Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11467363June 3, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle will engage breaks when there is no obstacle or while on a straight road when placed in cruise control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11467316June 3, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
When using Adaptive Cruise Control, my vehicle has experienced phantom breaking when cars are approaching from the opposite direction. It is so disconcerting, that I don't want to use the cruise control ever again. There is definitely a problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11467304June 3, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES
Car brakes heavily and suddenly for no reason while using cruise control. Seems to be on 2 way roads when semi-truck is passing by in opposite lane. Has happened multiple times on different days under different conditions. Concerned about being rear-ended. I have not had this inspected and no crash has occurred. I stopped using cruise control on this vehicle due to safety concerns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11467279June 3, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While using cruise control on the highway, I was rounding a slight bend in the road and the automatic braking system actuated, immediately slamming on the brakes and scrubbing off significant speed. Luckily I was close to the accelerator pedal and was able to quickly react by applying throttle, but had there been another vehicle following closely, there could have been a collision. There were no visible objects in or around the road to cause an emergency braking event. I have not used the cruise control feature since this occurrence, but it had happened twice before with similar circumstances. Reference "phantom braking" phenomenon well documented by many other operators.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11467018June 1, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
We are on a cross country trip departed Rancho Mirage Ca on May 25th) for Hobart Indiana We have experienced phantom braking using cruise control at least 4-10x a day) On return trip while in ColorDo on I 86 June 1st @ 2pm the most serious and dangerous phantom braking occurred I had cruise control set att 75 ( speed limit) Road well marked, flat with no car ahead of us within a mile. The car had been experiencing phantom braking for last hour bringing speed down to 69-70 for no apparent reason A car was traveling immediately behind us when my Tesla suddenly braked to 58 mph. The car traveling behind us had to make a sudden and violent swerve around us, barely missing our car The other car quickly passed us as we stayed slow at 58 mph for a few seconds after the other car passed us This car needs to be recalled and use of cruise control suspended until recall remedies problem If this was my gasoline Escalade exhibiting such repeated cruise control malfunction , it would be taken off the road I am not new to owning a Tesla. This is our 3rd Tesla but we never had this problem with our Tesla S and only a few times with our X. This issue is a major safety problem and I am notifying media and newspapers of this problem, to ensure the NTSB addresses this serious problem. All data should be in cars computer system for verification
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466868May 31, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Sudden unexpected deceleration. There was no car or obstacle in my lane and my car hit the brakes. It seems to have gotten worse with the latest firmware update. It seems like when a shiny object is on a mailbox near the side of the road the car hits the brakes. The truck behind me could have hit me and got very angry and sped around me. This is going to cause an accident if not fixed. It's happened multiple times now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466758May 31, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The car, when using its "traffic aware cruise control" exhibits extreme sudden breaking for no reason (phantom braking). On Thursday, I was on a major interstate in the middle of the day, perfectly marked lanes, no gradient changes, no weather or visibility issues, with absolutely nothing in front of me. The car would suddenly brake aggressively for no reason, sometimes hard enough to hurt my neck. If another car had been following me, I would have been immediately rear ended. Too add insult to injury, Tesla charges for the full self driving function which fully navigates the car on highways, and even though it is so dysfunctional that it is dangerous, they will not refund it after I reported this behavior. Tesla FSD and traffic aware cruise control, in it's current state, is a danger to the public.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466741May 31, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The Tesla Autopilot system in my Model 3 repeatedly malfunctions by way of "phantom braking".The latest incident I was luckily able to capture on camera. In this incident, my vehicle is driving down a Nevada highway in the heat, with no oncoming vehicles and a vehicle in my lane well over a mile away and increasing (they had just passed me a few minutes prior). With the speed set to 74mph (driving 73 at the time) the vehicle proceeds to apply heavy brakes, and slows to 56mph for no reason (no vehicles behind, thankfully). My safety and the safety of other motorists is put at risk with these events as the unexpected braking not only whips around the passengers of MY vehicle, but also puts at risk any vehicles that may be behind me, expecting me to maintain my current velocity. The problem has not been reproduced by a dealer as far as I am aware, but the service department of my local Tesla dealer has confirmed the issue is caused by the "Tesla Vision" camera-only system. They (service team) claim that there is no issue with the system, and that it is behaving as expected. They do not view this as a malfunction, and merely view it as the system being extra cautious, which is simply lazy. This component has not yet been inspected by any entity mentioned above. There were no symptoms of this issue prior to it occurring, however this did occur repeatedly over the course of my trip to/from Las Vegas.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466645May 30, 2022
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Side camera glare at night when signaling
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466602May 29, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Frequent incidents of phantom braking when autopilot is engaged at highway speeds. Usually occurs on 2 lane roads, but has also happened on divided highway as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466523May 28, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Hello. My name is [XXX] and I need to speak to someone from Tesla or somewhere about the horrible customer service and service that I have received by the Tesla dealership in Littleton Colorado who the supervisor is [XXX]. I refuse to pick up my car because I am very concerned about the consistent safety issues that I have been experiencing that have not been addressed after four times bringing my car in and Dwayne told me that this will not go past him in refused to give me anybody else’s number who is in charge of him or the dealership or the district or the region or anything. Can somebody who is in charge of either the dealership or higher up than the manager at the dealership in Littleton please give me a call Or anyone who deals with safety concerns with vehicles that are not being addressed by the dealership. I am currently using a loaner right now and feel unsafe to bring that back in until I get a phone call from someone higher up in this company. I have never been more disappointed in a car company ever in the service that I have received. I have plenty of documentation as well to show that they refused to fix anything and consistently blame me for all of the issues that are going on with this car. 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
