2019 TESLA MODEL 3

22 recalls, 1,061 complaints - 115 TSBs - 5/5 safety rating

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. The headlight low beams may be too bright and exceed the maximum light output. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, ... Read more

Consequence

Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 15, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-003.

20,349 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to co... Read more

Consequence

Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.

696,281 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirem... Read more

Consequence

A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.

125,233 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Sta... Read more

Consequence

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.

6,557 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicle... Read more

Consequence

Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.

2,193,869 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope... Read more

Consequence

In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.

2,031,220 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

SUSPENSION:FRONT

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.

Consequence

A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-31-001. This recall is an expansion of previous... Read more

422 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

STEERING:AUTOMATED/ADAPTIVE STEERING

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling s... Read more

Consequence

FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.

362,758 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The second-row left seat belt buckle and second-row center seat belt anchor may have been incorrectly reassembled during vehicle service.

Consequence

An incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchor can impair the performance of the seat belt during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Tesla Service will inspect and reassemble the seat belt anchors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-20-004.

24,064 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2022 Model Y, and 2021-2022 Model S and Model X vehicles. The window automatic reversal system may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehi... Read more

Consequence

A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2032. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-013.

1,096,762 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance vehicles. The unit of speed (mph or km/h) may fail to display on the speedometer while in Track Mode. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control an... Read more

Consequence

The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-008.

48,184 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these veh... Read more

Consequence

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer se... Read more

594,894 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to compl... Read more

Consequence

A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.

947 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these veh... Read more

Consequence

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3... Read more

578,607 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Fede... Read more

Consequence

The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.

817,143 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

STEERING:AUTOMATED/ADAPTIVE STEERING

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first c... Read more

Consequence

Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.

53,822 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING: REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles. The rearview camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening and closing of the trunk lid, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

Consequence

A rearview camera that does not function reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla Service will inspect and install a guide protector and new cable harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.

356,309 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.

Consequence

Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.

11,728 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

SUSPENSION:FRONT

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.

Consequence

A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-31-003.

2,791 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

SEAT BELTS

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Model 3 and 2019-2021 Model Y vehicles. One or both fasteners that secure the front seat shoulder belt to the b-pillar may not be properly attached.

Consequence

An improperly attached fastener may prevent the seat belt system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Tesla Service will inspect and repair both fasteners if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for ... Read more

5,530 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Model 3 and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles. The brake caliper bolts may be loose, allowing the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim.

Consequence

Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla Service will inspect and tighten, or replace the caliper bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tes... Read more

5,974 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Defect Description

Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2019 Tesla Model 3 vehicles. The driver-side sun visor may not have the required air bag warning information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Pro... Read more

Consequence

Failure to provide the air bag warning information increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will inspect the visor and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 6, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-19-15-003.

89 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

1,061 total complaints 92 crashes 22 fires 44 injuries 4 deaths

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	98
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	91
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL	87
ENGINE	86
SERVICE BRAKES	60
STEERING	60
POWER TRAIN	60
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	59
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING	57
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST	56

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

The Restraint Control Module (RCM) fault code RCM_a056 intermittently appears and disappears on the vehicle's display. This code indicates a fault in the front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) — the sensor responsible for detecting passenger presence and weight to determine whether a... Read more

Incident date: Aug 30, 2026

Incident date: Sep 2, 2026

Safety restraint system tsb technical service bulletin, a known problem with my 2019 Tesla model three

Incident date: Sep 2, 2026

Safety restraint system tsb technical service bulletin, a known problem with my 2019 Tesla model three

Incident date: Sep 2, 2026

Safety restraint system tsb technical service bulletin, a known problem with my 2019 Tesla model three

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Alert RCM_a021pretenLapFrontLeft. Caused by the seat harness wires being pinched and stretched when moving the seat back/forward/up/down. Eventually the wires are damaged by the seat movement. Tesla has touted a feature called "Easy Entry" which moves the seat to a preset position to allow the driv... Read more

