Tesla Model 3 Complaints (2024)

214 consumer complaints on file.

#11759977August 27, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On XXX at approximately 12:56 PM Pacific on [XXX], my 2024 Tesla Model 3 VIN [XXX] was operating in Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The system detected oncoming traffic, stopped, then reversed to yield and backed into a parked 2015 Ford Transit van that had an occupant inside. I am the registered owner. [XXX] was the driver. TeslaCam saved events at 12:56:33 and 12:56:43. There was little visible damage, no injuries logged, and no police report. Tesla's consumer privacy form does not accept a crash narrative. I requested a Vehicle Data Report / copy of my data on XXX. USAA/[XXX] claim XXX later assigned 100 percent fault to the Tesla driver for backing, treating this as a conventional reverse collision rather than an FSD commanded maneuver. I am reporting this as a safety defect in FSD (Supervised) because the vehicle reversed into a parked occupied vehicle while the feature was engaged. 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
#11758408August 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Muffled or significantly quieter horn during rain. Users on Reddit generally agree that the sound typically returns to normal once the area dries out. Why This Happens: Speaker Design: Newer models (such as recent Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y versions) utilize electronic pedestrian warning speakers or integrated units for the horn function rather than traditional enclosed metal horns. I have an issue with my car where every time I wash it or drive it even in light rain, the horn is extremely muffled. So muffled that I was sounding it driving down my road with people out walking, and no one heard it. I took it to the service center and they basically said “we confirmed your complaint, it’ll work when it dries out”. My car now has two notations on file from two visits to service center. This is a very wide spread problem - hundreds of comments online. Google: Tesla horn rain.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757620August 18, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On June 16, 2026, while operating the "Autopilot" self-driving system, my vehicle autonomously activated the right turn signal to enter a parking space. Subsequently, the vehicle experienced an unexpected acceleration. Despite my immediate application of the brakes, the vehicle collided with a storefront window, resulting in property damage. My insurance provider covered all associated damages, including vehicle repairs. Immediately following the incident, I informed Tesla and requested access to the vehicle's electronic records, which were made available at a Tesla service center. Tesla is currently rescheduling my vehicle, acknowledging the severity of the self-driving system's malfunction. Concurrently, Tesla continues to charge me for the self-driving capability, despite having advised me to refrain from using it until all necessary vehicle tests have been completed. What further actions should I undertake, and how can the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provide assistance in this matter? Thank you.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757541August 17, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Tesla’s replacement of physical steering column turn signal stalks with capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel face creates an active safety hazard. First, the capacitive sensors frequently become entirely unresponsive. If a driver rests a finger near the buttons, the system triggers a timeout/lockout, rendering the signals non-functional for several seconds when pressed. They also fail to register inputs under normal pressure or when wearing gloves. Second, because the buttons rotate dynamically with the steering wheel, it is structurally impossible to signal by muscle memory during sharp or sequential maneuvers, like navigating roundabouts. To signal while the wheel is turning or when buttons fail to respond, the driver must repeatedly look away from the road to visually target the wheel. This defective layout causes delayed signaling, severe driver distraction, and elevates the risk of a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757257August 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Date: XXX, Time: 5.09.2026 State: [XXX] Location: [XXX] We were on Full Self Service Driving Mode A [XXX] came and hit my car in the passenger side behind the front wheel and front buffer. We were on left/fast moving lane and two semi-trucks were in the right lanes slight ahead of us (one had overweight sign). Something came out of the direction of trucks and hit our car with a big sound (moving object). When we stopped and checked the car later, it was evident that the damage was a sizable, it would have been something solid or heavy. Our concern is the Tesla was on Full Self Driving Mode, and it did not generate any alert, recording or more importantly, it did not break, change the driving direction nor try to avoid being hit by the object. This diminishes the reliability of Tesla FSD and raises serious safety concerns. We are in the process of filling insurance claim. 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
#11757248August 16, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I have been driving Tesla using FSD from [XXX] to [XXX] and passing [XXX] (XXX around 5 pm). We took an exit for rest room break near Gas Station. As soon as Car took exit using FSD, the car completely stopped suddenly in the middle of the road without any reason and warning. There was not any rain, visibility issue or driver distraction. There was not any alert or recording. As far as I remember, there was not a vehicle on the front 100ft. It was on a small bridge. My family was in the car (with [XXX]). This was a scary moment (had it happened on the highway or a vehicle behind crash) 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
