Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11691405October 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Due to the manual locks being looked at as a safety issue, I went and looked at the REAR door manual release for our Model 3. We also have a 2023 Model Y and I know they have a rear door release, as stupid as the location is, it is there. Well to my surprise, there is NO MANUAL REAR DOOR RELEASE in the model 3!!! How is this even safe? You're supposed to crawl through the front seats and go out the front door? Or even worse, fold the seats down and exit through the trunk? What happens if you're stuck in the back, can't get your seatbelt off? What if you are incapacitated?? What if you get rear ended and then pushed into the car in front of you and it makes it so the front doors are unable to be opened? (this happens quite often) What if the car rolls over, is upside down and you can't get to the front? There are a million situations that make a rear manual door release necessary. How does this even pass safety inspection??? How do you (as a department) even allow this to be acceptable. How are children supposed to do this? This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard of and here I am, driving my kids every day around in it. They should be required to either retrofit it with a release that's accessible or replace the rear doors with an accessible release. I'm just in awe as to the failures here.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691240October 3, 2025
WHEELS, SUSPENSION, SERVICE BRAKES
Travelling south on [XXX]just south of [XXX] on [XXX] at [XXX]. Climate was medium-rain. Car began to hydroplane due to regenerative breaking. Lost control and began to swerve between lanes. Completely swerved 180 degrees so that car was facing wrong direct. Swerved back to right way on highway. No cars around and did not hit anything. 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
#11691087October 2, 2025
SUSPENSION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
During driving, Tesla car spontaneously stated multiple active safety features and regenerative braking were no longer available and stopped working during driving with multiple warnings appearing. Driver safety at risk during this as well as others safety due to the lack of functioning. The car was taken to Tesla service center and was explained that front lower lateral suspension links were damaged by "impact" although the car was never in an impact or accident preventing proper alignment and functioning of the car. The part has been since repaired and currently undergoing further investigation for warranty dispute.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690655September 30, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I want to add an update to my previous report # 11690629. I think it would be helpful to provide what the Max Speed should be based on my input. So, I will just resubmit the previous report with some additional information. On December 31, 2024, I purchased a new Tesla Model 3 Long Range with Full Self-Driving (FSD). The problem is the car goes faster than it should when Full Self-Driving is activated. I have attached an example photo of the Tesla screen taken while the car is being controlled by FSD. It shows the actual speed limit of the road is 35 MPH, and the car is traveling at a steady speed of 51 MPH. It also shows a “Max Speed” of 64 MPH which means the car may travel that fast on this road if it chooses to. Since I use an Offset of 10%, the Max Speed in this 35 zone should be 39 MPH. However, the car increased it to 64 MPH, and I certainly did not use the right scroll wheel to increase it. This is clearly a safety issue which can lead to accidents. Tesla has made 5 attempts to fix this without success. On the last attempt (September 24, 2025), they refused to answer my questions such as: Why does the Max Speed suddenly change to a value much higher than my specification? They simply stated that the system was operating as designed. Really? It’s design to drive 51 MPH in a 35 MPH zone? Furthermore, they went on to say I should disengage the FSD system or intervene manually if I believe the car is operating in an unsafe manner. One reason I purchased this car was for FSD. I would expect them to fix it rather than my having to abandon this feature that I pay for. I hope you will encourage Tesla to fix this issue before there are any more FSD-related accidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690629September 30, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On December 31, 2024, I purchased a new Tesla Model 3 Long Range with Full Self-Driving (FSD). The problem is the car goes faster than it should when Full Self-Driving is activated. I have attached an example photo of the Tesla screen taken while the car is being controlled by FSD. It shows that the speed limit of the road is 35 MPH, and the car is traveling at a steady speed of 51 MPH. It also shows a “Max Speed” of 64 MPH which means the car may travel that fast on this road if it chooses to. This is clearly a safety issue which can lead to accidents. Tesla has made 5 attempts to fix this without success. On the last attempt (September 24, 2025), they refused to answer my questions such as: Why does the Max Speed suddenly change to a value much higher than my specification? They simply stated that the system was operating as designed. Really? It’s design to drive 51 MPH in a 35 MPH zone? Furthermore, they went on to say I should disengage the FSD system or intervene manually if I believe the car is operating in an unsafe manner. One reason I purchased this car was for FSD. I would expect them to fix it rather than my having to abandon this feature that I pay for. I hope you will encourage Tesla to fix this issue before there are any more FSD-related accidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690432September 29, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While at a red light, my car was stopped with Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) on. When the car in front of me nudged forward, my car, still in FSD , accelerated and drove into the car in front. Looking at the event report of my car, the automatic emergency break did engage but too late. This means the sensors in front failed to recognize the vehicle ahead.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690397September 29, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
