Tesla Model 3 Complaints (2025)

123 consumer complaints on file.

#11773590October 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, SERVICE BRAKES
Statement Regarding My 2025 Tesla Model 3 Accident I was driving my 2025 Tesla Model 3 when the accelerator pedal appeared to become stuck, causing the vehicle to continue accelerating. The vehicle reached approximately 70 mph, and I was unable to regain control. I attempted to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes, but the brakes felt hard or would not respond, and the vehicle would not stop as expected. I was driving the vehicle myself and was not using Autopilot or Full Self-Driving. Because I could not bring the vehicle to a stop, I collided with three other cars. I believe the suspected accelerator and braking malfunction contributed to the accident. The police responded to the accident and prepared a report. My Tesla was towed from the scene to a tow yard. I reported the accident to my insurance company, which provides full coverage on my vehicle. At this time, my insurance company has not yet declared the Tesla a total loss, and I still have an outstanding car loan. I sustained bruising to my hand and ribs and went to the emergency room for medical evaluation. I am requesting that the vehicle be preserved for an independent inspection so the cause of the accident can be investigated, including the reported accelerator and braking problems and any relevant electronic vehicle data. This statement reflects my recollection of what happened and is provided so the accident and suspected vehicle malfunction can be properly investigated.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772903October 22, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
This vehicle doesn't come with a turn signal stalk. To engage the turn signal, I have to use push-buttons on the steering wheel. Nearly every time I use them, I get the wrong direction, even after a year of ownership. It's functionally impossible to use them legally to exit a roundabout, and I really want you to reflect, it is impossible to use them to legally exit a roundabout -- I can not obey the law using them. It's functionally impossible. Additionally, they're too close to the edge of the steering wheel, causing light brushes to trigger a false turn signal, confusing nearby drivers. About 8 to 9 out of 10 turn signals I make are false or in the incorrect direction. This feature is dangerous and embarrassing. One last thing I want to note, this car disables the turn signal automatically after I exit a lane, or if it simply thinks I have. The car should never disengage the turn signal for any reason.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771463October 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Rodents are attracted to the wiring and eat it. The new soy product controls turn signals.... Tesla employees see this everyday. in 2 weeks my car has gone into the shop twice. I have never had this issue until now and owned many teslas
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771168October 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving with Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode engaged and approaching a closing gate, the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop. The failure required manual driver intervention to prevent a crash. The manufacturer was contacted but was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770630October 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting concerns involving the high-voltage battery and battery management system (BMS) of my 2025 Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD. The vehicle's displayed range at 100% charge has progressively declined from approximately 320 miles to 304, then 298, and most recently approximately 295 miles. A previous Tesla Battery Health Test reported approximately 89% battery health. However, the vehicle currently will not allow me to perform another Battery Health Test, leaving its present battery condition unknown. I am concerned that additional degradation or an underlying battery or BMS issue may be going undetected. Tesla instructed me to perform a BMS calibration by discharging the battery below 10%, allowing the vehicle to rest, charging to 100%, and allowing it to rest again. I followed these instructions, but the displayed-range concern persisted. I submitted multiple service requests, two of which Tesla closed without resolving my concerns. Tesla later performed additional remote diagnostics and stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. However, my concerns remain, and I have not received a documented in-person evaluation addressing the battery capacity, BMS operation, or cell/module balance. The specific cause is UNKNOWN. I cannot confirm whether the condition presents a safety risk, and I have not identified a specific safety incident, such as an unexpected loss of propulsion or battery thermal event. I have no specific warning lamps or fault messages to report. The vehicle and high-voltage battery are available for inspection. I am requesting that the reported condition be evaluated to determine whether an underlying battery or BMS defect exists and whether it could affect the vehicle's safe operation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770448October 11, 2026
STEERING
