Tesla Model 3 Complaints

2,178 consumer complaints on file.

#11476828August 1, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
First time interstate with new vehicle. Within first 100 miles of using cruise control at 80 MPH vehicle would suddenly phantom brake. Occurred twice within 50 mile span. Stopped using cruise, as we were almost rear ended. Attempted later in trip with no trailing vehicles; phantom braking occurred within 50 miles of using. Stopped using due to major safety concerns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476804July 31, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While using cruise control, for no apparent reason, the car rapidly slowed as if the brakes had been applied. This occurred multiple times before I stopped trying to use cruise control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476616July 29, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Driving on a 2 lane highway on July 15, 2022, using Cruise Control. A tractor trailer was approaching me. The truck did not cross the center line. There was no concern of a potential problem. With no warning, The Tesla applied extremely hard braking. I had no idea for the reason, afterwards I thought that the motors failed & ceased. If the right brake did not grip as much as the left, the car would have been steered into the other lane into the path of the truck, death would most likely have resulted. The car also braked for side roads, not as intensely as when the truck was approaching. A Tesla rep was notified with a request for immediate repair. The Tesla Rep downplayed / minimized the issue and stated that the issue could be resolved in an update (with no time frame). I am in fear of using Cruise Control on 2 Lane roads.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476562July 29, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Multiple Phantom braking events with hard deceleration which nearly caused the car behind me to rear end my vehicle. Car suddenly braked and speed Was reduced from 72 mph to 55 mph before I could disengage the autopilot. At the time nearest vehicle In front of me was a over 1/2 mile away. Was traveling West bound around 0800 issue was severe enough that I did not trust reactivating the system until I reached my destination and could put the car in park. This was the second such episode in phantom braking in less than a week. The episode last week occurred as I was approaching a bridge and I am guessing the car mistook the shadow across the road as a vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476536July 29, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH with cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The contact also stated there were no vehicles nearby. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476477July 29, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Heating failure in colder temperature climates, left with my heat completely not working during a 7 hour drive in 15 degree weather. Had to eventually get a tow truck. Went to tesla to get it looked at and they were trying to charge $250 for a diagnostic. I had this same exact issue a week after when I first purchased the car where the heat would not work in cold weather. Had three sensors replaced under warranty. After some miles the issue has came back with the same fault codes in the following winter. This is a disaster and if you’re stuck on the road, it can be a very lethal problem to occupants. Even in today’s heat wave, I have found that the AC does not work either linked to the same error as the heating portion where AC would fail to blow cool air into the cabin. Last week, I had to push all of my trips to days where the temperature was cooler. This is another safety hazard that some people could suffer from heat strokes which can cause immediate danger to occupants and other drivers on the road. I already had this issue repaired in the past, and after 25k miles I find that the repair wasn't a repair at all until the next winter and summer. Now i’m being forced to pay $250 for a diagnostic fee not including the repairs for the actual issue. Since i’m out of warranty this is a huge safety issue and should be taken more seriously with these cars. Many people have reported this same issue and are seeking lemon laws regarding this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476415July 28, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
In autopilot the car would brake hard for no reason and road clear in front of vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476414July 28, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Had significant dangerous and scary Phantom breaking while driving on Highway 80 across Nevada. Seemed to be related to open highway with no vehicle visible on forward view during bright daylight. Sudden and deep breaking would occur at 75 mph or 80 mph repeatedly and with no apparent reason throughout the 12 hour drive. Was particularly pronounced when passing large semi-trucks. Would get sudden Phantom breaking just as Tesla would just get by a large truck. Could have caused serious event if another vehicle had been following. At first this just seemed inconvenient and unpredictable but in some cases seem like significant safety issue. Had to stop using system. Tried to report to Tesla but they have no way on their web site or private Tesla account to report.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476130July 27, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Yesterday on a road trip my car repeatedly slammed on the brakes while in cruise control despite no vehicles or objects in the road in front of me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475821July 25, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
A day of Phantom Braking today while the car was on adaptive cruise: -Going on the interstate up a hill, and on the crest it freaks out and slams on the brake -Going on MN Hwy 18 at 6:30 pm north, and dozens of phantom braking incidents in shadows, dark colored patches of road, and for random reasons. Got so bad I stopped using the feature
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475766July 25, 2022
STEERING
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle from her residence at 3 mph and attempting to turn to the left, but failed to turn. The contact stated the vehicle continued to go straight and ran into a chain link fence. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention but she was frightened. The contact attempted to straighten the vehicle by turning left again and drove into a railing. The contact stated the instrument cluster screen when blank after the second crash. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact towed the vehicle to local dealer and was being serviced at the moment of the call. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,297
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475708July 25, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The Auto-Pilot system, Tesla's version of adaptive cruise control, 'phantom' brakes with no obstruction in the road. It has happened to me many times on a recent long trip. perhaps a dozen times over 1300 miles. It has occurred when I am on the only car on a quiet country road and on busy highways. There appear to be 2 types of braking; one in which the brakes are actually engaged and the other in which is appears that Auto-Pilot just turns off and the system allows the regenerative braking to slow the car. At times it happens over slight dips or undulations in the road. On another occasion it happened when the car 'sees' a sharp shadow under an upcoming bridge in bright sunlight. Most of the time when approaching a bridge It does not phantom brake. However it did do this when approaching two consecutive bridges under identical lighting conditions. This all may be a function of using a camera based system for cruise control. I am making this report because I was to go on record in pointing out it is a very very big problem. I wish I had more real data to share with you. Tesla needs to cooperate with you to fix this immediately. It is a serious safety issue. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475554July 24, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Car is phantom breaking with cruise control set on the freeway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475473July 23, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The Autopilot feature regularly doing hard brake without good reason, and often happens without any warning. This is dangerous for everyone on the road and major liability hazard for the car owner.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475289July 22, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving the rear passenger driver side glass just shattered, this seems to be a issue with a lot of Tesla 3 models. The glass has a outward bulge, nothing hit the glass. Luckily this did not result in a crash, but could have. There are a lot of people that have reported this on the internet, this is a new 2021 model still under Warrenty and Tesla refuses to repair it under warranty even though a lot of them are having the same problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475191July 21, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
