Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11544368September 13, 2023
STEERING
Loss of power steering. Car started normally, but with no warning from the car, the steering wheel could be turned only with extreme effort. I tried to make a circle around the house, but barely avoided hitting other parked cars and called Tesla service.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544346September 13, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is not a safety issue but a design issue. I am not sure who else could address this issue for a recall and make the company responsible for this design problem. I purchased a new Tesla Model 3 in August 2023 from Tesla. Since I bought this car, I have noticed that the edges of the windows have discolored. I recently contacted Tesla to have that repaired or corrected as part of the warranty. They are charging me ~1K for this repair, even though this design issue has been widely reported in several forums, and I have seen it in many other Tesla cars. I requested to waive this payment as this is a design issue, not because of irregular car use or care. They said that this abnormality occurs because of the acidity of products used in car wash shops, but I have never taken my car to any of those places, as I wash it myself at home with regular car soaps that I use in other vehicles. They refuse to repair it without the charge. I don't think charging me for this repair is fair, and I would like you to intervene in this conflict. I suspect many other customers are having the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544288September 13, 2023
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model-3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently drifted into the left and right lanes. The contact then stated that while attempting to make a left or right turn, there was a clicking sound in the steering wheel. The contact also stated that the steering wheel failed to align with the front wheels. As a result, the vehicle failed to drive straightforward. the contact was concerned for his safety while operating the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack failed and need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,387.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543982September 12, 2023
SEATS
I just purchased this new 2023 Tesla Model 3. I am not reporting a failed or malfunctioning component but I have a safety concern. After taking delivery I noticed that there are no emergency door latch releases on the rear seats like there are on the front seats. This could make exiting the back seats very difficult or even impossible in the event of an emergency with loss of power to the vehicle. I cannot believe that this feature was omitted. I worry that people will die because they will not be able to escape a burning vehicle quickly enough. This seems like the door could be easily modified to correct this issue and make this vehicle much safer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543968September 11, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Recently on a trip between Wichita Falls and Quanah Texas, my Tesla Model 3 while on autopilot repeatedly braked hard while traveling at 75 mph in moderate traffic. While this is a frequent occurrence with my model 3, this is the first time I felt at risk of an accident due to how hard the vehicle was breaking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543949September 11, 2023
STEERING
I picked up a new Tesla Model 3 on July 29, 2023. On July 31, I received a steering reduced alert as I was backing out of my driveway and could not move the steering wheel. After I did a hard power off, the alert went away. I called Tesla service, and was told that this was not a typical issue but to schedule a service appointment and cancel if the issue did not recur before the next available date (Aug. 23). Two days later, on Aug. 3, I saw news articles about an NHTSA investigation into the same steering issue in 2023 Model 3s. I called Tesla service again, and now was told that they could not say that my car was safe to drive, and that there was no "official" response from the Company. I was directed to emergency assistance, which told me that the car was safe to drive at least to the Milford, CT service center, and noted that had I waited until Aug. 23, the alert would have been deleted from the system. I brought the car to the service center on Aug. 4. I was told that my steering rack needed to be replaced, and they gave me a loaner because the repair would take a few days. Soon after I drove back home (which is 30 min. away), I received notice saying that the service was complete. The service center did not give a coherent explanation for why they did not replace the steering rack and the correction codes did not line up. I told Tesla that I wanted to return the car, including bc it seemed like Tesla was trying not to perform an expensive repair they had listed themselves in their own documents with NHTSA scrutiny on this issue. I received no response, but was told by TD Bank that Tesla had agreed to a flat cancellation on my auto loan as of Aug. 9, with title to be reverted back to the dealership, and to discuss next steps with Tesla. I then contacted Tesla to return the car and obtain my deposit, and received no response. Then TD told me that Tesla reapplied for the loan on Aug. 22, without my consent. This whole ordeal has been a nightmare.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543898September 11, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
This accident involved a high speed collision on the 2nd floor of a parking garage at a hospital in a suburb of Houston, Tx. Both the driver and the passenger were killed. A question has arisen as to how the vehicle could have accelerated at such a high rate, in such a short period of time, especially inside a parking garage? When we found out NHSTA was re-opening, the Tesla sudden acceleration issue, we thought it important to include the facts of our accident. Sudden acceleration in this case, raises some concern, taking into account the facts and circumstances surrounding this accident. We have photos of the vehicle if needed.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
2
#11543853September 11, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