On XXX, at approximately 8:10 PM PDT in [XXX], I was driving my 2025 Tesla Model 3 (VIN [XXX]) with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged. While FSD was actively steering a right turn at an intersection, the vehicle turned too wide, crossed into the oncoming lane, and collided head-on with another vehicle. Both vehicles were totaled and the airbags deployed. Tesla's own Vehicle Data Report for this crash confirms the FSD system (state: ACTIVE_FSD) was engaged and steering the vehicle in the seconds before impact at approximately 20-26 mph, and that FSD disengaged less than one second before the collision. I was lightly pressing the accelerator (Tesla's documented method to confirm proceeding through an intersection) while FSD controlled steering. No automatic emergency braking prevented the vehicle from entering the oncoming lane during the FSD-executed turn. I sustained injuries requiring six months of psychological treatment. I believe FSD's intersection turning behavior is defective: the system executed a turning maneuver that placed the vehicle into oncoming traffic, causing a head-on collision. 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
#11765562September 19, 2026
SEATS
While driving on the interstate my passenger was attempting to connect their phone to the bluetooth when they accidentally selected the driver profile. I was in the drivers seat and the seat immediately started moving back and I couldn't reach the gas or brake. I pulled over immediately and was able to reset it. The driver profile should be locked and not accessible while driving to prevent this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765570September 19, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
while waiting on left signal i changed my destination address when signal turned green car take straight on red signal .car is on fsd mode . happend on sep-19 at south ridding junction
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764601September 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
-Full Self-Driving (FSD) was engaged when my vehicle unexpectedly and abruptly deviated from its expected course and collided with a vehicle on the other side of the road. My vehicle was totaled so I cannot confirm availability for inspection, however I have te vehicle’s USB drive which contains data about the vehicle and collision. -The abrupt and unexpected maneuver created an immediate safety risk to me and the public; had there been pedestrians in the area, that risk would have been severe and potentially catastrophic. Based on the vehicle data available to me, approximately 0.85 seconds elapsed between the vehicle’s departure from its expected course and the collision, leaving insufficient time for any human to reasonably prevent a crash. Nevertheless, my quick response adjusted the trajectory and minimized the damage to the other vehicle. I sustained injuries from the airbag deployment and force of impact. The other driver was evaluated, but was not seriously injured. -The problem has not been reproduced to my knowledge. Tesla Insurance communicated their position is to hold the insured liable when a collision involving FSD occurs. I escalated to the Head of Claims in an attempt to get answers, but they ultimately refused to answer my questions or provide an explanation for the behavior of the vehicle. -The vehicle gave no warning whatsoever: no warning of diminished FSD capabilities, no warning to take over immediately, no FSD disengagement, nor any indication that anything abnormal was about to occur. No warnings of any kind were displayed in the days or weeks prior. -In summary, I believe the available evidence warrants investigation of a potential Tesla FSD safety defect. The data confirms FSD was actively engaged, and the swift unexpected behavior resulted in the loss of my vehicle and could have had catastrophic consequences. Tesla continues to make FSD more integrated and accesible while refusing to address issues, which makes me fear for the public.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11762901September 8, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Most recently, on or about 09/05/2026, driving on the freeway at about 65 mph with the sun directly in the windshield, the car suddenly issued an urgent take-over-immediately alert and Autosteer disengaged with no advance warning. My 2025 Tesla Model 3 uses a camera-only driver assistance system (Tesla Vision). Whenever I drive toward a low sun - at sunrise or sunset - the forward-facing cameras behind the windshield are washed out by glare. The vehicle displays a camera blocked/blinded warning, and Autosteer and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control disengage and become unavailable while the car is moving in traffic. The handback is abrupt: the system does not warn me that it is losing visibility until it has already quit. This is fully reproducible whenever my direction of travel puts the sun low and straight ahead. The windshield is clean, including the inner glass in front of the camera housing, and the factory glare shield is intact, so this is not dirt or an obstruction - it is a limitation of camera-only sensing. There is no action an owner can take to prevent it. Tesla removed radar from these vehicles in 2021, leaving cameras as the only forward sensor. I believe this is the same defect covered by NHTSA investigation EA26002 (upgraded from PE24-031), concerning the failure of Tesla's FSD/Autopilot to detect and respond to reduced roadway visibility caused by sun glare. I am filing so that my vehicle is on record in that investigation. No crash, fire or injury has occurred. The risk is an abrupt loss of driver assistance at highway speed, in exactly the conditions where the driver's own vision is also degraded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755831August 10, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was on the freeway in the fast lane approaching a tunnel and vehicle came with warning vehicle shutting down. Code DL_a063. Vehicle stopped in fast lane would not move to shoulder. No prior warning there was any issue. State police came and had vehicle towed. Lucky the car behind me was able to stop in time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754149August 1, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
