Tesla Model 3 Complaints (2024)

222 consumer complaints on file.

#11635219January 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When vehicle is in rain or sub-freezing conditions, the horn completely stops functioning. Took vehicle to Tesla Service and was told, "Technician inspected and found the vehicles horn to be working as expected at this time. Technician noted that under heavy rain/snow the vehicles horn may not work as expected due to water accumulation in the cut out for the horn." The issue is reproducible every time the vehicle is exposed to rain or snow.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634787January 8, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS
12/26/2024 around 5-6pm, Full Self Drive abruptly tried to accelerate into the intersection while sitting at a stop light. I stopped it immediately but was very surprised as FSD v13 has been exceedingly reliable and a pleasure to drive. This is the 2nd time this has happened after the holiday update of FSD 2024.45.25.5 (v13.2.2). Both times mine was the lead car at the light with no others ahead of me. This behavior has been reported multiple times in social media groups this past week by other FSD users. I entered a Tesla service request but have not heard back other than an automated appointment scheduled at the service center 8 weeks from my request and the incident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634391January 6, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while using the right turn signal, the signal seized and failed to turn off and remained engaged. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center; however, the service tech was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The Tesla Service Center declined to provide a steering wheel replacement. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634004January 3, 2025
STEERING
The turn signal often fails to operate. It features haptic feedback instead of a physical button. This design is impractical, potentially dangerous, and unwise for use in vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633910January 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The turn signal buttons stick when pressed sometimes and don’t activate the turn signal. You have to keep pressing repeatedly which causes a hazard
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633563January 1, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Turn signal button frequently gets stuck and will not activate. This prevents driver from being able to properly signal when changing lanes and causes very dangerous situations, particularly when trying to exit the highway. My vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, but this issue is very common across owners' forums. No warning signs or messages prior to failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632963December 29, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
the vehicle consistently has pillar camera blockage warnings. I have had this repaired once but it still happens. this would not be a problem except the vehicle offers no other cruise control than adaptive. my concern is the vehicle consistently has phantom braking ( listed in a separate complaint I have made). I am concerned the two issues are related. the last time this happened is reported below.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632959December 29, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
the car consistently has phantom braking. the speed will drop around 15 miles of speed immediately. it also will slow on rolling hills and random long turns on cruise control. most recent date listed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632784December 27, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The new steering wheel design has buttons for left and right turn signaling. These buttons often get stuck/jammed and prevents the driver from successfully signaling. This is dangerous on the freeway where you are having to fiddle with the jammed buttons while lane changing at high speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632235December 24, 2024
STEERING
Vehicle Information: 2024 Tesla Model 3 Description of the Problem: We purchased a brand-new 2024 Tesla Model 3 just seven days ago, and we’ve already encountered a serious safety issue: the turn signal frequently fails to function. This problem compromises our ability to signal lane changes or turns, putting our safety and the safety of others at risk, particularly in high-traffic or highway conditions. Inspection and Reproduction: We took the car to Tesla Service, and the service advisor confirmed that this is a known issue with the vehicle. The malfunction has been reproduced and verified by Tesla Service. Safety Risks: The inability to use the turn signal effectively creates a significant safety hazard, as other drivers cannot anticipate our intended movements. This increases the likelihood of accidents, especially during lane changes or turns. Inspection by Authorities: The vehicle has been inspected by Tesla Service, but no inspection has been conducted by any other authorities, such as insurance representatives or law enforcement. Warning Signs: There were no prior warning lights or error messages. The issue became apparent when the turn signal intermittently failed to activate. Request for Action: We are requesting an immediate resolution to this issue, including a repair or replacement of the faulty system, as well as updates on Tesla’s efforts to address this known defect. If no fix is currently available, we request clear communication regarding the timeline for a resolution and any interim safety measures that can mitigate this risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631537December 18, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Entire screen froze. FSD stopped working completely. The system GPS stopped working, auto wipers stopped working, auto park, anything related to the cameras stopped working. After trying multiple resets, it didn't help. It luckily started working again in the morning. Others have reported this issue to Tesla and all over Reddit. News articles are starting to come out about it now. The entire motherboard dying is a massive safety issue, especially if there are any safety systems linked to it (like auto wipers, speedometer, ABS or AEB, FSD, etc.). Tesla refused to replace my computer after I showed them the issue. [XXX] 552(B)(6) 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