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

Front passenger safety restraint system issue requiring replacement of Occupant Classification System and updating front passenger airbag to maintain compatibility with front passenger seat. Costing almost $2000. Many others have reported of multiple repairs

Incident date: Aug 24, 2026

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

To Whom It May Concern, I am logging a safety defect complaint regarding my 2019 Tesla Model 3, which displays active fault code RCM_a056 – Front passenger safety restraint system fault. This error deactivates the front passenger airbag and seatbelt pretensioners, creating an immediate, severe saf... Read more

Incident date: Aug 10, 2026

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

Tesla recently introduced auto parking as part of its FSD technology (Software 2026.20.6.11). Whenever we set the car destination to “home”, the auto parking has been able to gradually maneuver the car and self park in our garage. On 8/11, around 8:30pm, the car made a mistake during the auto p... Read more

Incident date: Aug 11, 2026

On 8/10/26, my Tesla experienced a complete low-voltage electrical failure while parked at my home. I owned the vehicle 34 days and put 1,054 miles on it after purchasing it directly from Tesla as a pre-owned vehicle. I entered the driver's seat, and closed the driver's door. The center touchscreen... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

I own a 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk that is included in the PTU safety recall involving sudden loss of motive power and/or loss of the PARK function. My vehicle began exhibiting the exact symptoms of this recall in April 2026 and has been undrivable since that time. The recall was announced in May ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 31, 2026

Engine is misfiring, causing in ability to accelerate properly and loads multiple error codes. Upon taking it to the dealership for services, we were told that there is a significant amount of carbon built-up inside the engine. The car has only 6,800 miles on it. The dealership stated that it is an ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 31, 2024

The Cadillac Escalade IQL has a blind spot on the passenger side of the vehicle that is the worse I’ve ever experienced. The side mirror is set to view the vehicle on the side but even at the optimal safety settings I can’t see a car to my right unless I can see them out my passenger window or t... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 29, 2026

Driver seat feels like something is loose in the back and is popping randomly almost like somebody’s kicking you in the back. It can be very distracting while driving. This happened on the 2026LE I had that I turned in because of that problem. I’ve had it seen several times by the dealership for... Read more

Incident date: May 14, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Fuel pump, fuel tank and valve check. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? SEE PHOTO. on turnpike 95. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent servi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

GM performed a vehicle wide Over the Air reprogramming of the modules incorporated in the VIP/Global B electronics platform in April, 2026. Following that my vehicle became totally dead. Key fob would not unlock the vehicle. Had to use the metal key, open the drivers door. Opened the door, nothing... Read more

Incident date: Oct 6, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failur... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

Shift to park sensor Shift to park warning. It was reported to dealer

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

Headlights shake at speeds and over bumps/potholes. Have tested with friend and they said it looks like I’m flashing my high beams rapidly when it’s just the cars headlight beam pattern shaking like the light is loose. Vehicle has not been inspect but service is due soon. Will inform dealers... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

While adaptive cruise was engaged, the vehicle read Alabama highway 80 west state road sign and incorrectly interpreted the sign for a speed limit sign which is 55 MPH.The vehicle displayed a “80 MPH” speed limit sign on the instrument cluster and then began to accelerate. When I took it to the ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

I was dropping off my fiancée to her doctor appointment and while driving to park the car started to smoke profusely. I was unable to tell at first, but I quickly realized that there was a flame spouting from between the front windshield and underneath the hood of the car. I jumped out of the car a... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

The known defective brake booster which failed suddenly has been confirmed as defective by ford dealers and its components failed resulting in catastrophic brake failure and not being able to stop. There were no warning lights or signs available it failed suddenly while driving also resulting in a n... Read more

Incident date: Jul 27, 2026

While driving the steering wheel stopped returning to center when in turns and also would occasionally get "stuck" in the turn. A few days after this began, was out driving, notice flashed "power steering failure" and then the steering wheel was not able to be turned. Turned off and restarted the ve... Read more

