensor.
Aug 11, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE
1 complaint
Safety features on my car are currently unavailable. I called the dealership and was told it was due to a defected sensor in the back windshield. And I would have to pay to replace the entire windshield. Even tho the sensor is defective.
Aug 11, 2024
STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
Customer concern confirmed there is a creaking noise coming from the front of the car while turning, I performed a visual inspection and found that both RF lower control arm bushings are torn and the LF frontward lower control arm bushing are torn but this is not the cause of the noise the cause of the noise is the upper control arms I took the load off of the upper control arms and the noise went away I also had someone turn the wheels while I looked for the cause of the noise and found that the noise is coming from the upper control arms, recommend replacing upper and lower control arms to fix all safety concerns.
Jun 20, 2024
STEERING,POWER TRAIN
1 complaint
Steering wheel lost power (in city driving) it took the driver and the passenger turning the wheel to wrestle the car to the side of the road. Turned off the car’s power after coming to a stop. The car would not start. Took 6 resets to power up the car and return it to “normal.” This is the second time the car had the steering lock up and the car not start. The first time was after shopping. The car was parked at the time. Took 4 resets to return the car to “normal.”
May 10, 2024
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
The following recalls have been pending on my vehicle: 23V-838; TC2023-657, 24V-051 Tesla is unable to push over-the-air (OTA) updates to my vehicle to remedy these recalls due to an issue with the onboard computer being unable to receive updates. This issue arose when Tesla pushed a software/firmware update to my vehicle which effectively "bricked" the Advanced Drive System portion of the computer. In other words, I am unable to safely receive an update to resolve the issues (solved by the recall) because Tesla's failed software update damaged the onboard computer.
Apr 22, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION
1 complaint
The rear view camera has not functioned properly for several months. We did have the rear harness recall work completed, but the camera was working fine at that time and stopped working in Nov sometime after a software update. This is VERY similar to 24V-035, except that is on 2023 year models only. Why is that campaign limited to 2023 only? There are a lot of complaints on the internet about this issue, and in some cases Tesla charging $3500 to replace a computer in the car. We also have the full automatic driving, same as in the 2023 models recalled. This issue seems to be related to this update, or one about that time period: [XXX]. [XXX] [XXX] I have tried all the wizardry and voodoo mentioned across the web and no results. The rear camera DOES work in live vire mode and in the service mode camera preview - so I know it works. It just does not work while driving/in reverse. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Mar 19, 2024
ENGINE
1 complaint
The contact owned a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving with the autopilot feature enabled, the vehicle slid across the road and crashed into a concrete barrier. The contact stated that it was raining at the failure occurred. No Police or Fire reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact stated after researching, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System). In addition, the vehicle was not inspected by Tesla to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Feb 13, 2024
SEAT BELTS,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
Repeat error messages of "Front safety restraint" on the screen followed by passenger window not rolling down. This has happened in June 2023, October 2023 and December 2023. The tesla windows need to roll down half inch for the doors to be closed. Because the windows get locked, i cannot close the doors. Because the doors are not closed i cannot drive the car. the other connected problem is that the passenger side mirror is folded and cannot be unfolded. Every time we log a service ticket with Tesla, they do not give an explanation on the problem and just mention it as a software problem. in July 2023 when the safety restraint problem was fixed, it was invoiced as seat repair.
Dec 15, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
When Driving an Alert activates DIR_a126 Power Reduced. Exiting and re-entering vehicle may restore operation. My vehicle speed limit goes to 50 mph and keeps lowering after driving for a few miles to a creep. This alert pop up constantly.
Nov 09, 2023
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
Loss of steering power while driving on the highway. Came out of nowhere
Nov 01, 2023
Carry Handle, Shell, Base
1 complaint
Car seat is able to tip onto it's side during turns in the direction of the seat belt latch by sliding down the seat belt. My child's legs are caught between the seat belt and the back of the seat causing her injury. This occurs when installing as per manufacturer instructions without base using seat belt only. It only occurs in our vehicle where the handle does not touch either front seat and the seat material is low friction, both of which I believe contribute to the seat being able to tip. I have tried to contact Britax regarding this issue however their website contact form is non-functional. We have 2 of this model car seat and they both exhibit the same behavior.
Sep 29, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and closing the driver's side door, the doors locked and failed to open because the vehicle was experiencing an electrical failure. The contact stated that he engaged the driver's side door emergency door release lever, but the lever failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle became hot, and he exited the vehicle through the trunk. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center, where it was determined that the 12V battery needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 23,969.
Aug 24, 2023
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
Recently I have been receiving warnings from my Tesla after hitting a pothole or bump in the road. ABS is disabled, power steering is disabled, power brake assist is disabled, forward collision warning and driver assistance features are all disabled. Upon a service visit to Tesla, they found that a fault within the ABS sensor circuit triggers these faults until the car is parked and shuts off to complete a reset cycle. Tesla claimed that this ABS cable was improperly placed and has caused damage to the sensor cable.