#11757039August 14, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
After disengaging Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) and taking manual control of the vehicle, a feedback popup appears on the center touchscreen asking the driver to select a reason for disengaging FSD. The popup does not automatically disappear and remains on the screen unless the driver interacts with it. I believe this creates an unnecessary driver-distraction risk. The moment immediately following an FSD disengagement is precisely when the driver has resumed responsibility for manually controlling the vehicle and should be focused entirely on the road and surrounding traffic. Presenting a nonessential survey at that moment encourages the driver to look at and interact with the touchscreen. There should be an option to disable this feedback request, dismiss it without touchscreen interaction, or have it automatically disappear after a short period. I am reporting this because I believe requiring or encouraging touchscreen interaction immediately after transitioning from FSD to manual driving is a safety concern and should be reviewed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756598August 12, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
When disengaging Full Self Driving (FSD), a feedback notification pops up on the bottom left corner of the infotainment screen that fully blocks the media control panel and does not disappear until the driver provides feedback to Tesla for why FSD was disengaged. By forcing the driver to answer the feedback question in order to access the media controls, Tesla causes a distraction to the driver, who is forced to take their eyes off the road and select a feedback response to why they chose to disengage FSD, increasing the chance of an accident. This is an intentional but dangerous design decision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755390August 7, 2026
STEERING
On July 18, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM EST, my son was manually driving a 2024 Tesla Model 3 at approximately 26 MPH when the steering suddenly became extremely stiff and difficult to turn. He attempted to steer away from a roadside barrier but was unable to turn the steering wheel sufficiently, resulting in a collision. There was no warning or indication observed on the dashboard before the steering suddenly became extremely stiff. Autopilot, cruise control, and Full Self-Driving were not activated; the vehicle was being driven manually. Fortunately, my son did not sustain any physical injuries. However, a sudden loss of normal steering control is a serious safety concern and could potentially cause severe injuries to the driver, passengers, pedestrians, or occupants of other vehicles. After the accident, the vehicle was towed to the insurance-designated facility and is currently being examined by the insurance adjuster. Within a few minutes of the accident, the vehicle also became completely locked, preventing us from retrieving personal belongings. I previously reported this incident to NHTSA under complaint number 11751698, but all required documentation was not available at that time. I am therefore submitting the complaint again with the additional information and documentation now available. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this incident and determine the root cause of the sudden steering stiffness and whether there is a safety-related defect or condition that could affect other vehicles.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754875August 5, 2026
SUSPENSION
Creaking noise coming from front of car when going over speed bumps or driving through a dip at low speeds. Tesla SC says normal but many others have replaced lateral and compliance links and issues has been solved. Known issue and raises a safety concern over safety of suspension.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753679July 30, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
When cruise control is engaged on a Tesla (all models to my knowledge) the Auto Wipers automatically come on and then randomly wipe. There is no option to disabled the Auto Wipers, as you can only disable by manually selecting control panel and then turn off each time you engage cruise control. This creates a significant risk to driver safety as I have had numerous instances of wipers randomly starting (without any rain) and smearing the windshield. This forces me to look away from the road and go through a manual disable every time I use cruise control. NOTE: this is a software default that cannot be removed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753676July 30, 2026
WHEELS, SUSPENSION
The tesla service center in Ridgepoint drive in Austin TX has repeated safety issues and almost cost my wife her life in the tire inspection and undercarriage check after a full service including full tire failures after 4 tire checks and in building service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752414July 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