Incident date: Jul 28, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding what I believe is a premature paint defect on my Kia vehicle that has resulted in exposed bare metal and the development of rust on my vehicle. The factory paint has begun peeling and chipping away without any collision, misuse, or abnormal wear. As the paint... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2026

I was stuck on the Hot way for 45 minutes cause my car was heating up. It’s been in shop four times for heating up on the fourth time I took it in. I was stocked because my electrical started going out. The speedometer started just going around my electrical on my dash started going from heat to c... Read more

Incident date: Jun 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V099000 (Seat Belts), 26V344000 (Seat Belts), 26V368000 (Structure), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not cont... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

• Day of delivery. Had trouble connecting iPhone to vehicle. Once connected, Google Maps was not functioning properly. Dealership unsuccessfully tried to trouble shoot over the phone and brought car back same day for investigation. They claim they could not find anything wrong and brought car back... Read more

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

Steering wheel does not return to center on turns when driving at low speeds.

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

Our 2017 has had an ongoing problem through the years with the passenger door opening at speed. Sometimes going 70 mph on the interstate. Lately it has happened more and more. Yesterday, my wife called me at work, very upset saying that the passenger door popped open again on her way to work. I have... Read more

Incident date: Dec 22, 2025

Forward collision system does not work or alert under any circumstances. Vehicle has forward collision mitigation as well as collision mitigation alerting, but neither systems work. Dealer able to verify these systems do not work, but have no recourse for repair, as Ford engineering has not provided... Read more

Incident date: Dec 22, 2025

Leading up to a windshield replacement, my eyesight cameras that help with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist kept failing. This feature would turn on and off repeatedly. When I got my windshield replaced, it took longer than expected because of the camera calibration. The microchip(s) ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2026

The problem and or issue on my 2021 Ford F150 is the Day Running light on the Upper Passenger side went out and does not work anymore. I reported it to the Dealer. I believe it to be a safety issue if all Day Running lights are not fully operational. This happened with about 66,026 miles on my vehi... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2026

Component Affected: Service Brakes / ABS Module / Hydraulic Braking System Description of Safety Defect: There is an active, intermittent, catastrophic failure in the front braking system/ABS module causing the front brakes to completely lock up mid-transit while operating at high speeds (60+ MPH).... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2026

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

The vehicle’s auto stop-start randomly does not start the engine when releasing the brake. The vehicle is temporarily disabled on the roadway and it puts itself into Park. The vehicle requires intervention to restart the engine and the delay takes several seconds and poses a safety risk by blockin... Read more

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

I own a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Sahara JKU with approximately 67,000 miles. The vehicle has experienced a failure involving the ABS control module and related braking/stability systems. Current symptoms include: * ABS warning light illuminated * Brake warning light illuminated * Traction control warnin... Read more

Incident date: Jun 4, 2026

The GX 550 has many people online complaining about the windshields cracking from the bottom for no reason. The crack is getting worse and close to line of sight. This is happening without something striking it.

Incident date: Mar 27, 2026

My wife was driving and braked on a hill, not in park. The emergency brake auto-engaged while she was in park, then the emergency brake disengaged automatically. The care starts rolling down the hill, the regular brakes fail and do not work after pumping them multiple times. The emergency brake wo... Read more

Incident date: Mar 27, 2026

The Throttle response is very slow when slowing down and then trying to take back off you are half throttle or more before anything happens, i have had to pull off the road to keep other vehicles from hitting me because the vehicle would not go. There has been a few times on the interstate that the ... Read more

Incident date: May 19, 2026

Vehicle was brought to Volkswagen dealer on 4/2/26 for recall service/software update. Prior to service, rear camera and safety assistance systems operated normally. During recall procedure, update reportedly failed and vehicle was returned with rearview camera, parking sensors, and multiple driver ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 17, 2026