To whom it may concern, I am reporting an incident regarding my Tesla Model 3 (2024) that occurred on June 30th around midnight. My partner was using FSD (full self driving) and driving down i5 towards Vancouver, WA and I was attempting to turn on Bluetooth to listen to music when the exterior lights completely shut off. The section of the freeway we were on had no lights, so it was completely dark. The FSD made my partner take over the wheel and we careened off the road because there was zero visibility. Thankfully and luckily we only hit a traffic reflector. What followed has been a few concerning months of back and forth with Tesla. I reported the incident to them immediately and requested data from that night. The data that they eventually sent over was from the previous day and following days, and conveniently missing that crucial period of time. The service appointment I had with them produced a multiple thousand dollar bill to fix the damage caused by the traffic reflector which I did not pay. I have not heard back from them since then. I am reporting this incident because I don’t think lights should be able to shut off completely at night, whether it was a software malfunction or someone accidentally pressing a button on the screen. If this incident continues to happen in the future many passengers may not be as lucky as us to escape with only a scratch. 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
#11690233September 29, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is NO way to find the emergency manual release in the rear doors. WHERE ARE THEY!!!!??? There is no panel or cover to remove to find a release for the doors in case there is no power!!! This my friends car. I don't have his VIN so I grabbed on off the internet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690145September 28, 2025
SUSPENSION, STEERING
The vehicle has loud creaking and groaning noises when turning the wheel at low speed or at a standstill, I’ve taken it to a Tesla service center where they claimed that this is just a characteristic of the vehicle yet I myself and a mechanic and understand that the fundamentals of suspension are the same regardless of what type of vehicle it may be and know that this is actually a known issue with Teslas especially with Model 3s. My vehicle is at 10,683 miles and still within the warranty, on Friday, September 26 at 8 AM. I dropped off my vehicle for repairs later that day at around 1645 or as known as 4:45 PM. I was messaged saying that my vehicle is ready for pick up as I read the service notes, I saw that they did not do any repair on my suspension. This is concerning to me because this is a safety issue and I highly believe that the vehicle needs to be repaired. The service center is located in Santa Clarita, California.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690077September 27, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Description of Issue: The car displayed error code DI_a137 and unable to drive/pull over safely. The vehicle became undrivable and had to be towed to the Tesla service center. The service center diagnosed a rear drive inverter failure and replaced the entire inverter assembly. Safety Concern: It is alarming for a critical drivetrain component to fail completely within the first year of ownership and at such low mileage. A sudden loss of power while driving poses a serious safety risk to the driver and passengers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690013September 26, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The reason that I'm currently writing you this letter is to report an incident that happened on Sep. 16th, 2025. This is the date that I was very excited because I got my first EV - Tesla Model 3 new car. Me and my wife went over to the delivery plant in Fefe, Washington. The address is 3701 20th St. E., Fife, WA 98424. We took the car and I myself drove it back home around 2:45ish (-3 :00 pm the latest). It was just two blocks away from the plant outbound to the eastward trying to get to the entry of the highway. I stopped my car on my brake, and suddenly my car went forward by itself. This unintended acceleration caused me to hit the car in front of me. We had to stop in the next parking lot on my left side as soon as we passed the traffic light. This intersection happened right at the intersection of 54th Ave. E (Northbound) and Pacific Highway E. I hit the car in front of me. My front bumper got some damage. The car is still drivable and I have put the photos and maps for your understanding.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689524September 24, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, STEERING
