Tesla Model 3 Complaints (2025)

123 consumer complaints on file.

#11743815June 12, 2026
WHEELS
On May 16th, I felt the car vibration very much on the free way. I scheduled service on May 21st. Tesla technician found it was the interior foam detached problem. He said this happened on many cars. I asked for free replacement for two defect tires since the car was only drove one and half year about 17k miles. But he refused it because Tesla only replace it for free if the wear of tire is higher than 4 thread. He said mine is 3 thread and suggested me to buy new tires and replace them. He said Tesla normally would not remove the detached foam for customer any more. I did not agree. Finally, Tesla remove the detached foam and I paid for the service. Because this detached foam issue happens a lot, it is quality issue. Tesla or Michelin should repair and replace it for free.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743287June 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEATS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Since leasing this car in April of 2025, it has been services 8 times totaling over 30 days of down time. The issues occured in order from oldest to newest/current: May of 2025 - Headliner trim falling down, unsuccessfully repaired by mobile technician June of 2025 - Windows stopped working. Center console door stopped shutting. Headliner still falling down. July of 2025 - Front wiring harness melted and took out the AC - the car didn't provide a single warning. The AC just stopped working. Passenger seat replaced for cosmetic defect August of 2025 - Continued issues with AC and turn signal buttons December of 2025 - Steering Wheel Rattle and Clunking, Suspension noises June of 2025 - Suspension still rough and making grinding noises, turn signal buttons still not functioning consistently, front passenger fold down mirror shattered because the passenger seat calibration allows it to slide into the mirror. Tesla has shown zero empathy towards any of these issues. A buyback was requested, but the offer would have left us without a car and with a huge pay off. We asked for help moving into another car, and we are ghosted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740079May 26, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This model lacks a well-tested turn signal lever, replacing it with arrows on the steering wheel. This method of activating turns signals is fundamentally unreliable and consequently dangerous. As an owner of the subject Tesla for just over one year, I find that I regularly fail to achieve correct activation, even with repeated attempts to do so. The steering wheel control may: Not activate at all, even with multiple attempts to activate the signal. I find no consistent patter as to why pressing the arrow or vicinity of the arrow fails to achieve activation. Worse, may activate in the opposite direction to the pending movement. This is the most dangerous situation, misleading other drivers with regard to the intended movement. It’s also not apparent to me that the opposite direction has been activated. The problem is made worse by: Lack of tactile feedback from the controls. The switches do not move perceptibly, nor is there any other feedback, such as a click. The ridge between left and right arrows doesn’t provide sufficient indication of correct or incorrect placement of the thumb on the controls. Pressing on the controls within the vicinity of the arrows may or may not result in activation at all or activate the opposite one. The position of the control varies depending on the steering wheel angle. The control may be very difficult to access, particularly where a sequence of turns in opposite directions must be executed. Specifically, it is essentially impossible to activate for the second movement while making the preceding turn. I understand that Tesla recognizes the problem and owner dissatisfaction in that it offers a retrofit with a conventional and well-tested turn signal lever for $600. Tesla must be compelled to recall these vehicles and retrofit them with a conventional turn signal lever or other effective control at no charge to owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738196May 15, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Tesla FSD out of control and run into a light pole
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737572May 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla is in a protracted battle with me over fees related to damaged property and illegal self-help repossession procedures. They have been formally notified that any trespass onto my property is not permitted because they said they sent armed repossession agents because of “angry customers” like me. I currently have a complaint for those issues filed with the Attorney General of Pennsylvania. Tesla’s recent attempts to repossess the vehicle were initiated approximately two hours after informing the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office that Tesla had not contacted me in any way, that Tesla was not being factual. Tesla’s response to that was again to not contact me but to send me a form letter stating they intend to disable my vehicle remotely. I am a privacy-minded person, and part of choosing the vehicle was a modicum of privacy guaranteed by Tesla. Tesla publicly says they do not so this, I was told they do not so this in the course of buying the car, and recent news seems to state they say they can’t do it. They have yet to repair a windshield and cabin camera that seem to be damaged. In other words, they intend to disable and lock my car without my permission or knowledge, without verifying the contents of the car. In other words, if there happens to be an occupant at the time they illegally disable the car, they intend to kill them. I’m asking that my contact information be kept private because they have already threatened to use lethal force, make extremely reckless decisions regarding their procedures, and retaliated by initiating this process when I informed a government agency that they lied to them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730323April 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions with Full Self-Driving (FSD) Mode engaged, the vehicle stopped abruptly while approaching a yellow traffic light, nearly causing the head of the driver to strike the windshield on one occasion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to gradually come to a stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730092April 9, 2026