On two separate instances in the past month, I have come to a complete stop, and the engine automatically shuts off. Upon restarting it either failed to restart the engine or on this last occurence turned the engine over once, made the car lurch and took a few seconds for the engine to idle, almost ... Read more

Incident date: May 12, 2026

The contact owned a 2023 Ford Bronco. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. The contact's boyfriend had pulled over. They discovered an unknown fluid leaking under the vehicle and a spark coming from the engine before the... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Apr 17, 2026

Sudden complete engine failures occurred in my Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van during highway operation while transporting freight, creating a serious safety hazard due to immediate and total loss of engine power in active traffic conditions. The first engine failure occurred at approximately 303,000 mi... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

We were told by the mechanic that the engine was locked up after the car refused to drive faster than approximately 23 mph. We had to have the car towed from Boone, NC which was about 200 miles. The car is at our house and is available for inspection upon request. I have made repeated calls to dif... Read more

Incident date: Oct 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado LD Crew. The contact stated that while driving and going up hill, the vehicle will not accelerate over 60 mph. when the vehicle goes down hill the RPMs rapidly increase. When driving on a straight road, the vehicle hesitated to move forward. The vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Oct 5, 2025

When I purchased my vehicle new, it was equipped with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 tires, sized 285/30/20 in the front and 305/30/20 in the rear. After approximately 2,000 miles, the tires began exhibiting what appeared to be belt or tread separation. By approximately 5,000 miles, the vehicle had be... Read more

Showing 50 of 1,061 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2019 TESLA MODEL 3

2019 Tesla Model 3 4 DR RWD

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover Risk	6.6%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	Standard
Lane Departure Warning	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Technical Service Bulletins, 2019 TESLA MODEL 3

115 manufacturer communications from 56 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
350000 EQUIPMENT	26
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	12
355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL	9
160000 STRUCTURE	8
140000 AIR BAGS	8
220000 SEATS	7
353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE	5
356000 EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY	5

350000 EQUIPMENT

Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software ver

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

350000 EQUIPMENT

353600 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT

353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE

353620 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT

350000 EQUIPMENT

353600 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT

353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE

353620 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT

350000 EQUIPMENT

353600 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT

353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE

353620 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT

140000 AIR BAGS

When certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles receive a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) in their front passenger seats during vehicle servicing, they may require safety vent type front passenger airbags to maintain compatibility

220000 SEATS

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Owner's Manual.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Owner's Manual.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Owner's Manual

350000 EQUIPMENT

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

350000 EQUIPMENT

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

020000 SUSPENSION

Certain Model 3 high voltage batteries may not have a sufficient quantity of bolts for the contactor DC link busbars, which may prevent the vehicle from charging or powering properly.

200000 WHEELS

Certain Model 3 high voltage batteries may not have a sufficient quantity of bolts for the contactor DC link busbars, which may prevent the vehicle from charging or powering properly.

350000 EQUIPMENT

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

353600 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT

353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat electrical harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.

120000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING

140000 AIR BAGS

143100 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

350000 EQUIPMENT

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE

353620 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT

350000 EQUIPMENT

140000 AIR BAGS

220000 SEATS

160000 STRUCTURE

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

160000 STRUCTURE

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

350000 EQUIPMENT

160000 STRUCTURE

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

350000 EQUIPMENT

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

160000 STRUCTURE

On some Model 3 vehicles, water may have leaked inside the trunk area through the trunk lid.

162700 STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID

On some Model 3 vehicles, water may have leaked inside the trunk area through the trunk lid.

160000 STRUCTURE

On some Model 3 vehicles, water may have leaked inside the trunk area through the trunk lid.

160000 STRUCTURE

On some Model 3 vehicles, water may have leaked inside the trunk area through the trunk lid.

220000 SEATS

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

143100 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

143100 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

220000 SEATS

Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.

