Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11594150June 13, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn stops working after rain. Took the vehicle to Tesla and they stated that this was expected after heavy rain. This is a safety issue because you cannot honk to warn other vehicles or pedestrians as an issue issue, even after the rain until the whole thing dries out
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11594118June 13, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Turn signal buttons are sticking regularly, preventing turn singal lights from flashing to make safe lane changes
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593979June 12, 2024
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle suddenly and violently lost power to its front drive units while driving steady on neighborhood street at low speed, <25 mph. Vehicle shuddered to a stop, then put itself in park, rendering it immovable in the middle of the street. Vehicle indicated a critical failure on its screen. Vehicle towed to Tesla service center. Vehicle had front drive unit inverter and pyro fuse replaced. No prior indication or errors before the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593537June 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I took delivery of my ordered 2024 Tesla Model 3 LR 3/30/2024. Later in the day when I put the car into reverse, I had no back-up view on the touch screen. When it occurred, it also froze the illustrated car on the touch screen when car was put into Drive. There was also no movement of the vehicle on the touch screen's map. After contacting Tesla two times and rebooting the touch screen, I was asked to do time stamps on the date and time when the problem occurred, which I did. The problem comes and goes which, in addition to the noted problems, also results in Park Assist being unavailable. I had an appt on Memorial Day to bring the car to my Service Center so it could figure out what the problem was. I was given a loaner older model Model 3 to use while it was in the shop. When I picked up the car, I was told it "may be" the rear-view camera, which was not in stock and had to be ordered. I was scheduled for a Mobile Service visit to have it installed while working from home the following week, which it was. Later in the day when I was going to the grocery store, I encountered the exact same problems after putting the car into reverse: no back-up view; frozen illustrated car on the touch screen; no movement on the right-side map; and no Park Assist availability. That evening (Friday, 6/07) I contacted my SC to let it know what happened, and asked "What's next?" I'm still awaiting a response. Today I contacted my SC by phone and was told to bring it in again, but that such appt would be weeks away. I contacted the Tesla Consumer Assistance # later this morning and was told it would contact my Service Center about expediting an appt; I'm to hear from it within 24 hours about setting an expedited appt. As of this writing, it's only been about 10 hours since my call. Hopefully I'll hear from the SC tomorrow morning. I'm very discouraged as I had hoped to show the car off in the coming weeks to friends and family and go on a mini-vacation. Nearly 2.5 months & counting.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593344June 10, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Turn signals occasionally are not working . Electrical buttons get stuck and will not allow me to signal right or left
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593228June 8, 2024
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Incident Description: One week after purchasing our new Tesla Model 3 2024 , we encountered several error messages upon returning to our car after a brief stop: "APP_w264 - Lane Departure Avoidance feature unavailable," "GTW_w075 - Steering assist reduced," and "UI_a020 - Steering assist reduced." With no cell signal available, we had to drive back slowly with hazard lights on. The steering was extremely tight, making it very difficult to maneuver. Tesla Roadside Assistance suggested towing the car and using an Uber coupon, which was impractical due to our location in the outskirts of Vancouver, Canada, with no Uber services, and our home in Seattle, USA.We drove over 100 miles to the nearest service centre in Vancouver, posing a significant safety risk on curvy freeway roads. The service centre confirmed that the wire supplying power to the steering was cut due to contact with the fan, and they repaired the issue. Conclusion: The steering failure of our Tesla Model 3 was a major safety concern. Driving with impaired steering could have led to a severe accident. The issue was due to a design flaw, with the wire contacting the fan. We request a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences and consideration for the inconvenience and risk we faced. Component/System Failure: The wire supplying power to the steering mechanism was severed due to contact with the vehicle's fan. Safety Risk: The steering became extremely tight, making large turns nearly impossible and small turns very difficult. This posed a significant safety risk, especially while driving on curvy freeway roads. Inspection & Problem Confirmation: The problem was confirmed by the Tesla service centre in Vancouver. They verified that the wire was cut due to contact with the fan. Errors: "APP_w264 - Lane Departure Avoidance feature unavailable" "GTW_w075 - Steering assist reduced" "UI_a020 - Steering assist reduced"
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593084June 7, 2024
SEAT BELTS, SEATS