We have not yet had an accident but have come close due to phantom breaking when using the cruise control with our Tesla. We have reported the concern to Tesla as of 7/21/22 and were told to reset the computer but they have not been able to offer any other solutions. We are very concerned for our safety as we cannot reliability use our cruise control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475143July 21, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car would slow down and suddenly using regenerative braking for no good reason while on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (part of Autopilot) on very lightly traveled highways, mostly on I-80 in WY, UT, and NV. Incidents happened on 1 to 2% of every mile traveled. I have marked the date as July 3 below, but actually multiple (20 to 50 total) incidents occurred from 7/2 to 7/4, and 7/9 to 7/11. Incidents could occur whether Autosteer was engaged or not. No alarm sounded to indicate that a collision was imminent. If I didn't intervene, the car would sometimes recover almost immediately and slowed only 5 mph, but in other cases it would slow down by 20 mph within 2-3 sec before recovering. Speed limits were typically 75 to 80 mph; I was normally traveling around that speed. Although these highways have low traffic density, my biggest concern is that another car will rear-end mine if it's following too closely. My own observations: 1. The most frequent incident type seemed to occur when there were no vehicles ahead for 15 to 30 sec following distance. Prior to this, Traffic Visualization would sometimes show the next vehicle with uncertainty (flickering in and out or changing size) even though it doesn't normally show a vehicle outside of 4 to 6 sec following distance. Typically that vehicle was a semi-trailer and its appearance to myself (and probably to the cameras) changed due to lighting, details of the trailer, going over a hill, etc. 2. Less frequently, the car would slow down while passing a semi-trailer. Generally Autosteer was not engaged in these cases. 3. High crosswinds could be felt in many cases, but not all. 4. The system seemed much more reliable in areas with more traffic. I'm not sure, but I speculate is that the AI may start looking for vehicles where none exist if it can't easily see any. 5. When mentioned, 2 other Tesla drivers confirmed seeing similar behavior.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475133July 21, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I have experienced multiple instances of what I see others seem to be referring to as Phantom Braking. The car will decelerate from 70 mph to 40 mph in seconds with absolutely no other vehicles, obstacles, etc. in sight. Typically the issue happens on 2 lane divided highways )2 lanes in each direction separated by a natural median) during the day time. Without any warning the car will rapidly decelerate using the brakes so aggressively the anti-lock brakes are being engaged as you can hear the tires skidding/squealing. The braking is so aggressive everything loose in the car flies forward including occupants. My typical reaction is to press down on the accelerator immediately to get back up to speed in case there is someone behind me. I picked up the car in March 2022 and experienced the issue in the first couple days. While a Tesla tech was at my house installing the Home Link system I inquired about the issue to which he responded its a known issue with no known resolution. I have continued to drive the car and at times need to turn off any speed control as I have dealt with multiple incidents in just a couple miles. The common item I have seen is when there is a glare/glimmer/mirage on the payment ahead. I took it in for service yesterday and they stated unless they can reproduce it, nothing can be done. I gave them the time and date of an event, they said they would pull the logs, yet nothing was done. They put a comment in the paperwork the system is only a BETA (see attached service document). This is a very serious issue which is likely going to cause a serious accident resulting in injury and/or death. I cannot even think what would happen if the roads are wet during a situation like this. The arrogance of the Tesla service team was unbelievable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475124July 21, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I bought my car new from Tesla in March of 2022. I drove it off their lot in Minneapolis and was my way home back to Bismarck, ND. Within 10 miles of being on I-94 with basic cruise control on, the car suddenly and unexpectedly slammed on the brakes. I had the cruise set at 80 mph and the stop was so sudden that I went down to around 45 mph within a second or so. It happened a few more times within the next 20 miles or so, so I called the service number. The lady on the service team told me that I just needed to "recalibrate my cameras". So I pulled over and did what she said all to no avail. It continued so I just did not use cruise control. Over the next few months, every single time I would go on a highway and use basic cruise control - I would get the same thing and experience extremely dangerous "phantom braking". And each time I would call Tesla service and they would remote dial into my car and tell me the same thing: there is nothing we can see and nothing appears to be wrong. Essentially saying I'm imaging this all happening. At the end of June or beginning of July, I spoke with a Tier 2 tech and he asked me to be very specific if I could and next time it happens to log exactly when, where I was, etc. this happens next. On my way back from Denver it happened so frequently that I again turned off the cruise - but I did what he mentioned and I documented the exact times and whereabouts as requested. I submitted that info a few days ago - they just responded last evening saying again that nothing is wrong and "it is the drivers responsibility to stay aware and alert at all times". So I responded by saying nothing of this was ever disclosed as a known risk to me before I bought the car and the fact that you are now claiming that essentially nothing is wrong, you are therefore suggesting that this phantom braking is not a real issue. The concern with this answer is their apparent refusal acknowledgment suggests no fix is coming.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11474999July 20, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Adaptive cruise control kept abruptly decelerating and/or braking whenever a car passed in the opposite direction on a two lane highway. It also sometimes did the same thing when going over a rolling hill. As the feature exists now, it is completely unusable on certain roads. There is a risk of a rear end collision if the car brakes for no reason when using adaptive cruise control. At the very least, there should be an option to disable the adaptive feature of cruise control when the system is unable to work properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Tesla Model 3