Aug 01, 2023
STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
My wife was dropping my kid in the school drop off line. The speed was probably about 5 mph. The Tesla suddenly went into a sudden spontaneous acceleration. When my wife tried to brake, the brakes did not work. There was no forward collision warning beeping sound that went off, which is supposed to. It hit the vehicle in front and finally hit a fence. so, both the accelerator and brake malfunctioned. The car will go to a body shop tomorrow. Since it was a school drop off zone, safety of a lot of people were put at risk. It was very hard to get Tesla on the phone. so, we went into a Tesla service center and a complaint was filed. They will be reviewing the data but I dont know how long it will take. A software update had been applied a week back. 2 hours after the accident, a software update screen popped up
May 15, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE
1 complaint
The lane keeping assistance will send the car jerking left or right without reason or warning. (I’m not sure if the car is reacting to a shadow on the road or for some other reason.). This has occurred a number of times with an abrupt and violent movement. The last time this occurred was at around 6:50pm on Wednesday April 5, 2023 while driving westbound approaching the northernmost Palm Beach Island bridge. The car made a violent and completely unnecessary shift out of the lane and I had to make a forceful corrective steering response that scared both myself and my passenger.
Apr 07, 2023
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
1 complaint
Went on a long trip over the last 2 weeks that involved >2000 miles of highway driving. Wanted to use the Adaptive Cruise Control but couldn't because of frequent sudden braking for no apparent reason. The last time that it happened was on I84 with no cars in sight in either direction, no large signs in sight, and no changes in pavement color in sight. We were traveling at 80mph with Adaptive Cruise Control engaged (Self Driving was NOT engaged) and the car suddenly braked to less than 50mph before I could intervene to regain speed control. We couldn't use Adaptive Cruise Control for the rest of the trip because we decided that it was too dangerous.
Mar 23, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 complaint
The rear view camera of my car it’s failing intermittently some days work some days don’t. So I found that there is a recall related to this specific issue. NHTSA Recall Number 21V-00D then I scheduled a service with Tesla indicating that I’m sending the car for them to honor the recall. They accepted and scheduled the service appointment through the app at $0 cost because obviously it’s their responsibility. Well for my surprise when I arrive to the Tesla Service Center in Coral Gables Florida, the person in charge refused to honor the recall saying that the car it’s not in warranty and that they don’t perform services on recalls even though I was showing them that the recall it’s on my VIN number at the NHTSA website. Now I’m worried that I may cause an accident because the car may malfunction due to this safety issue with the rear camera. Find attached screenshots of the conversations I had with them where they are basically refusing to properly perform the service for this recall that includes the full inspection of the coaxial cable to see if it’s too damaged and the replacement of the part.
Mar 19, 2023
WHEELS
1 complaint
Link - Lateral - Lower - Front - LH (Remove & Replace) LOWER LATERAL LINK -FRONT(1044341-00-D)
Mar 07, 2023
VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 21V00D000 (Back Over Prevention) and 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the backup camera was inoperable nearly caused the vehicle to strike a pedestrian. The failure mileage was 48,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Mar 01, 2023
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
I was driving using beta full self driving feature, and the vehicle was involved in a collision
Feb 28, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 complaint
I am writing to report a serious issue that occurred while my wife and two of my children were driving my Tesla Model 3 with VIN number [XXX] on Highway 99 North on February 14, 2023, at approximately 6pm. While driving on the highway, the Model 3 suddenly shut down and died. The vehicle completely lost power and they were unable to restart it. Despite trying all the resets given by Tesla roadside assistance, the car would not move. Even the Tesla team wasn't able to move the car and it was California Highway Patrol who moved it to a safer location. My wife and children were extremely frightened by this incident, which was an incredibly dangerous situation as they were driving on a busy highway, and they were lucky that no accidents occurred as a result. I wanted to update you that the Tesla team in Stockton, CA is now handling this issue and they have informed me that the battery fuse blew. However, this incident has left me with grave concerns regarding the safety of my Tesla Model 3 for myself and my children. I believe that the car has become extremely unsafe to drive, and I am very worried that a similar situation could happen again. I must also note that this incident has created a panic within me, that even if and when the issue is resolved, every time I drive my Model 3, I will have a flashback of the incident and the fear that it might happen again. I believe this is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Feb 18, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
This morning, I was driving using FSD beta and the car swerved and veered almost directly into the curb, head-on. I was able to capture the data using the car's built-in dashcam and saved it, though I can't upload it to this site. I was able to slam on the brakes at the last minute and luckily no one else was around as it could have easily injured someone else and/or damaged my vehicle.
Jan 16, 2023
SEATS,AIR BAGS
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Front Passenger Restraint System Fault message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the front passenger’s side seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Jan 09, 2023
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 complaint
I started to having "Faulty Restrain system fault" around 49k miles on Tesla Model 3. Error pop up "service needed". Consult Tesla for repair. First they ask for $384 for repair harness wires attach for driver front seat. Upon checking warranty on Tesla.com, it provides 60000 miles and 5 years warranty for Restrain System coverage so tesla agrees to fix error for "$0". Upon taking car for repair, I was informed I had rodent cause damage (chewed) wires and it's not cover. I had to pay $180 for repair. I live in Phoenix city and where I live we don't have any problem with rodents. It's very shocking to learn that rodent get access to underneath of Tesla and can chewed on wires. Why wires are not covered with better material rather than cheap plastic tapes. Those wires play significant role in vehicle safety as far as restrain system is concern. Question is why Model 3 is so inferiors in quality and design that rodent get access to the wiring. Error cause many driving problems with air bags not working and causing speeding errors. I have read on Tesla Motor Club blog and many customers are experiencing same problem. Is there anything Tesla needs to do to make their car more safer on road? If you need more information please email me at [XXX] I can provide pictures of damage due to rodent provided by Tesla. Thank You,[XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Dec 16, 2022
STEERING,SUSPENSION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
Broken control arms
Sep 18, 2022
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
Yesterday I had the most frightening driving experience of my entire life. It was raining heavily and I was going about 35 mph on the local road in my model 3 standard, 3 years old. Suddenly I lost all traction and was slipping side to side +/-90 degrees from the direction of traffic. I immediately took my foot off the accelerator and tried to slow down but didn’t brake. I swung 180 degrees each way about 5 times. Luckily no one hit me but I was taking up all lanes as I careened all over the road. I can’t believe how easily the model 3 loses traction in the rain. This is unacceptable.
