Tesla Model 3 Complaints (2024)

222 consumer complaints on file.

#11752414July 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
COMPLAINT SUMMARY: CRITICAL SAFETY REGRESSIONS IN TESLA FSD SOFTWAREI am filing a formal safety complaint regarding severe, high-risk behavior regressions introduced across the last three consecutive builds of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. These defects create immediate collision hazards, cause major route disruptions, and require frequent, urgent driver intervention to prevent accidents.1. INTERSECTION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL VIOLATIONSRed Light Violations: The vehicle correctly identifies a red traffic light and comes to a full stop. However, after a brief pause, the software erroneously treats the steady red light like a stop sign and attempts to accelerate directly into active cross-traffic.Green Arrow Dead-Stops: When approaching a dedicated turn lane with an active, protected green turn arrow, the vehicle frequently applies aggressive braking and comes to a complete stop, creating an immediate rear-end collision hazard for drivers behind me.Phantom Braking: The vehicle aggressively brakes without warning for empty crosswalks, shadows, or distant roadside elements.2. ILLEGAL LANE NAVIGATION AND ROUTING ERRORSErroneous Turn Lane Diving: The vehicle frequently dives into dedicated left or right turn lanes even when the navigation route explicitly commands the vehicle to continue straight. This behavior forces improper turns, requiring backtracking and causing significant destination delays.Incorrect Lane Turning: The system regularly misses dedicated turn lanes entirely. It then attempts to execute sharp left or right turns directly from middle lanes or straight-only lanes, cutting off adjacent vehicles.Turn Signal Failures: The software initiates a turn signal to merge but then cancels the action, or conversely, attempts to execute a physical turn blindly after disabling the turn signal.3. RESTRICTED SPACE TARGETINGHandicap Parking Violations: Upon arriving at destinations, the automated parking software fails to recognize painted stencils and act
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751698July 21, 2026
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am writing to report an accident involving my son who was driving Tesla 2024 Model-3 on July 18th 2026 approximately 10:15 AM EST. He was returning home from his volunteering with Emergency medical Service(EMS) when the vehicle's steering wheel suddenly froze. while attempting to maneuver the vehicle to safe location , it collided with a roadside barrier. fortunately , my son was not injured , but the vehicle sustained significant damage, including deployment of airbag and damage to front passenger side. this incident occurred at a speed of approximately 26 MPH
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750946July 16, 2026
PARKING BRAKE
2024 Model 3, under 20k miles; burning smell and brake drag from right rear wheel while driving; parking brake fault alerts UI_a019, EPBR_a176, EPBR_a182; dealer inspection found cracked EPB caliper case housing near the electrical connector; Tesla SB-20-33-002 documents this same crack occurring without external impact.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748800July 7, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
On two separate occasions, June 4 at approximately 5:35pm and July 2 at approximately 3:40pm, the vehicle backed into a carport pole at my home while a Tesla driver assistance feature was engaged. I reported both incidents to Tesla and filed complaints with NHTSA.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746845June 26, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
While turning right, I slowed down and put on my turn lights. The vehicle accelerated all of a sudden and did a sharp right. There was a vehicle in front of me in the opposite direction and my car turned very sharply to avoid it. The accelerator pedal was fully pressed down and for that fraction of a second, it didn’t allow me to control the speed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746042June 23, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On June 7, 2026 an accident occurred on Overlook Parkway, Riverside southbound (near chabot ct intersection) involving my 2024 model 3 that was in FSD mode (Full self driving). The car be veered from the street and hit a light pole as the road was curving to the left. Airbags were deployed, and the car was a total loss, but nobody was hurt. The carhad automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance and despite this in FSD Full self driving mode managed to hit the lightpole and the accident occured. Can you investigate if this is a defect in the safety features of the car, or Tesla's FSD software or Automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance software? Thank you.