Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11517071April 14, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving on the highway on a clear day using what I call cruise control that also adapts to the speed of vehicles in front of my vehicle, as well as to extreme weather conditions, with no other vehicles around me, the car randomly decided to apply the brakes without provocation which slowed the vehicle from the setting of 74 mph to 49 mph before I could react and correct the aberrant braking. This is the 4th time this has happened in this vehicle. Previous incidents occurred in heavier traffic, so I suspected the aberrant breaking was an overcorrection relative to the other vehicles around me. After this most recent occurrence, I am confident there was no other reason for the car to suddenly brake other than due to a fault with the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516845April 13, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The car phantom brakes 50% of the time when I use Enhanced Autopilot Feature on the highway
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516816April 13, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I love my Tesla but I hate the computer. It is dangerous! More accurate to say I hate the UNFRIENDLY user interface. I am surprised NHTSA OKed this computer interface. It needs a GOOGLE quality voice activation feature. The current one is deaf to most words normally used to drive a car. E.G., to turn the lights on while driving on a road where “LIGHTS ON” is required. I must hit a button to see all controls. Then I must hit the “LIGHTS” button. Then I must hit the “LIGHTS ON”. All this while having trouble reading the small print on the screen. The reading is difficult. All this while taking my eyes off the road to even see the screen. This is just one of very many examples. The actual use of the computer is VERY OFTEN more user UNfriendly and UNSAFE than the “LIGHTS” button. Dangerous, DANGEROUS. I almost killed another driver when my car was new because I was WORKING the computer and I ran a red light. Fortunately my car stopped because I hit the breaks or because the car was, in fact, SMART??????? I am surprised NHTSA OKed this computer interface. The computer is smart but using the interface is dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516355April 10, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The Tesla computer and especially the USER INTERFACE IS UNSAFE. More accurate to say I hate the UNFRIENDLY user interface. I am surprised NHTSA OKed this computer interface. It needs a GOOGLE quality voice activation feature. The current one is deaf to most words normally used to drive a car. E.G., to turn the lights on while driving on a road where “LIGHTS ON” is required. I must hit a button to see all controls. Then I must hit the “LIGHTS” button. Then I must hit the “LIGHTS ON”. All this while having trouble reading the small print on the screen. The reading is difficult. All this while taking my eyes off the road to even see the screen. This is just one of very many examples. The actual use of the computer is VERY OFTEN more user UNfriendly and UNSAFE than the “LIGHTS” button. Dangerous, DANGEROUS. I almost killed another driver when my car was new because I was WORKING the computer and I ran a read light. Fortunately my car stopped because I hit the breaks or because the car was, in fact, SMART??????? I am surprised NHTSA OKed this computer interface. The computer is smart but using the interface is dangerous. I want to bring this issue up to NHTSA, not to issue a recall, but to ADD on a user interface as good as GOOGLE? What is the chance that they will re-investigate a safety decision they have already made? Sincerely; [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
#11516347April 10, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Automatic emergency braking. Phantom braking without any real incident
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516162April 9, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
During the time we have owned this car, it exhibits random and sudden deceleration events when operating AutoPilot (adaptive cruise control) on highways and freeways. The events are not explainable by presence of any notable present or potential hazard. The risk presented to and by surrounding (following) vehicles is so significant that it renders this function unusable. Saturday, April 1, was the last time this occurred before we decided we could no longer safely use this function, instead going to full manual control of the throttle and brake for all highway driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516113April 8, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
At random times the vehicle will slam on the brakes although there is nothing in front of it. It has happened with vehicles behind me and I have averted multiple crashes by luck I suppose.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516107April 8, 2023
SUSPENSION
There is a recent recall for suspension related issues with this model. Recently there is a suspension related knocking sound coming from front drivers side area that seems suspension related. I am unable to schedule appt for inspection/ repairs due to another unrelated scheduled service. Tesla requires scheduling through the Tesla application and does not allow scheduling for service when another appointment is pending. I have no way to contact them directly. They have not responded to my concern through customer service app.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516060April 7, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
there were 2 phantom braking incidents today traveling between pasadena and berkeley onhighway 5. it was getting cloudy. the first incident occurred just after i passed under an overpass, and thought it might have been due to the lighting. the braking was mild . there were other cars passing me on the left. i had the cruise control set to around 74mph. i probably slowed to 65mph the second phantom braking incident was about an hour later, and it was HARD. fortunately the cars behind me were far enough away. the cruise control was also set around 74mph. interestingly, no audio alerts were issued with either incident. normally, when driving without cruise control, the car will issue audio alerts (loud, urgent beeping) if a car gets too close. in both of my cases, there were no cars in front of me as i was in the slow lane.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516044April 7, 2023
SUSPENSION, STRUCTURE:BODY, POWER TRAIN
I picked up my Tesla Model 3 Performance less than a month ago and from day 1 it has been having vibrations from 40mph all the way up to 80-85 mph. I haven't driven it faster than that due to safety concern. I took it to Tesla and they said they needed to balance the wheels (why wasn't that done on a brand new car already?) Anyways, I take the car back and I was still having the same issue. Tesla has now booked another service and said that my Wheels might have been bent by me! The audacity! I gave them a piece of my mind so they will not charge me for service and will inspect my vehicle soon. Meanwhile I have driven the car 2500 miles and the vibrations have not gone away. I know this problem exists in Model S Plaids as well as with some other Model 3 Performance owners as I reached out on the forums. Tesla has given up and accepted that they cannot repair these issues. Lets see what happens with my car. I plan on taking them to the court for lemon law
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515998April 7, 2023
WHEELS