Aug 05, 2022
LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
My friend was driving the vehicle (a 2019 Tesla Model 3) while it was engaged in Full Self-Driving Beta 10.12.2 mode. The vehicle approached a stop sign ahead of a single lane bridge at 14 mph. The vehicle braked and left the road coming to a halt on a private driveway. In FSD mode the vehicle attempted to approach a metal gate. The driver had to disengage FSD mode to safely manoeuvre the vehicle. A link to the clip of the incident can be found below: https://vimeo.com/730266676/f170446e7d
Jul 15, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
Autopilot break the car for no reason on highways and high speed. Always happen on I-5 at Anaheim, CA to Los Angeles, CA area.
Jun 03, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
Received an alert through the Tesla App that my car alarm was going off. When I stepped outside my house I saw smoke coming out of the windows. I opened the rear passenger door and saw the floor on fire. I went inside and called the fire department. By the time they arrived the entire car had been destroyed.
May 16, 2022
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
On 3/28/22 at 4:01 pm, while in parking lot traffic traveling 2-3 mph, the vehicle lost propulsion, and steering. The vehicle's audible warnings sounded and displayed a series of errors ranging from tire pressure to driver assistance features not being available. The vehicle struggled to move and had steering as stiff as a vehicle without power steering all four tires flat. I backed it into a parking space and conducted a hard re-start using the steering wheel buttons. After a few minutes the vehicle rebooted and continued as normal. A service appointment with Tesla was made immediately. On 4/15/22 Tesla conducted a remote diagnostic and submitted a repair estimate to me in preparation for a 4/16/22 repair. The estimate was for the amount of $757. This amount appears to be related to my vehicle being 3,000 miles past the bumper-to-bumper 50,000 mile warranty. The invoice states Tesla will conducting the following: Correction: Sensor - Wheel Speed -ABS - Rear - RH (Remove & Replace); Correction: Hub - Rear - RH (Remove & Replace); Correction: Hub - Rear LH (Includes Alignment Check) (Remove & Replace). Lastly the invoice lists the HUB ASSY as the part being replaced.
Apr 15, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,LANE DEPARTURE
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the Lane Departure, steering assist, and braking assist warning lights illuminated. During the failure the steering wheel had become difficult to turn in either direction. Additionally, while releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate instead of decelerating as normal. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who performed unknown repairs however, after retrieving the vehicle the steering failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the service center. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Mar 21, 2022
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,BACK OVER PREVENTION
1 complaint
Constantly beeps and makes me think I’m getting into an accident took to tesla they say sensors are ok. But a car shows on my blind side and sometimes there’s no car there, especially big trucks doesn’t bring up sensor correctly
Feb 26, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES,VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
My Model 3 Tesla while in cruise control initiated braking while on a highway approaching an overpass. There was no obstruction on the road. I believe the cameras deduced the shadow of the overpass as an object and tried to stop. This incident has been termed ghost braking.
Feb 18, 2022
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
1 complaint
Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned... A: Summary: When using the car seat forward facing and in a configuration acceptable for forward facing as outline in the product manual, specifically when using the vehicle safety belt, the car seat harness can get tangled and interlocked with the vehicle safety belt, preventing the car seat harness from being tightened fully and also damaging the vehicles safety belt in the process. See attached images, videos, and transcript with Clek Support for more information. Q: ... and is it available for inspection upon request? A: Yes Q: How was the child’s safety put at risk? Had I not noticed the issue by checking the tightness of the harness on my child's shoulders, I could have incorrectly believed that my child was securely fastened in the car seat. An inattentive parent or one that doesn't frequently check the tightness of the shoulder straps, could believe, if they were to pull the harness tightening strap and it were to stop, that their child was secure when in fact the harness could be tangled with the vehicle safety belt and the child not being secured in the car seat. Additionally, over time the vehicle seat belt could become damaged enough to where it no longer can serve its purpose adequately in securing the car seat to the vehicle. Q: Has the car seat been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A: Clek support has been contacted and all details were provided but they are claiming that there is no issue with the car seat despite confirming with them that the car seat is in an acceptable configuration for forward facing and with being able to repeatedly reproduce the issue. Additional: I have a video of the issue but its too large to submit. I have uploaded it to my youtube account for viewing. https://youtu.be/q7BVuGeBNqM The images submitted are those provided to Clek in the initial communication and the resulting conversation. The video best shows the issue.
Feb 16, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
The screen on my Tesla fails routinely (everyday) while driving and then reboots after about 3 minutes. This happens abruptly with no warning. Tesla has told me (verbally) that it was reproduced in their service location in Palo Alto. During this time, I have no idea of my speed or any other vehicle status, such as lane keeping, collision warning, navigation, heating, etc. I have tried to remedy this issue with Tesla service repeatedly over two months, and the interactions have been unsatisfactory. Tesla does not seem to appreciate the potential seriousness of this issue and the risk to ourselves and others. Tesla Service at Sunnyvale, CA, encouraged me to continue driving, even though I pointed out the risk of "driving blind". My family is very wary of this vehicle now.