The seat weight sensors are failing in my 2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range.” Multiple sensors are malfunctioning including the seat/seatbelt & forcing the car to stay on/act occupied. In addition, if the seat is unoccupied and unbuckled - safety warning & systems are triggering- and I have no idea what type of behavior this may cause (preventative breaking/accident prevention). I am concerned for my safety due to this seatbelt system malfunctioning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11593034June 7, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The turn signal indicator buttons fail to work consistently. About 30% of the time when I try to indicate a turn or lane change the button does not respond. It is sort of stuck in place. Not being able to show an intent to turn is a serious safety issue in heavy traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592950June 6, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Full self drive FSD took car in opposite road direction, sudden lane changes, almost crash in upcoming traffic. Sudden stops in middle in road. FSD autopilot very dangerous driving that could cost crash. I can’t trust FSD
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592876June 6, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The vehicle, a 2021 Tesla Model 3, had an episode of sudden unintended acceleration. I was almost stationary waiting to make a left when the car accelerated by itself, left the road, crossed a grass field at high speed and crashed into bushes. The vehicle was not on auto pilot, it resulted in damage of almost $ 20.000 as estimated by insurance. The vehicle is available for inspection, it will be checked by Tesla service after the damage is fixed. There were no previous warnings, this is the first incident of this kind. It is not clear what component malfunctioned, probably some electric/electronic device in charge of acceleration. It was obviously a very dangerous event that could have jeopardized my safety and/or some others.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592873June 6, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Tesla Motors has two self-driving features, a mode they call enhanced autopilot and Full Self-Driving. Enhanced Autopilot is used primarily on freeways, and allows the car to switch lanes without driver's assistance, while maintaining the speed of traffic. Full Self Driving is a separate system in and of itself that relies on far more sensors, and is far more complex, as it needs to be in order to handle all the nuances of allowing a car to drive itself on and around city streets. During the month of April ,Tesla previewed the supposed improvements in its full self driving mode by releasing it to everyone for free for that month. I was exiting the [XXX] freeway in Los Angeles, utilizing the enhanced autopilot feature to navigate myself to my destination. At this exit, the car makes a right on [XXX], drives down about 500 feet and then makes another right so that you're briefly traveling underneath the freeway from you'd just exited. As the car made that second right, while on what should have full self-driving mode, the car failed to navigate the angle of that turn and ran right into a steep curb at a fairly fast speed, destroying the right drive train, the right tire, the entire front bumper, and the cars wheel chassis and suspension system all still have to be fixed. I believe the malfunction was caused by the car failing to properly switch between enhanced autopilot and full self-driving if they utilize GPS to make that determination, because it felt almost as if the car was trying to switch into the lane to the right (which didnt exist there was the curb there) and not like it was attempting to negotiate or preparing to make a wider turn maneuver. I don't believe it even decelerated as it hit the curb. I broke my toe but otherwise am all right. Tesla won't honor their warranty and is threatening to repo the car they won't fix. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11592680June 5, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain with the windshield wipers activated, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact was able to turn the switch for the windshield wipers and the wiper blades started operating as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the contact was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure began after an OTA update. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 11,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592116June 3, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING
Driving on the freeway, husband driving, myself in passenger front seat and 1yr and 3yrs in back. Just touched a 70 zone when the car, without warning/prompt started to deviate from left lane to right lane, at same speed, my husband tried to control car at which point he realized that the steering wheel and brakes were locked and he had no control of the direction or speed and could do nothing to stop the car. The car continued at high speed to drag us to the left side of the road, we smashed at full force into a display maintenance board first, the airbags deployed, and we continued to smash through a barrier and finally into a tree in a field about 100yards+ from freeway. We managed to escape the vehicle and get our screaming kids to safety where we then were picked up by ambulance and police. The car, of course, was unsalvageable. We, by some unknown miracle, made it out alive of this horrific, beyond imaginable experience. This was not normal behavior for a car. We had this car for 2.5yrs, we had no automatic driving capabilities turned on (we didn't have self-drive) and were driving home midday from a grocery store trip on a road we drive frequently. The brakes wouldn't push down, the steering wheel wouldn't move, we were totally at the mercy of the car.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
4
Deaths:
0
#11591981June 2, 2024