Tesla has removed the turn signal stalks on some of their vehicles in favor of buttons on the steering wheel. While Tesla may argue that these buttons work fine, they are unsafe and they do not work in all driving situations (roads with multiple tight turns, roundabouts, etc). The buttons are also prone to sticking, which renders them inoperable. I have been pulled over due to failure to signal on a tight roadway in San Francisco, the officer did not write a ticket when he saw the design defect and advised that I remedy the issue with Tesla. I have also almost gotten into an accident several times in roundabouts because of failure to signal -- it was impossible to signal via the button on the steering wheel while in the roundabout. Tesla has acknowledged that this design is a safety issue and has brought back turn signal stalks on newly manufactured vehicles. Due to the immediate safety issue and Tesla having no retrofit available, I have purchased a 3rd party accessory that fixes the issue. The accessory is from a company called Enhance Auto and it is called "S3XY Stalks". It is a bluetooth enabled turn signal that connects to a device that is attached to the OBD sensor. This device works perfectly and it solves the safety issue. Tesla has refused to reimburse me in the amount of $522.50 for this turn signal device.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689066September 23, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While driving my Tesla equipped with Autopilot/Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, I experienced an unexpected and abrupt braking event. A vehicle had entered the center turn lane and had already cleared my lane, posing no obstruction to my path. Despite this, my Tesla suddenly applied the brakes without warning, causing a rapid deceleration that could have led to a rear-end collision had another vehicle been following closely. There were no visible hazards, warning messages, or alerts prior to the braking. The incident occurred in clear daylight conditions on a dry road, and the vehicle in the center turn lane was stationary or turning away from my lane. This appears to be a case of phantom braking, possibly due to misclassification of the adjacent vehicle or overcautious object detection by the vehicle’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This issue has occurred more than once in similar scenarios, and I believe it poses a serious safety risk. I have not yet had the issue inspected by Tesla or a service center, but I am submitting this report to raise awareness and request investigation into the reliability of Tesla’s braking logic in these situations.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688913September 22, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The indicator controls on the steering wheel are unreliable. Soon after purchasing the car, I returned it for warranty repair because sometimes the right indicator fails. When pressing the indicator area in the steering wheel, one can usually feel a button click, but at times it’s like pressing a brick wall, no give and no click. It seemed ok after the repair, but now it’s back to doing exactly the same thing. In addition, sometimes when I press near the bottom of the right indicator area, the left indicator turns on instead. It’s bad enough that I often can’t indicate when turning as I can’t always keep track of directions when the buttons turn upside down and the visuals on the buttons are backwards. It’s much worse that this bad design is so poorly implemented. Now writing this, I noticed when uploading the warranty invoice that they said the indicator works as intended. This after I gave them a video I took, while driving, of my fingers repeatedly pressing the indicator area as hard as I could, while describing how the indicator wasn’t turning on. I see you don’t allow videos to be uploaded here, but I still have that video and can supply it if needed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688899September 22, 2025
WHEELS
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while approaching the vehicle, the tire was abnormally low. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who discovered a crack in the wheel, resulting in damages to the tire. The contact was informed that the wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance because the wheels were not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688608September 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On [XXX], my 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ) suddenly accelerated on its own and the brakes failed to respond despite repeated pressing. To avoid hitting other vehicles, I turned into a property driveway and struck a tree. The airbags deployed. This was a case of sudden unintended acceleration combined with complete brake failure, creating a serious safety hazard. Forward Collision Warning also did not prevent the impact. A police report was filed by the Dekalb County Police Department, GA, USA (Report #[XXX], Case #[XXX]), which specifically documented brake failure as the cause of the accident. The report also notes that the driver was injured by the airbag and that the vehicle had to be towed from the scene. A copy of the police report can be provided upon request. 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
#11688310September 19, 2025
STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:SWITCHES/KNOBS/BUTTONS
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the turn signal buttons on the steering wheel used to activate the turn signals were designed with a flaw that might cause an accident if depressed intentionally. The contact was a retired Service Technician for over 40 years. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688283September 19, 2025
STEERING
Steering wheel is peeling/degrading and causing difficulties with steering and control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688235September 18, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
SAFETY CONCERN: for kids getting trapped in rear doors with no manual release in the rear of my 2022 Tesla model 3. Only the front has a manual release which is not practical for two kids in the back.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687821September 17, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:EXTERIOR
The passenger door handle is inoperable . The door handle is stucked open.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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