Jan 16, 2022
VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 complaint
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the manufacturer had provided a new software update for the vehicle. The contact stated that the update made it difficult to use some functions. The contact was concerned that he had to take his eyes off the road to use the windshield wipers, defroster, and other features. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000. The VIN was not available.
Dec 30, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 complaint
update 2021.44.25.2 hid the defrost, defog, windshield wiper controls. these are safety concerns for me. the update also hid the seat heaters which is irritating but only a safety concern if i get cold and become distracted.
Dec 27, 2021
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,LANE DEPARTURE
1 complaint
I was going 45 mph with autopilot engaged and in fact the autopilot actually caused the accident. The car suddenly turned to the right and hit the curb then spinned 180 degrees midair, landed on the sidewalk and then rolled back fishtailed a wooden pole.
Aug 26, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
1. In three occasions while using FSD I approached red lights but the vehicle did not initiate a stop. I took control to do so. 2. Yesterday the car seemed to reboot. It was about 9PM, quite dark at 70 or 80MPH on I80 in a construction area. The headlights stayed on and the car continued driving but the dash went black as it seemed to fail, and then seemed to reboot with the "T" coming back up before the full dash came up again.
Aug 23, 2021
SEAT BELTS,SEATS,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
TOOK MY CAR FIVE TIMES FOR BRAKE/SUSPENSION CLICKING, DRIVER SEAT NOISE (BULLETIN ALREADY AVAILABLE), AND STEERING COLUMN RATTLE ( ADVISED BY TESLA TO MOVE THE STEERING A LITTLE BECAUSE IT TOUCHING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ( BAD DESIGN AND SHOULDN'T THE CUSTOMER CHANGE HIS COMFORT TO COMFORT THE BAD DESIGN BY TESLA.), ALSO HAS ISSUE WITH CAMERA MOIST THAT PREVENT BLIND SPOT AND AUTOPILOT LANE CHANGE WORKS IN MOISTUR WEATHER, SEAT BELT RATTLE. ALL THESE ISSUE WITH SOME HAS BULLETIN THEY SAID NORMAL AND CHARGE ME FOR CHECKING IT WHILE MY CAR UNDER WARRANTY. ALL ISSUES ARE WHILE DRIVING EXCEPT BATTERY BREATHER SUPERCHARGING
Apr 27, 2021
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
1. PHANTOM BRAKING WHILE DRIVING ON AUTOPILOT: MOSTLY ON HIGHWAYS, WHEN DRIVING ON AUTOPILOT, THE CAR SUDDENLY APPLIES BRAKES FOR NO REASON AND NO OBSTACLE OR VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS MAY LEAD TO SOMEONE HITTING ME FROM BEHIND (REAR ENDING) AS THAT DRIVER WOULD NOT EXPECT MY CAR TO SLOW DOWN. 2. HOMELINK SYSTEM CLOSES GARAGE DOOR RANDOMLY: THE HOMELINK GIVES COMMAND TO GARAGE DOOR TO CLOSE WHEN IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO. THERE WERE AN INCIDENT WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER THE GARAGE DOOR AND ONE INCIDENT WHEN THE CAR WAS BACKING OUT. 3. LANE DEPARTURE ALERT: ON NEWLY MARKED ROAD, THE CAR DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION WHEN THE LANE WAS CROSSED WITHOUT ENGAGING TURN SIGNAL. THE LANE DEPARTURE ALERT SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK IN LANE. TESLA'S RESPONSE IS THAT THE SYSTEMS ARE "BETA VERSIONS". I CAN UNDERSTAND A SYSTEM NOT WORKING (LIKE LANE DEPARTURE ALERT). HOWEVER, PHANTOM, BRAKING AND HOMELINK ISSUES ARE OUT OF DRIVERS' CONTROL AND THERE IS NO CORRECTIVE ACTION A DRIVER CAN TAKE. FOR EXAMPLE, A) "THE CAR DOES NOT APPLY BRAKES IF THERE IS OBSTACLE", DRIVER CAN APPLY BRAKE AND MITIGATE THE RISK. B) "THE CAR APPLIES BRAKES WHEN THE ROAD IS CLEAR". DRIVER CANNOT HELP AS IT WILL BE FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE DRIVER REALIZES THAT THE CAR APPLIED BRAKES FOR NO GOOD REASON AND THEN HE/SHE WILL HAVE TO CANCEL THE AUTOPILOT SYSTEM AND TAKE CONTROL. IT MAY BE TOO LATE... THERE WERE SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF PHANTOM BRAKING. THERE WERE 4 INCIDENTS RELATED TO HOMELINK. DATE BELOW IS THE DATE OF LATEST PHANTOM BRAKING INCIDENT.