140000 AIR BAGS

220000 SEATS

251000 ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)

Some Model 3 vehicles were built without a hydraulic control unit (HCU) wake-up wire, and in rare circumstances, braking and stability control related alerts may appear on the instrument cluster and touchscreen during the vehicle power-on p

251000 ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)

100000 POWER TRAIN

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Some Model 3 driver and front passenger seat electrical harnesses might get damaged from repeated fore and aft adjustments to the seat, which will trigger a restraint system alert.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Some Model 3 driver and front passenger seat electrical harnesses might get damaged from repeated fore and aft adjustments to the seat, which will trigger a restraint system alert.

350000 EQUIPMENT

Some Model 3 driver and front passenger seat electrical harnesses might get damaged from repeated fore and aft adjustments to the seat, which will trigger a restraint system alert.

350000 EQUIPMENT

Some Model 3 vehicles were manufactured with triple camera windshield brackets that were not properly secured to the windshield. Autopilot is designed to deactivate if errors occur, but as a precaution, Autopilot features have been disabled

010000 STEERING

On certain Model 3, Model Y, and Model X vehicles, there may be a water ingress path to both front upper control arm ball joints that, over time, could possibly lead to surface corrosion of these ball joints. This may result in a creaking s

020000 SUSPENSION

050000 PARKING BRAKE

Certain Model 3 vehicles may have sustained damage to the Electric Park Brake (EPB) housing during the vehicle assembly process.

054000 PARKING BRAKE:ELECTRICAL

Certain Model 3 vehicles may have sustained damage to the Electric Park Brake (EPB) housing during the vehicle assembly process.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On certain Model 3 vehicles, an open electrical circuit or short to ground near connectors X950 or X952 may display a restart alert on the touchscreen, or prevent the vehicle from starting altogether.

350000 EQUIPMENT

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

350000 EQUIPMENT

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.

140000 AIR BAGS

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Certain Model 3 high voltage batteries may not have a sufficient quantity of bolts for the contactor DC link busbars, which may prevent the vehicle from charging or powering properly.

350000 EQUIPMENT

Certain Model 3 high voltage batteries may not have a sufficient quantity of bolts for the contactor DC link busbars, which may prevent the vehicle from charging or powering properly.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles might have a charge port door that is overflush (protrudes in comparison) to the LH taillight assembly.

350000 EQUIPMENT

Some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles might have a charge port door that is overflush (protrudes in comparison) to the LH taillight assembly.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

140000 AIR BAGS

130000 VISIBILITY

On some Model S, Model X, and Model 3 vehicles, condensation might build up inside of the B-pillar applique, potentially obscuring the B-pillar camera. This condition might cause some Autopilot features to be temporarily unavailable until t

161000 STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

350000 EQUIPMENT

270000 LANE DEPARTURE

022000 SUSPENSION:REAR

On some Model 3 vehicles, the LH and/or RH rear damper top mount bolts were not fastened according to internal specifications and may create noise, vibration, and harshness.

350000 EQUIPMENT

On some Model 3 vehicles, the LH and/or RH rear damper top mount bolts were not fastened according to internal specifications and may create noise, vibration, and harshness.

356000 EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

On some Model 3 vehicles, the LH and/or RH rear damper top mount bolts were not fastened according to internal specifications and may create noise, vibration, and harshness.

160000 STRUCTURE

Some Model 3 vehicles were built without butyl patches on the LH and RH front 1st row floor panels. Consequently, the sound of normal body flexing is heard and is not dampened.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Certain Model 3, Model S, and Model X vehicles were equipped with 2nd generation Universal Mobile Connector (UMC) inline units having a proximity circuit resistor that is out of specification. This resistor within the affected UMC inline un

350000 EQUIPMENT

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When some Autopilot HW2 and HW2.5 Model S, Model X, and Model 3 vehicles are near airport ASR-9 radar antennae, the vehicle cameras might be affected by electromagnetic interference, and Autopilot/camera alerts might be displayed.

