Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11511287March 11, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I used Autopilot on my Model 3 for the first and only time a few weeks ago, and had a terrifying experience with "phantom braking" that could have killed my entire family while going ~75mph on the I-5 near Bakersfield, CA. The I-5 here is split with 2 lanes in each direction, and is straight with no bends. I was driving in the right northbound lane, with Autopilot engaged (adaptive speed control only, no automatic lane-steering). My right foot was off both pedals and two hands were on the wheel. There were no other cars in sight except for a single car driving northbound behind me in the left lane. This car began to pass me on the left, and when its front bumper was aligned with the mid-point of my car (I could just barely see the front bumper through the corner of my eye), my Tesla suddenly automatically slammed on the brakes with absolutely no warning! I immediately clenched the wheel as hard as I could, and had to quickly respond to prevent the wheel from automatically veering to the left. While fighting the wheel to try to keep the vehicle straight, and my family hanging on for their lives, we screeched to a grinding halt at a 45 degree angle facing the left lane. We were extremely lucky to not hit the passing car and fortunately there were no vehicles behind us. I disengaged Autopilot and quickly got out of there so we weren't vulnerable. I speculate that the camera on the left panel between the driver and rear door saw the passing car, and wrongly invoked automatic evasive braking and steering maneuvers in response to a falsely anticipated head-on collision. That's the only reasonable explanation I can come up with. I will not use Autopilot again until "phantom braking" is eliminated. This is a known issue that I've since found mentioned all over the Internet by other Tesla owners. This needs to be fixed hastily before people are killed! We're damn lucky I had both hands on the wheel, otherwise we'd likely be dead! Note: Same report has been sent to Tesla.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11511076March 9, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The undercarriage shield of my car disconnected and started dragging while I was driving in the rain. I did not collide into anything or hit a bump. I inspected my wheel well to discover a set of screws that were bunched up and not installed during manufacturing. I had to pull the shield from under my car so that I can continue to drive the vehicle. the shield is connected to the forward warning and pedestrian warning collision system which became inoperative. The faulty manufacturing that caused the shield to disconnect caused a dangerous condition while operating. After I removed it, a second dangerous condition was created since all of the safety senors were disconnected.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510949March 9, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
We were driving down the road, emergency braking enabled came on and car came to a complete abrupt start 10ft from railroad tracks and would not do anything. Could not reset it. Nothing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510857March 8, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving on the interstate I was using Autopilot (cruise control). I started into a slight curve when the vehicle suddenly emergency braked. The roadway was clear and thankfully no vehicle was following close behind me. Also there was no warning alarms, just a sudden, aggressive braking. This has happened several times before but the first time with no alarms beforehand.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510656March 7, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
My operating my Model 3 in autopilot mode, there is one particular location that my car "phantom brakes" every time I pass. I travel this location an average of 4 times per week. I have been reporting the phantom braking to Tesla for almost two (2) years and they still have not fixed the problem. They claim the car is doing what it is supposed to do. The phantom braking occurs on a divided highway on an overpass that passes over a highway with a lower speed limit ( 37° 4'54.40"N 94°18'48.09"W). It only occurs in the east bound direction. Tesla says their mapping information is provided by Google and until Google updates or corrects their mapping data, the problem will persist. On a day with no traffic behind me, I did not intervene and allowed the car to brake as it saw fit. I went from 70mph to 40mph all while in a 70mph zone. As I have mentioned, I have been telling Tesla about this since March of 2021 yet it is not resolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11510345March 6, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Since taking ownership of vehicle in summer 2022, have experienced multiple incidents of vehicle emergency braking for no apparent reason while using cruise control. In a few instances when I have attempted to use cruise control again after initial phantom braking incident, there is a 2nd incident of emergency like braking for no apparent reason in the same trip. Have never attempted to reuse cruise control within same trip after experiencing issue twice in that one trip. When phantom braking occurs: - It is while using cruise control (with or without steering assist). - There is no audible or visual warning (not even from auto emergency braking system) before or during vehicle braking. - Is a very strong braking force akin to an emergency maneuver. - There is no clear reason for why vehicle braked - no obstacles in road or slowing traffic. - Level of traffic (light or moderate) does not seem to be a factor, but I don't use system in moderate to heavy traffic. - Weather does not appear to be a factor - it can occur in perfect driving conditions (sunny, clear day). In most recent incident, was traveling at 78mph on highway with no traffic in front or behind vehicle for approx. a half mile in either direction. Without warning or reason, vehicle began to brake hard, slowing vehicle down to 62mph before I could disengage system (approx 1-2seconds). Unclear how low vehicle would brake to if cruise control wasn't disengaged. Cruise control feature feels extremely risky to the point that view as unusable in almost all driving situations (even if would be a good time to use cruise control).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509715March 1, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while her husband was driving 80 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle jerked forward and decelerated to 52 MPH. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The driver deactivated the cruise control and continued driving to his destination. The contact stated she also experienced the failure on February 27, 2023. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509121February 25, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I was driving Tesla on the freeway using adaptive cruise control at 65 miles per hour and the car suddenly brake and the sped jumped from 65 to 20 in seconds. It was scary. There was no one in front of nothing in the road to cause that to happen. It did say on the screen something about visibility. I had to take control of the car after. It has happened several times before. When I spoke with Tesla they said it’s a safety feature and it only happens when you pass certain cities. I find that hardly true