Nov 03, 2020
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 280, THE AUTO-PILOT STOPPED WORKING AND DRIVING BECAME ERRATIC AND UNSAFE WITH RANDOM ACCELERATIONS/DECELERATIONS. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP ON DRIVING. TESLA KEPT CONFUSING ME WITH THEIR SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS WHILE I NEEDED TO USE THE CAR EVERY DAY. IT TOOK A WEEK TO ARRANGE FOR SERVICE. THE CAR SAT FOR A WEEK AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH NO COMMUNICATION FROM TESLA. THEN THEY SENT A LACONIC REQUEST TO PAY THEM $1,070 --- WHILE I KNOW MY CAR, BEING 10 MONTHS OLD IS UNDER WARRANTY. MICE ATE A WIRE WITHIN THE AUTO-PILOT CABLES. TESLA CLAIMS THIS DAMAGE ISN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY! THE DAMAGED CABLES ARE IN A COMPARTMENT WHICH IS COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED AGAINST MICE OR ANYTHING. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROTECTED WITH AT LEAST A METAL MESH. I ASKED WHY ISN'T THAT COMPARTMENT PROTECTED TO PREVENT RATS/MICE FROM ENTERING IT; AFTER ALL, 300+ MILLION AMERICAN GARAGES HAVE CARS AND MICE CO-LOCATED... THEIR ANSWER: 'THAT'S THE AUTO-INDUSTRY STANDARD'. MY REACTION: "I DID NOT BUY MY CAR FROM THE AUTO-INDUSTRY STANDARD; I BOUGHT IT FROM TESLA (WHICH COMPLETELY DEVIATES FROM THE "INDUSTRY STANDARDS!)" I AM REQUESTING TESLA TO ISSUE A 'RECALL' FOR INSTALLING A METAL MESH AROUND THE SENSITIVE AUTO-PILOT CABLING COMPARTMENT. ALSO, I AM REQUESTING A FULL REFUND OF MY EXPENSES, PLUS COMPENSATION FOR THE FRUSTRATION AND FOR THE VARIOUS TROUBLES I HAD TO GO THROUGH. THE NO.1 PROBLEM WITH TESLA'S SUPPOSED 'SERVICE' IS THAT THEY OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT TESLA CARS DO NOT NEED ANY SERVICE. HERE IS THEIR EMAIL TO ME FROM 10/15/20: "YOUR TESLA SERVICE INVOICE IS READY FOR REVIEW. PLEASE REVIEW AND ACCEPT THE TESLA SERVICE INVOICE FOR YOUR VISIT. REVIEW AND ACCEPT ". I CANNOT ACCESS THAT CONTENTS ANYMORE. THE EMAIL SIMPLY SAID ACCEPT THIS CHARGE OF $1,070 WITHOUT EXPLAINING ANYTHING ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE DAMAGE. THANK YOU, YAIR BARNIV
Oct 30, 2020
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
1 complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PURCHASED THE SPECIAL FEATURE ADAPTIVE AUTO PILOT BACK IN 06/2020. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING ACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, ALMOST BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO AN ABRUPT STOP THREE TIMES ON THE SAME DAY. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO DEACTIVATE THE FEATURE, ALLOWING FOR THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA (840 PROVIDENCE HWY, DEDHAM, MA 02026 (781) 471-3001) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE FEATURE BE TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.
Oct 22, 2020
TIRES,WHEELS
1 complaint
I HAVE A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 WITH PREMIUM WHEEL UPGRADE AND THE CONTINENTAL PRO CONTACT RX TIRES PUT ON BY TESLA ARE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. THE CAR HAS 7K SOME MILES ON IT AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT RANDOMLY. THERE WAS NO IMPACT/CRASH OF ANY KIND, WE WERE GOING APPROX 30 MILES PER HOUR ON A PAVED ROAD AND HEARD A LARGE BOOM. THEN ALMOST INSTANTLY OUR TPMS INDICATED EXTREMELY LOW TIRE PRESSURE PULL OVER NOW. WE HAD A BLOW OUT WITH THESE BASICALLY BRAND NEW TIRES, NO OTHER DAMAGE TO CAR SO THAT'S IT. COULD KILL SOMEONE IN THE WRONG CIRCUMSTANCE! *TR
Jun 27, 2020
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE
1 complaint
DO TO A LARGE BACK WINDSHIELD (ENTIRE VEHICLE ROOF IS MADE OUT OF CLASS) I BELIEVE THAT THE HEAT MAKES THE WINDSHIELD CRACK. I POSTED A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE EXPLAINING HOW MY VEHICLE WINDSHIELD BROKE DOWN BY THE INTENSE HEAT, A PERSON REPLIED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
Apr 08, 2020
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO DOWNGRADE MY TESLA MODEL 3 CONFIGURATION FROM STANDARD PLUS (240 MAX CHARGE LIMIT) TO STANDARD CONFIGURATION (220 MAX CHARGE LIMIT), I COULD CHARGE TO 239 CHARGE LIMIT. AT THE DOWNGRADE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE, AFTER THE SYNCHRONIZATION/CALIBRATION PERIOD TOOK PLACE, MY NEW CONFIGURATION OF STANDARD HAD A CHARGE LIMIT OF ONLY 207/208 AT 100% CHARGE, WHICH IS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF CHARGING LIMIT OF 31+. THIS IS A 50% GREATER DROP IN CHARGE LIMIT THAN WAS AGREED. THE CHARGE LIMITATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ONLY A 20 MILES DROP, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING 31+ DROP IN CHARGING LIMIT. MY BATTERY IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN GOOD HEALTH. THE METHOD OF REDUCTION IN CHARGE LIMITATION WAS ORIGINALLY COMMUNICATED TO BE A SIMPLE SOFTWARE LIMIT. HOWEVER, I WAS LATER TOLD THAT THE LIMIT IN CHARGE LEVEL WAS ACHIEVED BY ACTUALLY TURNING OFF CELLS WITHIN THE BATTERY BLOCK. IF TURNING OFF CELLS IS IN FACT THE METHOD USED TO LIMIT THE CHARGING CAPACITY OF THE BATTERY, THEN IT IS VERY CONCERNING SINCE NOT ONLY IS IT A FRAUDULENT REMOVAL OF CAPACITY - BUT A MUCH GREATER DROP IN CHARGING CAPACITY THAN THE CHARGE CAPACITY I PURCHASED - BUT IT ALSO LEAVES ME IN A SITUATION WHERE I CAN ONLY CHARGE TO 166 MILES TO MAINTAINING MY BATTERY'S HEALTH CONDITION AT THE RECOMMENDED MAX 80% CHARGE LEVEL. AT AN 80% CHARGE LEVEL OF THE NOW 207/208 100% MAXIMUM CHARGE LIMIT I WILL ONLY GET 166 CHARGE. AT 80% OF MY STANDARD CONFIGURATION I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHARGE TO 176. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS ARTIFICIAL AND FRAUDULENT REDUCTION IN CHARGE LIMIT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSED I WOULD HAVE NOT DOWNGRADED TO STANDARD. THE CHARGE LIMIT ON THE NON-DOWNGRADED STANDARD PLUS CONFIGURATION HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 250 FROM 240. SO, TODAY WITHOUT THE DOWNGRADE MY 80% CHARGE LIMIT WOULD BE 200 INSTEAD OF 166 - A 34 CHARGE INCREASE - OR - A 43 INCREASE AT 100% CHARGE LIMIT!!