While operating the vehicle at low speed (~35 MPH reducing to a stop) on August 1, 2026, at approximately 10:38 AM under normal road and weather conditions, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic and simultaneous loss of primary braking capability and steering responsiveness. > Detailed Description of Failure: > * Brake Failure: Upon pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to decelerate or stop adequately despite continuous application, nearly causing a collision. > * Steering Loss / Disconnection: Concurrently, while the steering wheel could physically be turned, it offered no directional control—turning the wheel had no effect on the vehicle's path, feeling as if the steering linkage or assist was entirely disconnected or disengaged. > Vehicle Warnings / Diagnostic Codes: > The vehicle's onboard display immediately registered critical active safety and chassis failures, specifically displaying: > * "ABS (anti-lock braking system) disabled - Drive with caution" > * "Automatic Emergency Braking is unavailable - Feature may be restored on next drive" > Dashcam video and system screen captures documenting the exact speed, timestamp, and error messages have been saved and are available upon request. No crash occurred, but the sudden, simultaneous failure of core braking and electronic steering systems presents an extreme safety hazard. >
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753275July 28, 2026
WHEELS, SUSPENSION
A front wheel of this vehicle and/or its suspension is undergoing extremely dangerous vibrations at highway speeds (65-70+ mph). It is enough to shake the entire vehicle multiple times per second. The local service center, without looking at the vehicle, stated it "would be fine to drive on until your appointment" and scheduled an appointment nearly a month out into the future after I brought up concerns that the vehicle is unsafe to drive. They also would not recommend any third party service centers to look at the vehicle in order to address the concern more urgently, nor offered any alternatives such as rentals or loaner vehicles to use in the meantime. I understand that car issues will come up; my complaint is due to how it is being handled (long wait time for an appointment, dismissal over safety concerns, no alternatives to drive safely in the near month-long wait for the appointment).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751612July 20, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a severe braking and stability control failure that resulted in unpredictable, highly dangerous vehicle behavior. While driving, the vehicle displayed a cascade of critical system failures, throwing error codes APP_w009 (AEB disabled), DI_a222 (Stability control disabled), DI_a223 (Traction control disabled), ESP_a080, and ESP_a067 (ESP/ABS sensor faults). This concurrent breakdown caused a total loss of critical safety features: Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Automatic Emergency Braking, Traction Control, "Vehicle Hold," and "Hill Start Assist." Because the vehicle completely lost its ability to hold its position, it unexpectedly free-rolled backward on an incline when I anticipated it to remain stationary or move forward. This uncommanded movement created an immediate collision hazard. Of serious concern is that despite a total breakdown of vital braking and stability assists, the vehicle remained fully drivable and only advised me to "drive with caution." Allowing a car to remain operational under these severe fault conditions is an unacceptable risk. A driver expecting normal EV behavior (like vehicle hold and regenerative braking) is placed in immediate danger when the vehicle suddenly free-rolls without warning. The software should classify a multi-system ABS/ESP failure as a critical emergency requiring an immediate safe shutdown, rather than suggesting it is safe to continue driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751359July 19, 2026
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While out on vacation in [XXX] on XXX at around 11 am I had just finished charging the Tesla at a supercharging station. I was headed to go eat breakfast at the intersection of [XXX] and XXX on the right lane. I stopped briefly prior to making a right onto [XXX]. Upon making the right turn the vehicle kept turning all the way right and making a sharp right turn instead of a soft right. When I noticed the sharp right turn I tried to turn the steering wheel towards the left but the steering wheel was locked and it wouldn't respond. The car drove me into a concrete barricade and caused a collision. My children were in the car and thankfully no one in my vehicle was seriously injured nor were there any pedestrians on the sidewalk near the barricade. I contacted Tesla for the repair and investigation into why the steering wheel locked. Tesla has not provided a loaner vehicle in the meantime despite my frequent requests. This incident is a serious and critical safety issue that may have caused deaths had I been traveling at a higher rate of speed or been on the highway heading back to [XXX]. The strange thing is that this vehicle is still under warranty with Tesla and had been working just fine without any issues since I got the vehicle in XXX. No warning messages, or symptoms to indicate any malfunction. 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
#11749219July 8, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
My Tesla's FSD turned off midway through a curve at highway speeds. I hit the guard rail and scratched the right side of the car. I could have run straight through the guardrail from the inertia or made the back car hit me due to the slowing down, though thankfully I took control of the vehicle to limit the damage. I visited a Tesla repair center, but they said they didn't address these types of issues and referred me to the Tesla.com/legal page and a body shop they work with. Obviously, every time FSD turns off there is a chime, but that sudden alert for an event that spanned 5 seconds, 2 for me to take control, failed to be enough.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748459July 6, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