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
On March 14, 2026, at 20:54:21 UTC, while the Autopilot system was engaged, the vehicle malfunctioned by initiating a sudden, unprompted right-hand steering command within 0.3 seconds, resulting in a collision with another vehicle traveling in the adjacent right lane. Telemetry data from the event confirms the system failed to maintain the lane despite the Primary Steering Torque Sensor measuring 0.00 Nm, proving no driver input caused the maneuver. This unintended steering event at cruising speed created an immediate safety risk to myself and the occupants of the other vehicle. To date, the manufacturer (Tesla) has declined to perform a technical or remote diagnostic review, redirecting the case to a collision center instead. No warning lamps, audio chimes, or system messages occurred prior to the failure; the vehicle is currently available for inspection and raw CSV telemetry logs can be provided to investigators upon request.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729029April 3, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
On April 23, 2025, at approximately 8:15 PM, I activated Tesla's Smart Summon feature to retrieve my vehicle from a parking spot. While operating autonomously under Smart Summon, the vehicle failed to detect a pole in the parking area and drove into it, causing approximately $11,000 in damage to the vehicle. I was not inside or manually controlling the vehicle at the time. The vehicle's autonomous driving software failed to identify and avoid a stationary obstacle.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728811April 2, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After the High Voltage Battery Contactor recall service, my 2025 Tesla Model 3 Performance suffered a sudden 13% drop in range (from 303mi to 264mi at 100% charge). An official Tesla Battery Health Test confirms the battery health is at 92% in less than a year of ownership. This degradation happened immediately following the recall procedure, indicating a hardware or software defect caused by the service.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728314March 31, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving at highway speeds, using cruise control, the vehicle occasionally brakes for no apparent reason with no vehicles or obstacles in the way. The braking is severe and could potentially cause me to be rear ended. The dealer inspected the vehicle and could not reproduce the problem. There has been no previous warning to the braking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727685March 28, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged at the time of the incident. The vehicle was traveling at low speed on a straight roadway when it unexpectedly initiated a sudden steering maneuver out of its lane toward a roadside structure (outdoor restaurant seating area), resulting in a collision. The driver did not provide steering input prior to or during the maneuver. There were no warning messages or alerts indicating a hazard or need for evasive action before the event. Vehicle telemetry data reviewed after the incident indicates that the steering system executed a rapid, large-angle deflection without corresponding driver input, consistent with a system-initiated maneuver. The system continued to apply throttle during the event. The incident created a direct safety risk to the vehicle occupants and nearby pedestrians due to unintended vehicle path deviation toward a fixed structure. Additional Context: When this car was in the repair shop for repairs, we were told that during the replacement of the dashboard/computer system, the technicians observed a persistent system code that would not clear. Tesla technical support was contacted, and the system was ultimately reinstalled to resolve the issue. While the direct connection between this code and the FSD malfunction is unknown, the persistent code may indicate preexisting software system instability. The vehicle has been inspected by repair professionals, and supporting data (telemetry and video) is preserved and available for review upon request. Cause of the malfunction is currently UNKNOWN, but evidence indicates a failure in the driver assistance system’s steering control.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11724758March 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vibration that they said they diagnosed was not fixed per company policy they said they cannot fix it which would mean my vehicle is still unsafe at highway speeds the issue occurs after 70 mph on march 4th 2026 when rescheduling for the same issue I received this message. From a Tesla rep that they did everything they can
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724746March 16, 2026
SEAT BELTS, STRUCTURE:BODY
I purchased a new 2025 Tesla Model 3. During normal driving conditions, the rear bumper detached without any collision or impact. The bumper became loose while the vehicle was moving, creating a potential safety hazard. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle but declined warranty coverage and refused to properly repair the issue. The bumper was only temporarily reattached and remains misaligned. Additionally, shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the seat belt assembly had a failure and had to be repaired by Tesla under warranty. While Tesla addressed that issue, it adds to my concern about the overall quality and reliability of a brand-new vehicle. Because the vehicle is new and the failure occurred during normal driving, I believe this may indicate a defect. I am requesting assistance in reviewing this situation. Vehicle: 2025 Tesla Model 3 VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724181March 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle presented an error that the audio system was offline, and that the horn, speakers, and internal safety sounds may not work. After driving on the PA turnpike and almost getting in an accident, this error causes the horn to not functioning at all. I was not able to alert the other driver due to this issue, and had to therefore slam on the breaks due to this issue which caused a safety risk to myself and other drivers on the road. This issue has been consistent since the error originally appeared a week ago. The horn does not function, as well as the reverse pedestrian safety sound that alerts pedestrians of the vehicle reversing. In the interior, no safety chimes, audio, turn signal clicks are audible and therefore are not able to be perceived. After putting in a service request and being told I was to be scheduled 2 weeks out and not provided a loaner, I called the dealership whom confirmed this, and stated they are not able to provide a loaner vehicle or move the appointment closer regardless of their being a potential safety issue. There are no other warning lights on in the vehicle, and the alert popped up out of no where, as well it does not mention the horn *does not* work, only warning that the horn may not work.