Mar 30, 2020
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SPOUSE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED THROUGH A WOODEN FENCE, KNOCKED IT DOWN, AND CRASHED INTO A NEIGHBOR'S WALL. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THERE WAS NO INJURY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED A TESLA ROAD SIDE SERVICE WHOM ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DAN'S PAINT & BODY (3810 E 22ND ST, TUCSON, AZ 85713) A TESLA APPROVED BODY SHOP, WHERE THE INSURANCE COMPANY APPROVED THE BODY DAMAGE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,677. *BF*JB
Feb 14, 2020
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING THAT VEHICLE TO REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF A POLICE REPORT BEING FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING LOT AND THEN TO A COLLSION CENTER. THE CONTACT CONTACTED TESLA (811 S SAN FERNANDO BLVD, BURBANK, CA 91502) WHERE THEY WAS INFORMED OF THE CRASH AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.
Feb 06, 2020
STRUCTURE,WHEELS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1 complaint
AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED. THE TESLA VEHICLE SENSORS FAILED TO RECOGNIZE 2 PARKED VEHICLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STREET WHILE DRIVING, AND COLLIDED WITH THEM. ANTI-COLLISION MECHANISM AND AUTO-BRAKING FAILED TO APPLY, RESULTING IN COLLISION.
Jan 27, 2020
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,WHEELS
1 complaint
THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE IN TESLA MODE 3 IN OUR PARKING LOT. I WAS PARKING BETWEEN 2 CARS ON MY RIGHT. SO, WAS REALLY SLOW. WHILE TURNING THERE WAS A SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND THE VEHICLE WAS AT A HIGH SPEED. SINCE, I WAS TURNING, THE CAR ROTATED AT THE HIGH SPEED AND IN THE PROCESS MY CAR HIT CAR ON MY LEFT, 3 CARS ON MY FRONT. THERE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND A FLAT TIRE. FORTUNATELY, NO PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED. WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED, ALL SYSTEMS STOPPED FUNCTIONING.
Jan 21, 2020
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 complaint
I AM FEMALE SAFE DRIVER WITH CLEAN DRIVING RECORDS, MY TESLA WAS THIRD CAR STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT ON DEC 19TH IN THE CITY STREET, AND ALL OF SUDDEN, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IT TRIGGERED UNINTENDED SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION THAT RESULTED IN ACCIDENT WITH TWO CARS AHEAD OF ME, DAMAGED ALL 3 VEHICLES INCLUDING MINE, I PUSHED THE BRAKE IMMEDIATELY & PARKED BEFORE ALL AIRBAGS IN MY CAR DEPLOYED. I TRIED TO PROVE MY POINT TO THE INSURANCE THAT ITS NOT MY FAULT BUT ITS A CAR THAT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE DUE TO PROBABLY SOME KIND OF NIGHTLY AUTOMATIC SOFTWARE UPDATE OR A MECHANICAL PROBLEM BUT INSURANCE DIDN'T AGREE AND FORCED ME TO AGREE THAT I DID IT !
Jan 17, 2020
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
1 complaint
MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING WIRE ISSUES RESULTING IN ERROR MESSAGES SUCH AS "POWER REDUCED, FRONT MOTOR DISABLED, ETC" THAT DISABLE SAFETY FEATURES SUCH AS THE TURNING SIGNALS AND ISSUES WITH BRAKING AND STEERING. THE VEHICLE WILL POWER OFF/SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND RESTART. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY IN SERVICE FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS AND OTHER THAN NOTIFYING ME THAT THERE ARE "WIRE ISSUES," TESLA HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM OR FIX IT.