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745062June 18, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting a recurring safety defect regarding the exterior door handle assembly on my 2024 Tesla Model 3. On 6/15/26, the exterior door handle of caused a finger entrapment incident, resulting in an avulsion of a gel nail and significant trauma to the nail bed. The artificial nail remains trapped within the door assembly. Despite seeking service at the local Tesla Service Center, technicians failed to retrieve the object or address the entrapment hazard. This design creates a severe pinch-point hazard that poses an ongoing risk of injury to all users Despite bringing the vehicle in for service on 6/18/26 to have the hazardous object removed, the service center performed only a cursory visual inspection and refused to disassemble the handle, leaving the entrapment hazard in place. The design of the door handle creates a clear pinch-point/entrapment zone that poses a safety risk to all occupants. I am reporting this to document both the design defect and the failure of the manufacturer to address the resulting safety hazard upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11742280June 5, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Speed profiles do not allow safe operation of the vehicle. Changes in speed profiles result in unsafe behavior. Standard speed profile regularly results in speed up to 73+ in a 55mph zone being selected by the vehicle. Chill mode results in speeds of 58 when traffic is traveling at 65mph. Switching profiles from standard to chill results in a rapid deceleration within the lane leading to problems with traffic behind the vehicle. In active school zones, system regularly does not acknowledge school zone speed limit and proceeds at 25-30mph in a 15 mph school zone even on Sloth profile. European FSD has a max speed setting that allows these problems to be prevented, but it is missing as a critical safety feature in the US version of FSD 14.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742199June 4, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Rear passenger door electronic release did not work. Technician indicated rear door harness corroded making the door inoperable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741100May 31, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Tesla FSD - My son was driving on FSD on state highway, while on FSD, the car suddenly turned left and hit the concrete barrier and spun out of control. All the air-bags were deployed and car front crashed completely. The car is near totaled, My son was able to get out the car with a bruise on right hand. -No -No -No warning was on, the car was on full FSD and suddenly turned left and drove into the concrete barrier and crashed and spun , I had no time to react/take over.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739971May 26, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was using actual smart summon to get my vehicle out of my garage. While standing behind the vehicle, it indicated that the car was in drive with no reversing lights on. The vehicle then rapidly lurches backwards, striking me and a freezer. After reviewing the dashcam footage the vehicle stated it was in drive and never once activated its reverse lights, even when they was objects and a human behind the car, still reversed at a high rate of speed.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11739198May 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Attached is a photo of the lower driver-side knee bolster/under-dash panel after it detached while I was driving. The panel dropped directly into the pedal area and interfered with normal foot access to the brake and accelerator pedals. Given that no broken attachment points or damaged clips were reportedly identified, I am requesting a formal review of both the safety concern and the handling of this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733743April 25, 2026
STEERING
The steering wheel turn signal buttons on my Tesla Model 3 intermittently becoming unresponsive or getting stuck signaling left or right. This prevents me from reliably signaling lane changes or turns. This is a safety risk because I may be unable to properly signal maneuvers as required under Maryland Vehicle Law §21-604, potentially confusing nearby drivers and increasing the risk of an accident. As this is a moving violation, I can be fined and or points on my driving record The issue has occurred multiple times during normal driving but has not yet been formally confirmed by a service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733637April 24, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This car was designed without steering wheel stalks for control of the directionals. In their place it uses push buttons on the steering wheel. It becomes difficult to start the directionals when the steering wheel is turned because the buttons are no longer in a standard position and aren't easily located. This is especially difficult in traffic circles or when making rapid turns where directionals are needed. In addition if your fingers are kept rested on the buttons the system alarms and tells you they have been in place too long and the buttons stop working. I believe Tesla should offer an after market replacement returning to a much safer and standard steering column stalk which is and has been used on almost all cars for at least 75 years.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732592April 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