#11466323May 27, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - Touchscreen goes black while driving. It can be inspected, but Tesla has not fixed the issue in the last 2 months. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Can't tell what speed I am going and can't hear turn signal active sound since screen is black and I have to wait 2-5 minutes after doing the steering wheel reset to see what speed I am going and if turn signals are on/off. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - Had two appointments so far for the issue and the issue is confirmed by me but cannot be reproduced by the service center after two separate appointments even with detailed accounts of when the issue appeared. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - Yes, the result was that a software update is required and after two updates the issue keeps happening more frequently. This is with the active recall fix update and one more update after that. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - Only warning sign that sometimes happens is when playing music through the bluetooth audio, there would be 1-5 second period of a "buzzing" sound before the screen would shut off. Other than that, the screen would shut off randomly with no warning at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466262May 26, 2022
FIRERELATED, STEERING:AUTOMATED/ADAPTIVE STEERING
The contact's son owned a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that his son was involved in a fatal collision while driving at an undisclosed speed with the autopilot activated. The contact was informed by his son's friend, who was a passenger in the vehicle, that the autopilot malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to inadvertently drive off the road, hit a tree, and then catch fire. An unknown bright orange light was seen on the windshield right before the failure occurred. The contact's son's friend was able to exit the vehicle, but the contact's son was unconscious and was not able to exit the vehicle. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact's son's friend received medical attention for burns and bruises on his legs. The contact's son's autopsy report stated that his son died as a result of intense thermal heat and smoke inhalation. The vehicle was towed and remained with the Highway Patrol. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
1
#11466145May 25, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Referred to as "Phantom Braking," the vehicle decelerates dramatically when in "Autopilot" mode. This happens at seemingly random times and locations. It happens in the day or night, open or populated roads, multi-lane highways or single lane. The deceleration is so sudden that passengers in the car are thrown forward. One instance the car decelerated from about 75 MPH to 45 MPH in a matter of about 2 seconds. Thankfully no one was behind me. Others worry that if someone is following too closely, they could rear-end the Tesla... I don't think a vehicle would have to follow all that closely for this to cause an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466129May 25, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at 40-60 MPH and making a turn using the self-driving mode, the brake pedal was depressed. However, the vehicle accelerated inadvertently at a higher speed. The contact depressed the brake pedal several times but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle crashed into the front passenger's side door of another occupied vehicle. The air bags deployed. The contact briefly lost consciousness. The contact sustained soreness on the nose, the throat, the upper back shoulders, and increasingly on the back. Additionally, the contact sustained emotional trauma. The contact stated that she was in the process of seeking medical assistance. The two passengers occupying the front driver's seat and the front passenger's seat of the other vehicle sought medical assistance. There was no further information provided. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#11465741May 23, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The vehicle while in adaptive cruise control or autopilot will brake hard at high speeds on wide open highway. It has always done this from day one but while on a Kansas open highway it almost caused a major accident 3 times in a short period of time. After the third incident I discontinued any driver assistance. The speed limit was 75mph, the autopilot was set at 75mph, in under 2 seconds we were at 35mph for no reason 3 times in row. I contacted Tesla after a few days after purchase and they said they know about it and it will get fixed in the future but its been 4 months. I had my 4 year old in the car and this is a very concerning issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465525May 20, 2022
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY/WIPER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
https://youtube.com/channel/UCNkrwnR_lAKd4neLwYAbugA My YouTube channel has 13 videos about Tesla safety concerns. They are the only videos on my channel. The minutes long clips show what happens when the mainframe screen goes black, dies out or powers down while driving. Listed from memory are the following concerns associated with the Tesla ‘Black Screen of Death’: 1. No energy/distance shown 2. Glove box is inaccessible 3. Front trunk ‘Frunk’ cannot be opened 4. Proof of signalling is gone 5. Proof of low vs high beam is gone 6. Changing of wiper speed is gone 7. Access to heating/Air-Con is gone 8. Back up camera is obsolete 9. Cameras used when signalling are missing 10. Speedometer is not visible 11. Odometer is missing (have never found it on screen when running anyways!) 12 Air pressure indication is gone 13 GPS is obsolete From memory that is all I have to add. Imagine everything that was/is available to the driver in every other cars dashboard and then take those parts away sporadically for minutes at a time and you’ll have an understanding of how precarious driving my Tesla can be. As an Uber driver I had the opportunity to speak with a corporate agent who was my passenger. She said Tesla is aware of this issue. Having spoken with a Tesla rep at a Tesla garage I was given the same advice found on Internet forums: “Find a place to park, park, press the steering volume & station finder buttons for 10 seconds until display starts up” This very rarely works, and is impossible, even dangerous in many situations. I’ve learned to drive with this continually faltering equipment, and I know every Tesla driver I’ve spoken with must do the same to varying degrees. While all Tesla drivers experience this, none are as repetitive as mine and none seem as proactive to inform government agency of this. Next week, May 26, I have an appt with a Tesla garage that will look into this when I bring my car in. Please view my videos.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465298May 19, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driving at 80 mph down divided highway, with emergency braking disabled on system and using only adaptive cruise control, when car slams on brakes so hard speed goes from 80 mph to 65 mph, causing the tires to screech from breaking so hard, and nothing in the road ahead of me, and nothing on the sides of the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465223May 18, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When in cruise control and no obstacles in site, about every 10 minutes the brakes come on in varying degrees, sometimes a very hard brake. Once a vehicle was behind me and it nearly ran into me. It does not happen when anything is in front of me, such as following behind another vehicle, which I found I need to do to stop this from happening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464951May 17, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Vehicle brakes randomly when in autopilot or cruise control. It happens at least every 15 miles. There seems to be no cause or current emergency which would cause this to happen. Vehicle brakes hard, which is dangerous to myself and all traffic behind me. Was reported to manufacturer as a warranty item. Was told that this is not a defect or broken component, and could not be fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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