Jan 08, 2020
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1 complaint
I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND SHOCKED FROM WHAT HAPPENED LAST DECEMBER 10, 2019 (TUESDAY). AT AROUND 5:50 AM, I AM SLOWLY DRIVING AT THE PARKING LOT OF MY OFFICE AT STRYKER CORPORATION IN SAN JOSE, CA. I AM SLOWLY PARKING MY CAR AND THEN THERE'S A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ON MY CAR WHICH I CANNOT EVEN CONTROL OR STOP. THE ACCELERATION SPEEDS UP AUTOMATICALLY ON ITS OWN EVEN IF I'M STEPPING ON THE BRAKE. DUE TO THE SPEED UP ON THE ACCELERATION, THE CAR WENT OVER THE CURB WITH SO MUCH SPEED AND MOVED TOWARDS THE TENT WHICH IS THE SMOKING AREA IN OUR WORK. THE WINDSHIELD OF MY CAR BROKE WHEN IT HIT THE TENT AND THE CAR STILL MOVED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. LUCKILY, MY CAR LANDED ON A BUCKET OF CEMENT WHICH HELPED MY CAR TO STOP. IT WAS REALLY A TERRIFYING INCIDENT WHICH I DIDN'T EXPECT TO HAPPEN BECAUSE MY CAR IS NEW AND I THOUGHT THAT IT'S THE SMARTEST AND SAFEST CAR. I HAVE A DASH CAMERA ON MY CAR AND I HAVE A VIDEO OF THE WHOLE INCIDENT THAT WILL PROVE THAT MY STATEMENTS ARE TRUE.
Dec 30, 2019
SUSPENSION,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
I WISH TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT A TESLA MODEL 3 IN THE INTEREST OF HUMAN SAFETY. THIS IS CONCERNING THE ISSUE OF BATTERY FIRES. I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS SO FAR GONE UNREPORTED. HERE IS A MODEL 3 IN THE SALVAGE AUCTION YARD THAT HAS BEEN ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS?ITEMID=34394730&ROWNUMBER=2&SIMILARVEHICLEITEMID=&ISNEXT=&LOADRECENT=TRUE THE CAR IS SO BADLY BURNED THAT THE VIN IS NOT ABLE TO BE DETERMINED BUT THE AUCTION SITE WOULD HAVE THAT RECORD. I HAVE SUBSTITUTED THE VIN OF ANOTHER WRECKED MODEL 3 IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS REPORT. THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT POST ON TESLA MOTORS CLUB FORUM WHICH PROVIDES PHOTOS OF THE FIRE SCENE ON THE HIGHWAY AT VACAVILLE AND THE IMAGES MATCH THE JUNKYARD CAR. IT SEEMS THAT TESLA IS USING THE "RAN OVER A TRAILER HITCH ON THE ROADWAY" AKA "CAT ATE MY HOMEWORK" EXCUSE AGAIN BUT LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS IT SEEMS THAT A WHOMPY WHEEL IS THE MORE LIKELY CAUSE. HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/ANOTHER-TESLA-FIRE.175198/ **** DDAWSON, TODAY AT 9:51 AM VACAVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAR FIRE. I WAS TOLD THE OWNER RAN OVER A TRAILER HITCH THAT FELL OFF A TRUCK. I BELIEVE ITS A 3. NO ONE HURT AT LEAST.. **** AND *** THIS STORY ACTUALLY DID RUN ON THE 11:00 NEWS, SUNDAY NOV. 24TH, ON KPIX (OUR LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE). IT WAS REPORTED BY BRIAN HACKNEY. THE STORY WASN'T CLEAR ABOUT WHERE THE FIRE TOOK PLACE, OTHER THAN IN VACAVILLE WHERE THERE DOES HAPPEN TO BE A SUPERCHARGER. THEY SHOWED THE SAME DRAMATIC IMAGE OF THE BURNED-OUT CAR. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED HERE. THE WEIRD PART IS THAT THE KPIX WEBSITE NEVER SHOWED THE STORY. I SEARCHED AFTERWARD, AND THE OTHER STORIES REPORTED THAT NIGHT (INCLUDING THE ONE ABOUT PRIUS CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS) WERE ALL UP, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE** PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU.
Nov 26, 2019
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY THE NEW CAR WAS PURCHASED WITH HAD DAMAGE TO THE 4 JACK POINTS THAT REQUIRED THE BATTERY PACK TO BE REPLACED. THE ORIGINAL BATTERY WOULD CHARGE TO THE FULL RANGE PURCHASED, HOWEVER, THE NEW BATTERY THAT WAS INSTALLED WILL NOT CHARGE TO THE FULL AMOUNT OF RANGE PURCHASED. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO SERVICE BEFORE I PICKED UP THE CAR FROM SERVICE. THEY TRIED TO GET IT TO FULLY CHARGE MULTIPLE TIMES BUT IT WOULD NOT. I ASKED TO SEE THE BATTERY HEALTH REPORT AND THEY DECLINED. IF YOU PURCHASE A NEW CAR WITH X AMOUNT OF RANGE, WHEN THE BATTERY IS CHARGED TO 100%, IT SHOULD DISPLAY THE RANGE YOU PAID FOR. THEY TOLD ME IF I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE RANGE, I WAS FREE TO FILE AN ARBITRATION CLAIM. ON THE WAY HOME I ALMOST RAN OUT OF BATTERY AND COULD HAVE REALLY USED THE EXTRA CAPACITY THAT I PURCHASED.
Nov 06, 2019
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
1 complaint
I TURNED INTO A PERPENDICULAR PARKING SPACE IN A HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT. I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR AS THE CAR INCHED CLOSER TO THE CURB. AS I BEGAN TO PRESS THE BRAKE TO BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD, JUMPED THE CURB, CROSSED THE GRASS MEDIAN AND COME TO REST ON THE HOOD OF ANOTHER CAR. I KNOW MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME AND CONTEND THAT THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A VEHICLE MALFUNCTION.
