Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11605855August 1, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Car stopped working in middle of road How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Luckly there were no traffic or car behind , I am not moving the lane. Personal safety and passenger safety Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Tesla service center at spring field NJ , told me, Front module was at fault and replaced Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? By Tesla Service Center at Spring Feild NJ Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Car shows CP_A044 Unable Charge error while car is running suddenly Car shows move the vehicle side , it will shutdown then shut down the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605670July 31, 2024
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
When switch is pressed on the trunk to close and when as the trunk starting to come down but want to cancel closing it won't stop. Its so hard and it hit my head. Other cars like Mercedes if we want to cancel closing and if we just touch trunk it goes back and does not come down. But on this car trunk keeps coming down hard and hands can get crushed if trunk comes down like that.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11605649July 31, 2024
STEERING
On July/30/2024 at around 6:15pm EST I got inside my vehicle to drive it and the steering wheel was extremely hard and difficult to move. A message popped on my screen saying "Steering assist reduced" error UI_A020. This made it completely impossible to drive my vehicle and ended up having to call a tow truck to take it to the dealership. If this incident had occured while I was driving I consider it lethal to my safety since I was unable to steer the vehicle. Called Tesla on the phone, they tried to reset the error but unfortunately they couldn't and suggested calling a tow truck instead. On July/31/2024 Tesla reached out to me saying the car had been fixed and it was a firmware bug resulting in the issue (fin report attached)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605314July 30, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On several occasions, the last being July 19,2024, auto correct on steering took control of my vehicle when no correction was needed. I’ve been taken by surprise and struggled on all occasions to gain full control of the vehicle. In addition, my car is not able to receive the over-air update to address the hood latch recall which leaves me more vulnerable to a catastrophic event. I can not reach a person in Service as Tesla pushes every communication through the app. My appointment was pushed out over three weeks and I still have not heard from Tesla to confirm this appointment nor reach out with any concern whatsoever regarding this horrific safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604996July 28, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
This car will suddenly slow down for no apparent reason when driving with the speed control set. I have experienced this multiple times at 2 specific intersections. It has also happened at other times but on roads I have traveled on less often. Traffic aware cruise control is always enabled on this car. There isn't an option to turn it off. I scheduled a service visit with Tesla explaining what was happening at these 2 specific intersections (I included the intersection specific information). They responded and said they performed a remote diagnosis on the Autopilot System in the vehicle and its affiliated hardware and all checks came back in good standing with no faults. They went on to state "just as a reminder as Autopilot/Traffic aware cruise control is under Beta, per owners manual, many factors can impact the performance of Autopilot/Traffic aware cruise control components. Autopilot/Traffic aware cruise control may occasionally cause vehicle to brake when not required or when you are not expecting it." They referred me to the owners manual where these warnings/limitations were reiterated. I replied and asked what Tesla was doing to improve this situation. I did not get a response. I am very concerned about this sudden braking/deceleration as it may result in a rear end collision if someone is following closely when it occurs. I believe Tesla should be more transparent about what they are doing to resolve the issue. They should also provide an option to turn off the Traffic Aware cruise control until the issue is resolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604984July 28, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Tesla has confirmed that the firmware of the high-voltage controller of the Model 3 is known to occasionally go "missing in action", causing regenerative braking to entirely cease to function and the driving performance of the car to drop considerably. This was expected to be resolved in a firmware update, but the problem continues. The service representative advised that they (Tesla employees) are not allowed to refer to the problem as a defect and instead must use the euphemism "firmware characteristic". The impact of the issue occurring while driving is that braking and acceleration are significantly reduced, thus reducing the ability of the driver to respond to unexpected situations and operate the vehicle safely. The impact of the issue occurring while parked is that the vehicle cannot start until such time as the controller resumes responding. The driver has no control over when/if this will happen, and the car may ultimately require towing. We encountered the while-parked case on 2024-07-07 and the while-driving case on 2024-07-27.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604925July 27, 2024
STEERING
2024 Model 3 Highland LR, right and left blinker buttons stuck occasionally.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604656July 26, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Turn signals are not reliable. They get stuck from time to time and I've already had a couple of close calls
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604498July 25, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In addition to the previous problem I reported concerning the intermittent failure of the back-up camera (which was replaced but the problem continues to this date) leading to Park Assist not working, the touch screen freezing and showing no movement of the car, and the speed control not working, I've also discovered on a freeway trip after putting the car into reverse first that navigation was not usable and the turn signals failed to automatically turn off when the lane change was made. After a rest stop, though, everything worked just fine again. This time I'm writing about the pedestrian warning sounds which do not play when reversing or driving forward at a slow rate of speed. Two of my neighbors have Tesla Model Ys that sound properly; it dawned on me that even with the windows open, I'd never heard the sounds coming out of my car since I took delivery of it on March 30, 2024.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11604259July 24, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact was driving in a rainstorm during the failure and stated that the vehicle had not hydroplaned nor had the accelerator pedal been released. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred another time during a rainstorm. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603943July 23, 2024
STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS
This complaint is about a Tesla rental car from Avis which has just shown up in the salvage yard. Because the VIN of the wreck can not be identified I have used the VIN of another wrecked Tesla. Here is the wreck in question. [XXX] It is available for inspection. The front wheels have clearly fallen off BEFORE the crash since they are shown in almost undamaged condition apart from popped ball joints. Your database has thousands of perfectly valid complaints on Teslas. You are publishing those complaints but taking no action. I suspect political interference. Tesla whistleblowers have been silenced. Norway has now cleared a whistleblower and he reports that he has already sent his evidence to NHTSA. People are dying. Stop the cover-up. Here is the report about the whistleblower in Norway. [XXX] Even a proxy for this whistle-blower has been gagged. [XXX] GET ON WITH YOUR JOB. Regards [XXX] Please note that I have used a dummy USA address to satisfy yopur webmasters requirements. My correct contact details are attached. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11603942July 23, 2024
STEERING
the left and right turn signals are not functioning at times. My car is very new. I did not get into any accidents that would compromise the car's hardware. It is dangerous when I need to switch lanes or make a turn because I am unable to apply the indicator button on the steering wheel. the button gets stuck and I am unable to use it at the time of need. sometimes when I try to press the button, instead of the turn signal, radio starts. It is both stressful and such a headache. it is illegal to switch lanes without turn signals. it is frustrating to drivers on other cars, sometimes dangerous even. in high traffic areas like the bay area, california(where I drive) it is bound to cause some accidents if this is left unresolved. I am sometimes afraid I would cause harm to others because of this system failure and also get cited by the cops. Also, I spent a hefty money on this car. I think it is ridiculous that they did not get this basic part right that cars that were manufactured before the 1900s also manage to have a proper left/right indicator.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603300July 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING
The steering wheel buttons on the left include left/right signal indicators buttons that get stuck. This is a problem that is discussed by multiple drivers on online forums. Others are indicating that there isn’t a fix when reported to Tesla. The left/right indicator design is distracting at best and dangerous when not working properly. The approval of the design should be revoked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603295July 18, 2024
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla removed the physical stalks for turn signals and replaced with buttons on the steering wheel that get stuck when pressed preventing you from indicating at all. Further, putting turn signals on a steering wheel means that the orientation can change when trying to indicate in any situation other than driving on a straight away. This is incredibly dangerous for the driver and other surrounding vehicles. There are numerous blog posts out there with similar driver experiences. Most people who report this issue also report that after Tesla replaces their wheel, the same problem happens again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603060July 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Occasionally the turn signal button cannot be pressed down to make a turn signal. This event has happened quite a few times during some urgent moments when I need to exit the highway and gives us a big concern. I heard from many other owners that Tesla just replace your steering wheel, but it dose not fix the problem. It is not because of pressing on the wrong area of the button. This should be a systematic issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11602680July 16, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The right turn blinker button on the steering wheel freezes in many occasions while the vehicle is in motion. Unable to signal right turn when the button freezes randomly. It happened four times to my vehicle during a 40 minute driving trip on Sunday [XXX]. Prior to the incident on [XXX], the same issue had occurred occasionally while driving but with less frequency compared to [XXX]. This issue was brought to the attention of Tesla service center in Syosset NY on [XXX] and I have been told that it was a firmware issue and there was nothing they could do at the moment other than waiting for firmware update. 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
#11602628July 16, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Turn signal buttons on steering wheel fail to activate turn signals at times. Intermittent problem. When it works, I can feel a click from the button. When it doesn’t work, no haptic feedback received.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11602357July 15, 2024
SEATS
I was sitting in the back seat adjusting my seat belt. The person sitting in the front seat ahead of me was adjusting their seat position. When they did this, the steel seat mechanism came down on the big toe of my left foot. It crushed the toe so hard that I was not able to remove it from the lowering seat mechanism. This was extremely painful and required medical attention at urgent care and at my primary care physician. I consider this a serious safety defect and design error in this model and possibly other models of this car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11602348July 15, 2024
SEATS
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the driver lowered the front driver's seat using the seat adjustment mechanism while seated in the rear driver's seat. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat crushed his toe. The big left toe was crushed. The contact had to have medical attention. The contact stated that the medical attention consisted of an x-ray and pain medication. The contact stated that the injury was extremely painful. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11601832July 13, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Right turn signal doesn’t not work properly. I will press the button where the icon is and nothing happens. The issue is intermittent but apparently all model 3 2024s are affected and tesla doesn’t have a real fix, they’ve replaced peoples steering wheels and they have the same exact issue. It causes distraction and panic when the turn signal doesn’t work as expected. People are complaining on a ton of forums online here’s a link to a reddit post: [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

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