COMPLAINT SUMMARY: CRITICAL SAFETY REGRESSIONS IN TESLA FSD SOFTWAREI am filing a formal safety complaint regarding severe, high-risk behavior regressions introduced across the last three consecutive builds of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. These defects create immediate collision hazards, cause major route disruptions, and require frequent, urgent driver intervention to prevent accidents.1. INTERSECTION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL VIOLATIONSRed Light Violations: The vehicle correctly identifies a red traffic light and comes to a full stop. However, after a brief pause, the software erroneously treats the steady red light like a stop sign and attempts to accelerate directly into active cross-traffic.Green Arrow Dead-Stops: When approaching a dedicated turn lane with an active, protected green turn arrow, the vehicle frequently applies aggressive braking and comes to a complete stop, creating an immediate rear-end collision hazard for drivers behind me.Phantom Braking: The vehicle aggressively brakes without warning for empty crosswalks, shadows, or distant roadside elements.2. ILLEGAL LANE NAVIGATION AND ROUTING ERRORSErroneous Turn Lane Diving: The vehicle frequently dives into dedicated left or right turn lanes even when the navigation route explicitly commands the vehicle to continue straight. This behavior forces improper turns, requiring backtracking and causing significant destination delays.Incorrect Lane Turning: The system regularly misses dedicated turn lanes entirely. It then attempts to execute sharp left or right turns directly from middle lanes or straight-only lanes, cutting off adjacent vehicles.Turn Signal Failures: The software initiates a turn signal to merge but then cancels the action, or conversely, attempts to execute a physical turn blindly after disabling the turn signal.3. RESTRICTED SPACE TARGETINGHandicap Parking Violations: Upon arriving at destinations, the automated parking software fails to recognize painted stencils and act
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751698July 21, 2026
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am writing to report an accident involving my son who was driving Tesla 2024 Model-3 on July 18th 2026 approximately 10:15 AM EST. He was returning home from his volunteering with Emergency medical Service(EMS) when the vehicle's steering wheel suddenly froze. while attempting to maneuver the vehicle to safe location , it collided with a roadside barrier. fortunately , my son was not injured , but the vehicle sustained significant damage, including deployment of airbag and damage to front passenger side. this incident occurred at a speed of approximately 26 MPH
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750946July 16, 2026
PARKING BRAKE
2024 Model 3, under 20k miles; burning smell and brake drag from right rear wheel while driving; parking brake fault alerts UI_a019, EPBR_a176, EPBR_a182; dealer inspection found cracked EPB caliper case housing near the electrical connector; Tesla SB-20-33-002 documents this same crack occurring without external impact.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748800July 7, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
On two separate occasions, June 4 at approximately 5:35pm and July 2 at approximately 3:40pm, the vehicle backed into a carport pole at my home while a Tesla driver assistance feature was engaged. I reported both incidents to Tesla and filed complaints with NHTSA.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746845June 26, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
While turning right, I slowed down and put on my turn lights. The vehicle accelerated all of a sudden and did a sharp right. There was a vehicle in front of me in the opposite direction and my car turned very sharply to avoid it. The accelerator pedal was fully pressed down and for that fraction of a second, it didn’t allow me to control the speed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746042June 23, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On June 7, 2026 an accident occurred on Overlook Parkway, Riverside southbound (near chabot ct intersection) involving my 2024 model 3 that was in FSD mode (Full self driving). The car be veered from the street and hit a light pole as the road was curving to the left. Airbags were deployed, and the car was a total loss, but nobody was hurt. The carhad automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance and despite this in FSD Full self driving mode managed to hit the lightpole and the accident occured. Can you investigate if this is a defect in the safety features of the car, or Tesla's FSD software or Automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance software? Thank you.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745062June 18, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting a recurring safety defect regarding the exterior door handle assembly on my 2024 Tesla Model 3. On 6/15/26, the exterior door handle of caused a finger entrapment incident, resulting in an avulsion of a gel nail and significant trauma to the nail bed. The artificial nail remains trapped within the door assembly. Despite seeking service at the local Tesla Service Center, technicians failed to retrieve the object or address the entrapment hazard. This design creates a severe pinch-point hazard that poses an ongoing risk of injury to all users Despite bringing the vehicle in for service on 6/18/26 to have the hazardous object removed, the service center performed only a cursory visual inspection and refused to disassemble the handle, leaving the entrapment hazard in place. The design of the door handle creates a clear pinch-point/entrapment zone that poses a safety risk to all occupants. I am reporting this to document both the design defect and the failure of the manufacturer to address the resulting safety hazard upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11742280June 5, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Speed profiles do not allow safe operation of the vehicle. Changes in speed profiles result in unsafe behavior. Standard speed profile regularly results in speed up to 73+ in a 55mph zone being selected by the vehicle. Chill mode results in speeds of 58 when traffic is traveling at 65mph. Switching profiles from standard to chill results in a rapid deceleration within the lane leading to problems with traffic behind the vehicle. In active school zones, system regularly does not acknowledge school zone speed limit and proceeds at 25-30mph in a 15 mph school zone even on Sloth profile. European FSD has a max speed setting that allows these problems to be prevented, but it is missing as a critical safety feature in the US version of FSD 14.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Tesla Model 3