Nov 04, 2019
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 complaint
MY WIFE WAS TRYING TO PARK THE CAR IN OUR GARAGE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SPED UP AND HIT OUR INNER GARAGE WALL. IT THEN REVERSED BACK AND HIT THE WALL A SECOND TIME. THEN IT AUTOMATICALLY REVERSED AND PARKED ON THE NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY. BOTH THE STERLING AIR BAG AND AIRBAG NEAR THE FEET DEPLOYED. THE CAR'S FRONT WAS SMASHED. OUR GARAGE WALL AND DOOR ARE ALSO BADLY DAMAGED. I HAVE ASKED TESLA TO INVESTIGATE IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE AUTOPILOT TAKING OVER BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THEM YET AFTER MORE THAN A WEEK.
Oct 08, 2019
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1 complaint
I JUST BOUGHT THE NEW TESLA MODEL 3 LAST WEEK FOR LONG RUN BATTERY BUT IT'S NOT GIVING ME FULL RANG OF MILES AND DROPPING CRAZY AMOUNT OF BATTERY . THE WAY TESLA IS TELLING THE PEOPLE ABOUT MILEAGE , IT'S NOT WORKING THAT WAY , I HAVE LONG RANG MILEAGE AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO GIVE 310 MILEAGE AFTER FULL CHARGE AND THAT'S ONLY REASON I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE EVERY DAY I'M DRIVING AROUND 200 TO 270 MILEAGE . BUT TRUE IS IT NOT GIVING ME THAT MILEAGE AT ALL AND JUST GIVING ME ONLY 230TO 250 ALL TOGETHER AFTER MY FULL CHARGE WHOLE NIGHT , AND SO I HAVE TO STOP BY SOMEWHERE EVERY DAY TO CHARGE MY CAR TO GO HOME WITH ENOUGH MILEAGE . FOR ME IT'S DOESN'T NOT MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL SINCE YOU ARE BUYING LONG RANGE DISTANCE CAR AND YOU ARE NOT GETTING WHAT YOU ACCEPTING .
Oct 04, 2019
STEERING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 complaint
I AM MAKING THIS COMPLAINT IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THERE HAS BEEN A TESLA MODEL 3 CRASH IN RUSSIA. HTTPS://WWW.THESUN.CO.UK/NEWS/9700731/TESLA-CAR-EXPLODES-AUTOPILOT-FAILURE-DRIVER-TRUCK-RUSSIA/ IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER AUTOPILOT OR DRIVER DISTRACTION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH THE BATTERIES LITERALLY EXPLODED. THIS IS AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE WORSE THAN THE MODEL S AND X FIRES. ** I HAVE USED THE VIN OF ANOTHER MODEL 3 WHICH IS IN A WRECKING YARD** THIS IS NOT DONE IN ANY FRAUDULENT WAY. IT IS DONE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH YOUR WEBSITE DESIGN. IT IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE RUSSIAN OWNER TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SITE AND FILE A COMPLAINT SO I HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF FILING ON HIS BEHALF.
Aug 11, 2019
STEERING,AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 complaint
MY CAR WAS FIVE WEEKS OLD. WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME ON MY COMMUTE I REALIZE THE SCREEN HAD FROZE, AND THEN SUDDENLY BLACKED OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE AS I AM A FAMILY THAT OWNS TESLA, BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE SUDDENLY THE ABILITY TO STEER AND BREAK OR COMPROMISED AND THE CAR HAD SPED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION AS TO WHY. I REPORTED IT TO TESLA AND THE EARLIEST THEY COULD SET FOR AN APPOINTMENT WITH SEVERAL WEEKS LATER. WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THIS INCIDENT INITIALLY OCCURRING, THIS HAPPENED AGAIN DURING TRAFFIC AND MY CAR INSTEAD OF BREAKING, INCREASED TREMENDOUSLY AND SMASHED INTO A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD CONTACTED. TESLA LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS VERY LUCKY BECAUSE I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT 95% OF MY COMMUTE IS ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS IN THE BAY AREA. I SAID THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS AND I REALLY THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED UP FASTER, I GOT ZERO RESPONSE. SO WHEN THIS HAPPENED THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I COULD DO AND I ROLLED AND SPRAINED MY ANKLE VERY AGGRESSIVELY. NOT ONLY THAT BUT ALL OF THE AIRBAGS IN THE ENTIRE CAR MALFUNCTIONED EVEN THOUGH I WAS ABLE TO FOCUS THE BRUNT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT. UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THE BACK WINDOWS DIDN'T OPEN NOR DID THE PASSENGER LOWER AIRBAG. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BUT IF THERE WAS THAT WOULD HAVE NOT GONE OFF AND THAT'S NOT OK. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AND THERE WERE NO UPDATES ON SOFTWARE THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN AND THE CAR WAS FIVE WEEKS OLD. TESLA HAS REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THEIR DATA AND I HAVE AN SSD THAT SHOWS MY CAR SHUT DOWN.
Aug 01, 2019
Frequently Asked Questions
How many problems does the 2019 TESLA Model 3 have?
The 2019 TESLA Model 3 currently has 566 owner-reported complaints according to NHTSA database. These complaints are organized by component to help identify common issues.
What are the most common problems with 2019 TESLA Model 3?
The most common problems reported for the 2019 TESLA Model 3 are organized by component above. Each component section shows owner-reported issues, crash reports, and fire incidents to help identify patterns and problem areas.
Where does this 2019 TESLA Model 3 problem data come from?
All problem and complaint data for the 2019 TESLA Model 3 comes directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database. These are real complaints submitted by actual vehicle owners.
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