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509117February 25, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was driving with the Autopilot on, traveling about 65 mph on the freeway when the automatic emergency braking system kicked in for no reason. There was absolutely nothing in front of the car when it aggressively braked, very suddenly. I was very lucky no one was behind me. I have not reported this directly to Tesla, no one has inspected or confirmed this event.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509108February 25, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
AC/Heat pump total failure at 18,317 miles. Due to cold weather in Michigan and simply running the car, the heat pump went out entirely which creates the climate control in the vehicle. This caused dangerous driving conditions since the windows could not be defogged and the vehicle was below freezing temperatures inside. The service agents I spoke with seemed to understand this was a common occurrence in cold weather climates. The reason I am reporting this, is although mine was replaced at no cost to me under warranty, this is a manufacturing oversight and needs to be addressed by the company. This can cause very unsafe driving conditions for many people, and cost thousands of dollars in repairs all because they sell a vehicle that has parts not suitable for the climates they operate in.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508917February 24, 2023
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she noticed that the driver’s side window would activate while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that window would roll down independently. There was no warning prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed about NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V702000 (Visibility). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,812. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508909February 24, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
the window is opening alone
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508356February 21, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING, POWER TRAIN
TESLA MODEL 3 DUAL MOTOR-WITH AUTOPILOT ADDITION TO PURCHASE VEHICLE HAS REPEATEDLY DEMONSTRATED ABERRANT BEHAVIOR WHEN IN “AUTOPILOT” MODE. DURING FREEWAY DRIVING THE VEHICLE HAS “MISSENSED” LANE SPACING AND UNEXPECTEDLY ATTEMPTED TO DIVERGE OR SWERVE, EXIT OR TURN OUT OF OR OFF OF THE LANE WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHEN AN OFFRAMP OR CHANGE IN THE LANE DEFINITION OCCURS AND IS NOT “REGULAR”. SUCH AS A LANE THAT FOR SOME REASON IS NOT MARKED WITH A NORMALLY DEFINED WIDTH, OR A BREAK IN THE LINES THAT DEFINE THE LANE. DURING FREEWAY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE HAS SUDDENLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON, DRASTICALLY REDUCED ITS SET SPEED DURING AUTOPILOT DRIVING. WE WERE DRIVING IN RELATIVELY STRAIGHT, CLEAR AND UNOBSTRUCTED LANES ON OPEN HIGHWAY WITH NO TRAFFIC OBSTACLES. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OUR VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED BACKWARDS WHEN SET IN DRIVE. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHEN WE ARE BACKING UP TO MAKE A 3 POINT EXIT UP OUR DRIVEWAY. AFTER BACKING UP, STOPPING WITH OUR FOOT ON THE BREAK, AND SETTING THE CAR IN DRIVE, IT REPEATEDLY MOVED BACKWARDS. WE HAD TO RESET THE POWER, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, PHYSICALLY GET OUT AND PUSH CAR FORWARD IN NEUTRAL TO AVOID BACKING INTO OUR GARAGE. THIS CONCERN WAS REPORTED WITH VIDEO EXAMPLES TO TESLA REPAIR CENTER. WE TOOK THE CAR THERE, THEY EXAMINED IT AND DID NOT FIND OUT WHY IT WAS DOING THIS. SINCE IT WAS EXAMINED, THE CAR HAS REPEATED THIS BEHAVIOR. I HAVE NOT YET REPORTED THE REPEATED INCIDENT, AS I HAVE 0 CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL SOLVE THIS CONCERN. I COULD NOT UPLOAD VIDEOS THAT I HAVE OF THE CAR BEHAVING THIS WAY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507936February 18, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While in the cruise control mode my car will periodically come to an abrupt slowdown. Often when I’m on the freeway and I am very concerned that one day I will be rear ended by the cars totally unexpected slow down. It has happened at least 30 times in my Tesla model 3
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507731February 16, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The car suddenly braked for no good reason nearly caused an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507658February 16, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
i am slowly coming into the driveway. All of a sudden the car accelrated while i was applying brake. the air bags didn't come on either. it hit the car in front which then got pushed into the garage
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507644February 16, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The "traffic aware" cruise control automatically slows the car when entering a portion of highway with a reduced speed limit. Sounds good in theory and Tesla says this is intentional and cannot be modified in settings. However, suddenly slowing down from 65 mph to 45 mph when all traffic PERSISTS at 65 mph could lead to rear end collisions or loss of control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507283February 14, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Constant Phantom Breaking at interstate speeds. Tesla insists this is not a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507081February 13, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Received a recall notice in Nov. 2022. In Dec. I was putting something in the back seat, when I closed the door my fingernail was clipped by the window as it retracted to close. The back and front windows retract whenever the doors are open. For no apparent reason that I can figure out. They close when the doors are shut but if your finger is in the way it's going to get caught as my fingernail did. I was lucky it was only the nail as the windows retract with a bit of force.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507065February 13, 2023
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
This model doesn't have parking assist, so every time I park there is a danger of collision. All modern cars have parking assist. Tesla promised in Nov 2022 that software update enabling parking assist will be available within "next couple of weeks". 3 months passd since then and there is still no parking asist.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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