Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11523987May 26, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: DYNAMIC BRAKE SUPPORT/BRAKE ASSIST
2023 Tesla Model 3- Consumer wrote about comparison of braking mode to non-EV's, experience driving a rented EV (Electrical Vehicle) w/ braking mode and suggestions to make EV's braking mode safer. When EV's accelerator is NOT pressed the EV goes into regenerative braking mode. No brake lights are triggered because brake pedal wasn't pressed. Consumer listed two "real world dangers". Consumer recommendation- The regenerative braking of EV's should also trigger brake lights notifying vehicles behind the EV that the pace of the vehicle is slowing with the same force. as if brakes where applied.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523625May 24, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving in cruise control, NOT AUTOPILOT, my car phantom braked. The road was clear, the weather was clear. I'm thankful there was not a car behind me. I was doing the speed limit at the time 70mph when the incident occurred. the date lised below is an approximate date. It has occurred several times. I drive 45 minutes to work Mon-Thurs and cruise control helps for the long drive
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523492May 23, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Trip to California and back from AZ. Had several instances of severe braking. If I did not press the accelerator immediately, the car would slow down under what seemed like nearly maximal braking. No reason was apparent for this behavior. Some braking instances were on long straight stretches of I-40 with no other cars visible. This issue was only occurring if I had the cruise control engaged. Under normal daily driving without cruise control this issue of emergency braking does not occur. Each time this happens, it is totally unexpected and is extremely disturbing. I have stopped using the cruise control function on the vehicle out of fear of it causing an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523406May 23, 2023
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On May 22, 2023 driving south on I-580 through Reno with the Tesla adaptive cruise control, there's a 55mph construction zone. As a result, I use the right scroll wheel to adjust the speed from 65 to 55mph. The scroll wheel didn't work. As a result, I turned off the cruise control with the right steering wheel stalk. At the same time, I noticed the vehicle speed indicator on the upper left of the CRT display was malfunctioning; both failing to respond to changes in the car's speed, and then indicating erroneous speeds (at one point indicating 34mph when I was going around 60mph. These issues continued. I took the exit on Double R Blvd to turn right. As I got into the right lane on the freeway to exit I attempted to turn off the cruise control and it didn't work. Approaching the exit, I then applied the brake. The regenerative braking function did not apply. As a result, it felt like the cruise control didn't turn off. However, I braked to a stop at the intersection in the right lane with no issues. When the traffic cleared, I attempted to turn right and proceed east on Double R Blvd. The car didn't move. Using the right stalk, I tried shifting into drive, reverse, and back. All this time, the drive (D) and reverse (R) indications on the CRT did not show. I let off the brake and the car inched forward. I turned right immediately into the Maverick gas station entrance to get off RR. The CRT display now showed the back-up camera displays (a normal indication of the car being in reverse). I cautiously let off the brake and applied the accelerator pedal to see if I backed up, but the car was in drive and proceeded normally. I continued to drive and the CRT screen went completely black. I soon realized the car's computer was rebooting with the faint Tesla logo on the black screen. Within a mile or so, everything came back on the screen and worked normally. I then reached my destination. When I returned to the car, it was as if nothing had happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523177May 22, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
This same event has happened to me approximately 3-4 times since owning the vehicle. It occurs randomly without warning. The vehicle screen will randomly and suddenly freeze up and render itself inoperable. Eventually, the screen will reset itself or I will have to manually force a reset. After about 5-10 minutes, the screen will reset and the problem goes away. During the 5-10 minutes of the screen not operating, I cannot see or change any of the vehicles controls; loss of HVAC control, cannot turn on windshield wipers, cannot see vehicle speed, don't know if turn signals are on/off (also lose audible sounds when turn signals are on) are the major safety related losses; you essentially lose all control over the vehicle settings/controls. Vehicle continues to drive as normal, and all functions are restored after reset is complete.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523027May 20, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
CAR HAS PHANTOM STOPS ON CRUSE CONTROL THREE TIMES IN SIX MONTHS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522945May 19, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Vehicle breaks suddenly for no reason under a variety of circumstances. there is no pattern I could identify. i went on line to see if there is an update. many others with the same problem. Very dangerous if there is a car behind. Happens every day or so at freeway speed. Tesla needs to fix this!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522805May 19, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I bought my Tesla model 3 in October 2021. I no longer can view my backup camera or side camera when signaling and reversing. gps doesn’t work. Warning collision doesn’t detect. No warning lamps or messages. I schedule a service and they might think it’s a failed mcu. It’s no longer under warranty since I put 79000 miles on it. Car isn’t even two years old and if mcu failed. I think it should be replace for free if it less than two years, miles shouldn’t count.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522734May 18, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 80 MPH with the cruise control set at 80 MPH, the vehicle independently slowed to almost a complete stop. The contact stated that she pulled the vehicle off the highway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact returned the vehicle to the highway and engaged the cruise control and set the control to 80 MPH; however, the vehicle failed accelerate to the designated speed. The contact stated that the inadvertent phantom braking failure recurred. The contact turned off the cruise control and continued her trip. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and she was advised that the manufacturer was aware of the failure but a remedy was not yet available. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522697May 18, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