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The steering wheel locked up while I was driving. I was driving on a country road and the road didn't have any painted lane stripes and the car got a lane departure warning and the steering wheel pull me hard to the left, I almost got out of the road and on the way of a incoming vehicle, I break and pulled hard to the right and managed to pull to the side. When I got into a complete stop I checked all the settings, I turned off the late departure Assistant and the steering wheel was still locked. There is no on or off button on the car so I walked away from the car, the car locked and unlocked to get back in and the steering wheel was back to normal. It was very scary, lucky I was driving slowly and I wasn't around heavy traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11591417May 29, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving, no warning, car went dead, no control over lights, windows (can’t use hand signals), power steering, unclear if parking brake worked. Had towed. 12v battery died. No explanation as to why there was no warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590171May 22, 2024
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was turning onto a busy street and the car suddenly stopped and would not respond to the gas pedal. A message said "shift into drive". I had been driving for about a mile already and had not touched the shifter. I then tried to shift into drive and it would not change. I tried multiple times. I then opened the driver door, shut the door, pressed the break to put in my pin, and then it would shift into drive. This was very dangerous as it stopped with the car partially in the road. Luckily there were no cars around.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589988May 21, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 72 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle abruptly decelerated and nearly came to a complete stop. During the failure, there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 6,730. The contact stated the primary concern is that unexpected emergency braking for no apparent reason on our 2023 Tesla Model 3 was dangerous. The dealer indicated that their review of the data for the approximate date and time did not show anything and cancelled the appointment.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589415May 18, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
I was turning into a parking garage when my car suddenly slammed on the brakes very hard to a sudden stop. Like there was an imagined hazard. I did not have the car on auto Drive as I do not trust the technology, but Tesla had just offered everyone full self driving automation that month. I did not elect to use that, but I feel that technology had something to do with this. Not only the incident scary. The stop was so hard. I was in pain after.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589309May 17, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Two issues regarding vehicle turn signals not working as intended: Issue #1: Sometimes, vehicle turn signal turns on for the opposite direction than intended. Narrowly missed a few accidents because of this issue, and I have been honked at and flipped off by drivers thinking I'm a careless driver. This issue can be replicated on demand. Issue #2: The turn signal buttons on the steering wheel lock up and no matter how hard I press, does not turn on. Creates a safety hazard when trying to change lanes, merge, or exit where I cannot communicate intent to other drivers. This issue happens randomly & resolves itself after about 10 seconds. Both of these issues were brought to the notice of the manufacturer, but service technicians were not concerned about the issue. Wanted me to leave the car behind for an extended period with no loaner car or rental provided. I cannot afford to do that not knowing how long I'm going to be without transportation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589169May 16, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
when I was driving my Tesla Model 3 with FSD exiting [XXX] , the FSD directed me to a wrong routing. I corrected the direction by taking over the FSD, the car then lost its full braking system. I was not aware of it until my car slipped backward at a stop and hit a car behind me. The other driver is good enough to let me go, but my Tesla back bumper was damaged. When I got home and read the message on the screen, I was told that the braking hold was disabled, autopilot was disabled, braking charge was disabled, and wheel alignment was disabled, and more. I contacted Tesla and make an appointment half a month later. I was also told that the Tesla recommends to have alignment adjusted every 6000 miles or every 6 months- while I was not aware of this, I thought Tesla is maintenance free. This was what I told Tesla representative then: If this disfunction is safety related, it should be mandatory, not recommended! I feel I was lucky that I only have a small accident, it could be worse. I just dropped my car to Tesla for repair yesterday, the estimated costs was originally $275, then it went up to ~$1500, then ~$1800, When I was talking to a representative, the costs increased to $2167 in a few minutes! I asked why the prices go up, they said the previous prices are mistakes, and if I don't want to pay, I can drive my car home! I believe this happens to many other Tesla users as well, it needs to be addressed before more accidents and damages. The fragile safety operation and the way Tesla treat its customer are not acceptable, at least to my case. Thanks for your attention, if you need more information about my report, or have any question, please feel free to contact me. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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