After disengaging Full Self-Driving (FSD), a mandatory questionnaire pop-up now stays on screen until manually answered, instead of auto-dismissing after a few seconds as it previously did. This forces the driver to interact with the touchscreen immediately after taking back manual control — a moment when full attention should be on the road, not a pop-up. The prompt blocks part of the instrument/display screen until it is tapped, and in some cases requires a minimum 5-second voice response to dismiss (a previous workaround allowing a near-instant voice note to clear it was removed). The pop-up has also been observed persisting even after the vehicle is shifted into Park. This creates a distraction risk during an already safety-critical moment (immediately following a system disengagement, which by definition means FSD failed to handle the driving task). This behavior has persisted across at least 3 software updates. Multiple attempts to raise this with Tesla directly have not resulted in a fix or response. Other FSD users have reported the same complaint. No collision has occurred as a result of this specific issue, to my knowledge, but the design creates a foreseeable distraction hazard during takeover events, which are often already high-risk moments.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747730July 1, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) repeatedly ignored the “Avoid Toll Roads” navigation setting and attempted last-second lane changes into Express Toll Lanes at freeway speeds. This has occurred approximately 10 times. I was repeatedly forced to take over steering immediately to avoid entering the toll lane, creating a serious safety risk due to sudden maneuvers in heavy traffic. On several occasions, I could not safely intervene before the lane change was completed. Tesla Service Center inspected the vehicle, found no hardware or camera faults, and stated the behavior appears to be software-related.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747470June 30, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
On May 24, 2026, at approximately 8:28 AM, I activated Actually Smart Summon on my 2025 Tesla Model 3 using the Tesla mobile application to reverse the vehicle from my garage. Before this incident, the vehicle displayed no warnings, alerts, messages, or other indication of a problem, and I had previously usd Actually Smart Summon without similar behavior. Shortly after activation, the Tesla mobile application became unresponsive, and the vehicle did not stop despite my attempts to stop it through the app. I attempted to open the vehicle door during the incident but was unable to do so while the maneuver continued. Because I could no longer stop the vehicle through the app or access the vehicle, I placed my phone in my pocket so I could use both hands to try to stop the vehicle and prevent further damage. At that point, I was no longer pressing or holding the Actually Smart Summon control in the application. As the vehicle continued reversing, I repeatedly repositioned myself behind it and pushed against the rear of the vehicle with my body multiple times. Despite this physical intervention, the vehicle continued reversing and applying rearward force, forcing me to repeatedly move out of its path to avoid being pinned between the vehicle and my neighbor s garage. The vehicle pressed into my neighbor s garage with enough force that the impact transferred to the parked vehicle inside the garage. It did not stop upon the initial impact and continued pressing into the garage afterward. This sustained movement is clearly visible on the preserved TeslaCam footage and independent home-security recordings. I narrowly escaped being crushed between the vehicle and the garage while attempting to stop the vehicle and prevent further damage, sustaining a muscle strain in the process. The incident created a serious risk of bodily injury in addition to substantial property damage. I do not know which specific component or system failed. Based on the sequence of events, the incident
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11744449June 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The passenger side front fold down visor/mirror failed. It is available for inspection upon request. The safety of myself, the driver, and the front passenger, were put at risk, because the design of the car allows the front passenger headset to be moved forward via the power seat adjustment to a point where it presses against the visor/mirror, and causes the glass in the mirror to shatter. If you never open the visor, you don't know that the glass is shattered. So when we are on the highway, and my passenger folds down the mirror to check her make up, small glass shards fly everywhere, requiring both the driver and passengers full attention on a busy highway. The dealer advised before even looking at the car that the problem would not be covered under warranty, and want to charge $200 for repair. I cancelled the appointment. Independent research shows this is a known issue caused by a design flaw with the passenger front seat being allowed to move into the zone of the visor/mirror. The vehicle has not been inspected due to their refusal to do so at their own cost. There was zero warning from delivery until now via any method whether it be a warning label, screen, or in the manual.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

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