When driving and using “autopilot” or just cruise control, the vehicle will randomly brake. Sometimes it brakes lightly, but sometimes it will violently slow the vehicle down, without warning. There is no obstacle in front of the vehicle. If another vehicle is behind the car when the car randomly brakes, this can potentially cause a rear-end event or potentially cause the car that is behind to swerve to avoid an accident. I submitted a service request to Tesla, but Tesla responded by stating that there was no malfunctions that needed to be addressed. They described various scenarios in which the computer would determine a need to brake.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522683May 18, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving on the highway at highway speeds, our Tesla Model 3 frequently will perform a phantom braking action, presumably due to incorrectly sensing a collision. Thankfully, so far the traffic has been light on the freeways. Otherwise, this could’ve easily caused a wreck. This has happened to us approximately 20 times in the past two days. We ensured the sensors are free of any dirt.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522497May 17, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH as he was exiting a highway and slowing for a traffic signal at the bottom of the off-ramp his brakes failed to engage. The contact stated the brake pedal was stiff and he had attempted to use full leg force to depress the brake pedal. The contact's vehicle ran the traffic signal and the contact stated he hit the right front end of a vehicle that was across traffic from him. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the crash stopped his vehicle and the other vehicle. The contact said that the air bags had been deployed and that the left front end of his vehicle was crushed into the left wheel well. The contact stated that the other vehicle received only light damage to the right end of the bumper due to it being higher than his vehicle. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and filed a report. The other vehicle was able to drive away, and the contact's vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact stated that his insurance provider declared the contact's vehicle a total loss. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that prior to the crash he had attempted to engage his cruise control while on the highway and it would not work. The contact stated that when he engaged the cruise control the windshield wipers would activate and he stopped attempting to use cruise control. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522184May 16, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
While crossing the rump and side walk to garage the car, as usual slowly proceed to enter the Garage but immediately the car went into extremely fast speed by itself and hit the side of the Garage, damaged the Garage wall, The garage opener, the cabinet, then hit the water softener and our other car in the front. It also smashed the bike against the wall , damaged the side wall cause a bulge to outside of the structure. The garage frame and right side of the Garage door fell on top of the car almost killed our daughter who was at the front passenger seat. The car brake did not stop the car, the alarm did not go off, the air bags did no inflate.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11521895May 14, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Phantom braking. Traveling highway 5 Southbound between Red Bluff, CA and WIliams, CA at 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly and firmly applied brakes as if attempting to avoid a collision with an obstacle closely ahead. The braking force was enough to activate the seatbelt restraint. There was no traffic for at least a 1/4 mile ahead and behind and no obstacle. I managed to flip the ACC lever up to disable it during the braking but felt that I was losing control of the vehicle. After ACC was disabled normal operation ensued. Speculation: The incident occurred mid-May and the area is agricultural and therefore teeming with bugs that collect on the front of the car. The forward camera may have been hit by a bug and the visual recognition system may have mistaken the bug for a large obstacle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521857May 13, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Was using cruise control on a road trip, traveling through Arizona and the car jolted to stop three different times without advance notice or anything in the road. It was like slamming on the brakes. I was afraid to use it anymore, so now it’s like having a vehicle without cruise control feature. There were cars all around. We are fortunate no one hit us. This needs to be addressed. Googled and discovered it is called “phantom braking.” Hoping this serious safety issue will be fixed and no one gets hurt or dies because of it. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521848May 13, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Tesla 3 2023 is making hard breaks on auto pilot even though there is no objects. It’s happened over 30 times in last 7 days. It’s scary bcz other cars Coming behind can leads to life threatening accidents. Pls help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521726May 12, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Using cruise control or auto pilot and then the car randomly brakes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521507May 11, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while testing the collision avoidance system the vehicle was moving at 2 mph and the brake pedal was not depressed the collision avoidance system did not activate. The vehicle collided with another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521234May 9, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When we're traveling on the highway at 55 mph plus and have cruise control engaged, the car will unexpectedly and suddenly brake for no reason. The problem is happening more often. This has even happened when there are vehicles behind us, but thank God they were not following closely. We may end up with whiplash, or worse, being rearended. We have complained to Tesla at least 3 times since February 2022 about this problem. The first time, they changed the front camera and said they thought that might help. It didn't. The next time, the service dept. said that there was no fix for the problem, but Tesla was working on it. Most recently in April 2023, the service tech., said there was no fix and he did not expect that there would be one anytime soon. This is unacceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521055May 8, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When driving on a vacation and on a highway from Tucson, AZ to Laughton, Nev we experienced what is being called PHANTOM breaking traveling approximately 75 mph several times. Extremely lucky to have not been rear ended. It also has happened with the FSD Beta late last year when I leased the software for a month. Can supply dates.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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