#11631236December 17, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Issue is with Tesla's new turn signal buttons. They removed regular turn signal stocks with a left/right button on the left side of the steering wheel. This is a safety issue because it hardly works because you have to tap it dead center and I would have to take my eyes off the road to do that. If I'm on the curve already, with the buttons being on one side of the steering wheel, it's very difficult to click when the buttons are upside down. I have to take my eyes off the road more often than not which makes it a safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630985December 16, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Screen cracked without any direct cause. Manufacturer defect. Manufacturer will not cover under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11630197December 11, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
The buttons on the steering wheel stick and do not work. These include the turn signals and also bright lights and windshield wipers. They stick on my car, and I am renting a 2024 model 3 that they stick on as well. It’s not possible to signal a turn or wipe the windshield when this happens, which is a safety issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629835December 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING
Occasionally, the Turn Signals decide to not work for a 5 second period. This is a car that is "stalkless" (meaning there isn't a physical turn signal stalk to press), but rather it's touchpad buttons on the steering wheel. While these usually work fine, occasionally when I depress one, I can feel that it does not press down at all, and the turn signal does not turn on. I view this as a SAFETY ISSUE in that a Turn Signal indicates intent to other drivers, and it's unsafe to not be able to use it. Tesla has replaced my steering wheel once (after 2+ months of waiting for "diagnostics") but the new wheel has the same issue. This has been occurring ever since I got this car, and that was many months ago. And I've heard other Model 3 and Model S customers have similar complaints. There is something fundamental going on, and Tesla does not seem to want to solve it on their own. They need to have NHTSA add some priority to this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629823December 10, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629486December 8, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Traveling with cruise control with the flow of traffic at 75mph and the setting dropped to 60mph. I thought FSD/Beta programming was not allowed as regular vehicle settings so why does this continue?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629485December 8, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Traveling with cruise control at 80mph with the flow of traffic and the speed setting dropped to 60mph. Why do you still allow this?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629484December 8, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I reduced my set standard cruise control speed when traveling on a road curve and the speed drastically reduced by over 15mph lower than my setting on it's own. If i was traveling in a group then this would have created a dangerous situation for the following vehicles. This is another FSD/Beta programming in regular cruise control. Why are you still allowing this to exist???
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629381December 7, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, STEERING
The right and left turn indicator buttons freeze up, and will not operate for indefinite periods. The problem is intermittent, however, the buttons may be frozen for several minutes before the problem clears. I believe the manufacturer is already aware of this problem affecting numerous 2024 model 3 vehicles. I believe this appears as a definite manufacturer design flaw, and does not appear as reasonable user error, or other isolated random defect. The problem is presently becoming well known to 2024 model 3 owners in all markets, and there are now many online posts by other owners of this vehicle model for this identical problem. I encourage NHTSA to conduct a quick online search of user reported incidents, as an easy starting point. This problem creates a serious safety risk to other drivers, since other drivers cannot be made aware of affected vehicle's driving intentions. There is no reliable means for affected vehicle drivers to predict or reliably control this problem, that I am aware of. The problem also creates a significant distraction for the driver of the affected vehicle, and particularly in situations that require rapid signal intentions, such as multiple immediate left and right turns in quick succession, or, emergency lane change to avoid stalled vehicles, or, intended driver direction following a four-way stop, etc. This problem may also create a potentially unavoidable legal jeopardy for any affected driver, who may face reasonable driving penalties enforceable by police, or, may be held at fault for accident, despite affected driver's best intentions to use or rely on the faulty equipment. I truly believe this is a serious problem worthy of immediate manufacturer recall and permanent remedy by the manufacturer. It is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs, resulting in possible injury or death to anyone who either drives, or encounters, an affected vehicle. I hope NHTSA will promptly investigate. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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