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721994March 4, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Inused tesla to back up from my driveway and it hit my Gate little damage but the car did it . Did not calculate and crash sensor sisnt work car crash the car on fss (automatic pilot)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719945February 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
I was using the vehicle's Autopark feature to parallel park on a public street in a normal/spacious parking spot. I selected the parking spot on the center screen and started Autopark. During the maneuver, the vehicle reversed into the parked car behind me and caused a dent (low-speed crash). I was supervising the maneuver and did not press the accelerator or brake before impact. After the incident, I reviewed dashcam footage and vehicle telemetry. The rear vehicle was clearly visible in the rear camera view. Telemetry shows the vehicle had already shifted to Drive before impact, but it continued moving backward for about 1 second and then contacted the parked car behind. Telemetry also shows accelerator pedal position was 0 and brake was not applied during the impact sequence. This appears to be an automated parking/close-range obstacle stopping failure or delayed stopping response. No warning lamp or prior vehicle fault message was observed before the incident. The issue has not been reproduced since the incident. I have dashcam footage and telemetry logs documenting the event.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714778February 1, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Horn does not work properly during heavy rain and/or splashing from ordinary puddles. The sound produced by the horn is barely audible for a couple of hours until presumably it dries out. Service center declined to repair the problem as they could not reproduce it with their tests. Service center acknowledged that it is a known problem but Tesla has not provided a fix. No warning messages occured during the problem, which occured during two separate rain events,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713524January 27, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Tesla’s Obstruction of Repairs Tesla deleted my original service complaint and annotations regarding these delivery defects. The associated service appointment was cancelled without notice or rescheduling. No repairs were performed despite the issues being raised during the warranty period. This prevented reasonable repair attempts and allowed the defects to persist. Current Nonconformities and Repair History The same or substantially similar defects continue and have worsened: • Recurring misalignment/alignment issues from delivery, impairing value and potentially safety. • Safety-related camera system failures: Persistent error codes on the camera(s) [specify if known, e.g., front/rear/ADAS-related], reducing visibility and affecting safe operation (e.g., backup, navigation, Autopilot/FSD if equipped). These are known Tesla issues potentially subject to recall (e.g., rearview camera display loss). • Power windows failure: Unresolved for at least 2 weeks despite service request; windows do not operate properly, impairing use and safety (e.g., emergency egress). Cumulative out-of-service time and failed repair attempts (including the obstructed initial one) meet or approach presumptions under § 1793.22(b): multiple attempts for the same nonconformities, with safety impacts. The vehicle remains nonconforming despite reasonable opportunity for Tesla to repair. nonconformities in the above vehicle that qualify it as a “lemon” under California Civil Code §§ 1793.2(d) and 1793.22 (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act). These defects originated at delivery, were reported within the express warranty period, but Tesla failed to repair them—by deleting my original service complaint, annotating delivery issues without resolution, and cancelling the associated appointment—preventing conformity to warranty. The same issues persist and recur post-warranty expiration, substantially impairing the vehicle’s use, value, and safety
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711565January 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On January 16, 2026, I noticed the vehicle's horn was extremely quiet and would not be audible to another driver. This puts the safety of the Tesla driver and other roadway users at risk because another driver or pedestrian would not hear the horn if the Tesla driver needed to get their attention. This problem occurred after receiving approximately 6-8 inches of snow and driving in the snow. It is possible the design of the Tesla allows for snow/rain to block the horn speaker causing it to not function correctly during and after snow/rain conditions. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I've submitted a service request via the Tesla app. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707862December 30, 2025
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front windshield fractured independently. In addition, the contact stated that there was no evidence of impact on the front windshield. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was parked in an underground parking garage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 4,050.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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