We took our first long-disance trip (Albuquerque NM to Arlington TX, round trip) in our 2022 Tesla Model 3 and experienced multiple (4-5) phantom braking episodes to and from Arlington when engaging adaptive cruise control or autopilot. The car had been driven 5,760 miles before the trip. There were no warnings before the braking. The car was travelling at 70-77 mph on interstate highways and suddenly the brakes would engage slowing the car to 40 or 50 mph before we pressed pressed the accelerator. It was a clear day with temperatures in the 90-100 range. One time the phantom brake episode occurred while passing. Fortunately, there no cars travelling close behind us or there could have been a serious multi-car accident. We contacted Tesla service and they told us the car had no discernable problems (attached message).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543824September 11, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while their spouse was parking the vehicle and pressing the parking button, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The vehicle jumped the curb, crashing into two different vehicles to eventually be stopped after crashing into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. There was damage to the other vehicles and to the tree. The driver received injuries to their neck and back. Medical attention was not needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle had been towed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 500.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11543746September 11, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Driving on I-5 North from Los Angeles to San Francisco with adaptive cruise control activated. Suddenly and without warning car activates emergency braking as if it sees an obstruction on the road but obviously road was clear of any obstructions. This happened 4 times then I finally decided to no longer use cruise control. This happened on a clear sunny day around noon time 9/8/23.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543738September 10, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
1. When vehicle is on autopilot mode. Vehicle will all a sudden brake by itself with no reason as to why, no cars in front of me intermitly. Mostly happens when driving at highway speeds and when approaching a overpass. 2. Could be crash from the rear. 3. Have not notified Tesla. 4. No inspections have been performed 5. No warnings and no beeping either just brakes by itself intermitly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543654September 10, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had car seat professionals attempt to install my car seat into the Model 3. Upon reviewing the car’s user manual, it was clear that all the car seat instructions contradicted itself. 1. The instructions from the car manual instruct you to pull the single back tether from a forward facing car seat through the head rest, but the headrest is sewed into the seat so there is no option to lift the head seat and slide the tether through. 2. The instructions also include photos with instructions that directly contradict what is in the photo. For example, the manual says to run the single tether on the outside-facing side of the head rest but in the photo the tether is being run on the inside-facing tether. 3. Some instructions also encourage you to use the seat belt rather than the restraint clips on the side back seats but there is a warning at the beginning of the car seat section of the car manual that says you should only use the seat belt when the car seat is in the middle position. When I called Tesla they told me not to worry about it and that they were sure my car seat was safe. They refuse to clarify any of their user manual instructions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543323September 8, 2023
STEERING
Lots of power steering. Unable to move vehicle…extremely unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543030September 6, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The vehicle slowed down at a very rapid rate when in cruise control for no reason. There were no other vehicles or obstructions anywhere near the vehicle. This happened 3 times. I reported these events to Tesla and they said it was a known issue called ghosting and there was nothing to repair. A rapid deceleration of the vehicle for no reason and with no warning is a safety issue that should be addressed immediately. Iv'e used cruise control on many other vehicles and have never had a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542837September 6, 2023
STEERING
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to drive straight. While releasing the steering wheel, the vehicle would either veer to the left or the right. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer five times, where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was out of specification. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned about a possible crash due to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided for over thirty days. The failure mileage was approximately 12.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542732September 5, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While driving on a divided four lane interstate state highway, during daylight hours, sunny, clear, dry, minimal crosswind, the car spontaneously braked while under cruise control from approximately 75mph to 45mph. There was no oncoming traffic or mirages. Fortunately no following traffic either because they would have either struck us or run off the road. This happened three times in a very short period and we haven’t used it since.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542573September 5, 2023
STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact stated that while renting a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the steering wheel suddenly turned left while accelerating. The contact attempted to gain control however the steering wheel seized. The vehicle ended up crashing in the middle of the highway on the left side of the vehicle and front-end mostly. The air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed however it had not been determined if the vehicle was totaled as of yet. The display of the front left safety restraint system fault message was displayed on the main control display. The contact received injuries to their arms, knees, neck, shoulder, and back. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11542543September 4, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
We were driving on cruise control on 7/24/23 between the hours of 6AM - 8AM on a completely open highway with no cars near and no objects in the road. Our car braked on its own when we were driving 74-77MPH bringing the car to an almost complete stop. The same thing occurred on 7/22/23 between the hours of 9AM - 2PM. It was extremely scary and an obvious malfunction/ defect of the car. We both have back pain now from the sudden stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542223September 2, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The steering feels extremely stiff and jerky
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542213September 1, 2023
STEERING
Steering wheel could not turn after after parked and tried to drive again. Car could only go straight forward or backward. Also tried to restart the whole car computer, problem still persisted. The car screen displayed error message UI_a020 Steering assist reduced, Steering may require increased effort.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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