2024 Tesla model 3 driving on the turnpike heading south of NJ right between exit 5-6 when my vehicle suddenly and spontaneously spun out into the guardrail, while at the same time the automatic emergency brake was disabled. Weather conditions were slightly rainy, there was no signs of traction issues or alerts regarding any concerns. Luckily no other vehicles were hit. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other of the above questioned. No such warning signs, lamps, or symptoms prior to this failure. I do have the dash cam footage that shows the incident.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732498April 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On March 21, 2026, the vehicle’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), suffered a severe "phantom braking" failure. While driving, the vehicle engaged in a violent, full-force emergency brake application without any external hazard or driver input. This unprompted deceleration caused the seatbelt to exert extreme pressure and trauma on my abdomen. As I was [XXX] pregnant, this abrupt stop was medically treated as a high-force accident. The trauma caused pregnancy abnormalities, requiring a 20-hour hospital admission for observation and fetal monitoring. I contacted Tesla customer service multiple times. Initially, I was told a service check was necessary, but the Service Center stated they could not provide assistance for "automatic behavior" issues. A corporate representative (Angel) admitted the vehicle should have been flagged for a formal medical claim and instructed me not to visit the service center. Despite this, I took the vehicle to the Service Center on April 15, 2026. Technicians confirmed they had no findings or solutions regarding the phantom braking event. No warning lamps, audible alerts, or system messages appeared prior to the failure. Upon requesting the vehicle data logs for the date of the incident, I noticed that the specific timeframe of the event was "missing" from the record. The manufacturer cited a VIN-matching error as the cause for the data gap. On April 20, 2026, Tesla corporate denied that a claim had ever been filed and stated they would not take responsibility for injuries related to pregnancy or a fetus, claiming these do not meet their internal threshold for medical injury. The vehicle remains available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11726987March 25, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle's horn becomes completely inaudible during heavy rain, particularly during downpours. This is a serious safety concern as the horn is a critical safety device for alerting other drivers and pedestrians. The issue has occurred repeatedly since the vehicle had approximately 7,060 miles on it and continues at the current mileage of 28,617 miles.\n\nThe issue was first reported to the manufacturer's service center on February 20, 2025, at 7,060 miles. The service center documented the concern as the horn not working after rain. A Low Voltage Circuit Integrity Check and miscellaneous labor were performed (Invoice #3000S0012397168). However, the manufacturer's service center stated the horn was \"working as designed\" at the time of inspection and advised the owner to monitor the issue and record video. The problem was not resolved.\n\nThe issue has been reported to the manufacturer's service center on multiple subsequent occasions, but they have been unable to reproduce it because the horn functions normally in dry conditions. The defect only manifests during rain and downpours, making it difficult to demonstrate on demand at a service center.\n\nThis is a significant safety hazard. During heavy rain, when visibility is already reduced and driving conditions are more dangerous, the horn -- which is one of the most basic and essential safety devices on any vehicle -- is rendered completely nonfunctional. The owner feels powerless in dangerous situations when the horn cannot be heard. The horn is required safety equipment under FMVSS 571.108, and a horn that fails during adverse weather conditions represents a serious defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720733February 26, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I continue to experience phantom "forward collision avoidance" warnings. Tesla has looked at this several times, even once charging me $60 to clean the cameras (should be under warranty in my opinion). Latest response to problem: known issue, no known hardware cause. In other words live with it. They even suggested buying FSD package at $1200/yr as a solution! One more than one occasion the TACC and Autosteer disengaged with traffic behind me. Very scary.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720438February 25, 2026
WHEELS
The Michelin tires used for this particular model have a foam issue. This foam is put by Michelin to reduce road Noice and they are coming apart thus creating a rattle in the car making it a hazard while driving on the highway. Tesla replaced one of my tires on May 27, 2025 free of charge and told me it was a known issue. Today 2/25/26 I have the same issue and they're quoting me almost $400. I told them about the tire issue and why there's no recall and they told me to contact NHTSA. They just want to change them one at a time until warranty expires so they don't have to replace all defective tires. I guess they're waiting for somebody to have an accident and sue them to fix the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712810January 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Screen is black and no app access. No power to accelerate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Tesla Model 3