350000 EQUIPMENT

356000 EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On some Model 3 vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.

140000 AIR BAGS

On some Model 3 vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.

220000 SEATS

On some Model 3 vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the touchscreen.

350000 EQUIPMENT

Some Model 3 vehicles were manufactured with charge port latch actuators that could allow ice to build up and prevent insertion or removal of the charge handle from the charge port.

Showing 100 of 115 bulletins.

NHTSA Safety Investigations, TESLA MODEL 3

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

PE, Open , Model Year: 2018

Lower Lateral Link detachment

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 156 complaints alleging a suspension failure in model year (MY) 2018-2020 Model 3 and MY 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles. The suspension failure involves the detachment of the front lower lateral link, which potentially causes a loss of vehicle direc... Read more

DP, Closed , Model Year: 2022

Emergency egress controls are not readily accessible and clearly identifiable.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a defect petition received on November 24, 2025, requesting an investigation into the emergency mechanical door release in 2022 Model Year (MY) Tesla Model 3. The petition alleges that the controls for the emergency mechanical d... oor release are not accessible and clearly identifiable and thus fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 206. A vehicle equipped with electric door handles without an accessible mechanical door release creates a risk to safety when the electric door handle becomes inoperative due to loss of power and occupants are unable to easily locate the mechanical door release to exit the vehicle in case of an emergency. A concealed or hard to locate emergency door release could prevent an operator or occupant from exiting the vehicle in the event of an emergency, such as a crash or fire. The potential risk for entrapment can result in a severe injury or death of the operator and other occupants of the vehicle. As of March 13, 2026, out of the population of 179,031 subject vehicles, NHTSA has identified one (1) consumer complaint, in NHTSA’s databases alleging that the mechanical door release is concealed and unlabeled, resulting in a risk of entrapment in the event of an emergency, as cited in the Petition. The complaint is for the same Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) as the subject vehicle of the Petition. The allegation describes a front impact collision, where the vehicle lost electrical power, and the electric door mechanism stopped working. The 2022 MY Model 3 has a mechanical release for the front doors, located in front of the window switch on the door's interior and consists of a lever that can be pulled up to open the door. The subject vehicle does not have a mechanical release for the back doors. The owner’s manual for the 2022 MY Tesla Model 3 includes a section labeled “In Case of Emergency” that details how to open doors from the interior when the vehicle has no electrical power. The owner’s manual refers to the mechanical release as a “manual door release.” The owner’s manual instructs the operator to “pull up the manual door release located in front of the window switches.” The owner’s manual includes an illustration showing the mechanical door release lever and its location on the door. The illustration depicts an image of the door with the window switch and lever, including a blue arrow pointing to the location of the lever to demonstrate the upward movement required to operate the lever. The lever shown in the illustration does not contain a label to identify it. Although they vary in design and location, mechanical releases for the front doors are available on all Tesla models. The location and operation of the mechanical release is described in the owner’s manual for each Tesla model. Further, the owner’s manual cautions the operator that the mechanical door release should only be used when the subject vehicle has no power or if otherwise necessary. If the subject vehicle has power, the button located at the top of the interior door handle should be used to open the doors. The Petition also stated the lack of an accessible mechanical emergency door release is a violation of the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 206 (49 CFR § 571.206). FMVSS 206 specifies performance requirements for vehicle door locks, latches, hinges, and attachment components to prevent passenger ejection during crashes. It applies to passenger cars, trucks, and buses with a GVWR of 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs.) or less, focusing on maintaining latch engagement under inertial loads and structural integrity. No requirements exist in the standard that address the Petitioner’s concern regarding the labeling and location of an emergency mechanical door release in passenger cars. On November 4, 2025, NHTSA’s Office of Rulemaking received a petition to initiate the issuance of a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) to mandate a robust and obvious door egress system in all motor vehicles. The request has been granted, and the Agency will accordingly commence a rulemaking proceeding. See 49 CFR § 552.9. A decision as to the issuance of a rule will be made on the basis of all available information developed in the course of the rulemaking proceeding, in accordance with statutory criteria. Id. The Agency has thoroughly assessed the material submitted by the Petitioner, consumer complaint information in NHTSA’s databases, and other relevant information already in possession of the Agency. NHTSA does not believe that the issues presented by the Petitioner indicate the likelihood of a safety related defect that would warrant a defect investigation, and the issue is best addressed through the rulemaking process. After full consideration of the available information and the commencement of the related rulemaking proceeding, the Petition is denied. Further specifics can be found in the Federal Register Notice. The ODI report cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11701894 and the Defect Petition can be viewed under ODI Number 11698174.Read more