On 3/11/23, around noon time, I drove on I-280 N bound, just past Edgewood Road. It was nice weather, no wind, nothing extra loaded in the car, smooth clean road surface. All of a sudden I saw black pieces flying at my left side of the car through the window, I heard some noise and the car started unbalanced. I pulled the car slowly to the shoulder ... It was a left rear tire blowout! This car was only for 4 months, and drove ~2700 miles. NO warning sign beforehand and no damage on the tire, the rim and the tire cover after carefully examining the Tesla Test Center at 680 El. Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA. Attached are four photos taken on 3/11/23. New tire was replaced on 3/14/23 at SC site, CA. It was charged $441.67 (receipt is not included here)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515933April 7, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Our 2022 Tesla Model 3 has "phantom braked" three times on the highway. During each episode, the vehicle slowed from 75mph to 45mph in about half a second - with no vehicle or obstruction in front of us. This was a 4-lane highway all three times. If a car was behind us, it likely would have collided with us. No precipitation, the car was clean and cameras clear. I took the car to the Latham Service Center at 326 bOld Niskayuna Road near Albany, New York, to have the sensors and car checked. The tech took the car for a 10-minute drive, didn't experience phantom braking, and said that since he "could not duplicate the concern" no repairs were needed. After several messages expressing concern that this did indeed need to be fixed, neither the owners Scott and Carolyne nor the tech responded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515608April 5, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla has not downloaded the software to remedy NHTSA Recall No: 22V-702
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515465April 4, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Nearly every time I use the "Traffic-Aware Cruise Control" on my Tesla, I experience a phantom braking event. Nearly all the time it is when the road is clear, in the daytime. I use this feature infrequently because I cannot rely on it at all and I'm concerned it will cause someone to hit my from behind.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515149April 3, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Just completed a 3 day cross country trip from Palm Desert CA to Saint Paul MN. On a long highway trip like this, we rely on 'cruise control' to maintain consistent highway speeds. Tesla provides adaptive cruise control as a feature of Autopilot. On numerous occasions, the adaptive cruise control unexpectedly stopped, causing the vehicle to slow, or unexpectedly braked hard causing the vehicle to sharply reduce speed. Due to the frequency of Tesla autopilot phantom braking, I found that my foot needed to consistently hover over the accelerator pedal to counter the numerous instances of phantom braking. This was necessary to prevent a possibly inattentive driver behind the Tesla from driving into the rear of the Tesla or another vehicle driving behind the Tesla. This phantom braking occurred as many as 6 to 10 times per day over 3 days and approximately 2,000 miles. The adaptive cruise feature malfunctions under certain conditions and our vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Our safety and the safety of others was put at risk by unexpectedly slowing or braking hard while driving at posted highway speeds and putting our vehicle at risk of being rear ended, and perhaps the same for a vehicle behind our vehicle. The phantom braking issue has been well documented in press & social media and I find it difficult to believe that it has not been reproduced by an independent organization such as NHTSA. I believe that the manufacturer (Tesla) is aware of the phantom braking issue as it appears to be inherent to Tesla's approach to providing adaptive cruise control. When the phantom braking occurs, there are no warnings or messages prior to the unexpected braking. Most phantom braking instances occurred on approach to or on the crest of a hill. At least one instance occurred after cresting a hill and the roadway was in full view.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514915April 1, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The car will apply the brakes suddenly when in control when there is no obstacle to be avoided.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514873March 31, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
complete shutdown or blanking screen while driving causing GOD knows what is working and what not. definitely driver won't know his/her speed, car systems status like blinker, auto pilot,...etc until the system comes back to become available. 1st time this happened, Tesla sent me its service mobile service person who mentioned that he could not find anything wrong and if it happened again he will schedule the car for an in-house service center appointment for the main computer unit to be replaced. When the incident happened again Tesla scheduled the service appointment but after inspection the report came back that this is a recurring incident in many teslas and require a firmware update! Service report attached (Job number 4 and 5)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514384March 29, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
When driving on the highway on autopilot (not full self driving or enhanced auto pilot), the vehicle will experience “phantom braking” where it will suddenly brake with full regenerative braking force without any perceivable reason/cause. I have noticed this event occurs every time at the same location as it is on my commute to work. I’ll be on the highway with my speed set to around the speed limit of 65mph in autopilot mode, and when approaching the merge of a specific on-ramp, the car’s set speed will suddenly change from 65 to 55 and then the full power of regenerative braking is applied until I manually disengage them. There can be no vehicles around me or any logical reason for it to brake, and it will do so anyways. This is a safety concern as a vehicle following behind me may not anticipate a random and hard braking event for no apparent reason or cause to do so. The car acts if the speed limit decreases, which it doesn’t, and then its reaction is to brake very very hard and abruptly. If I don’t manually disengage the brakes, I’m not sure if it would come to a complete stop on the highway or just brake until a certain speed is reached. This phantom braking event has occurred in other areas as well, but I have noticed it always happens at this one specific location every day. There are no speed limit signs/changes in the area.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11514373March 29, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car no longer makes any sound when driving in parking lots or alley lanes to warn pedestrians or bicycle riders of my approach. This needs to be addressed for the safety of myself and others.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513896March 27, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Vehicle will repeatably go incorrect speed limit while on Autopilot or Fsd(beta), internal mapping data has incorrect speed limits, sometimes 65 in a 30, other times 25 in an unmarked 55. Speed limit may change multiple times within a short distance making it hard to correct without slowing or speeding up This is on software 2022.45.12. ( fsd 11.3.3), has been a constant issue on previous versions, also affects regular auto pilot
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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