AQ, Open , Model Year: 2017

Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements

The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the “SGO”), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority o... f these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a report to be submitted within one or five days of Tesla receiving notice of the crash. When the reports were submitted, Tesla submitted them in one of two ways. Many of the reports were submitted as part of a single batch, while others were submitted on a rolling basis. Preliminary engagement between ODI and Tesla on the issue indicates that the timing of the reports was due to an issue with Tesla’s data collection, which, according to Tesla, has now been fixed. NHTSA is opening this Audit Query, a standard process for reviewing compliance with legal requirements, to evaluate the cause of the potential delays in reporting, the scope of any such delays, and the mitigations that Tesla has developed to address them. As part of this review, NHTSA will assess whether any reports of prior incidents remain outstanding and whether the reports that were submitted include all of the required and available data. The SGO reports cited in the Opening Resume, can be found at NHTSA.gov/SGOCrashReporting under the following SGO 2021-01 report IDs: 13781-11020-1 13781-10844-1 13781-10843-1 13781-10530-1 13781-10160-1 13781-10159-1 13781-10157-1 13781-10146-1 13781-10122-1 13781-10098-1 13781-10097-1 13781-10096-1 13781-10095-1 13781-10094-1 13781-10093-1 13781-10023-1 13781-10022-1 13781-10021-1 13781-10020-1 13781-10017-1 13781-10016-1 13781-10015-1 13781-10014-1 13781-10013-1 13781-10012-1 13781-6047-1 13781-9930-1 13781-9917-1 13781-9928-1 13781-9925-1 13781-9924-1 13781-9923-1 13781-9922-1 13781-9835-1 13781-9834-1 13781-9833-1 13781-9832-1 13781-9831-1 13781-9830-1 13781-9829-1 13781-9827-1 13781-9818-1 13781-9780-1 13781-9779-1 13781-9778-1 13781-9777-1 13781-9775-1 13781-9774-1 13781-9773-1 13781-9772-1 13781-9771-1 13781-9770-1 13781-9728-1 13781-9688-1 13781-9715-1 13781-9714-1 13781-9713-1 13781-9712-1 13781-9711-1 13781-9710-1 13781-9709-1 13781-9696-1 13781-9695-1 13781-9694-1 13781-9693-1 13781-9692-1 13781-9691-1 13781-9690-1 13781-9687-1 13781-9686-1 13781-9342-1 13781-9319-1 13781-9019-1 13781-8910-1 13781-8732-1 13781-8712-1 13781-8310-1 13781-7897-1 13781-7895-1 13781-7835-1 13781-7798-1 13781-7797-1 13781-7758-1 13781-7757-1 13781-7756-1 13781-7755-1 13781-7667-1 13781-7399-1 13781-7398-1 13781-7397-1 13781-7396-1 13781-7395-1 13781-7394-1 13781-7393-1 13781-7389-1 13781-7388-1 13781-7387-1 13781-7386-1 13781-7385-1 13781-7383-1 13781-7187-1 13781-7186-1 13781-7185-1 13781-7184-1 13781-7181-1 13781-7023-1 13781-6399-1 13781-6389-1 13781-6388-1 13781-6387-1 13781-6386-1 13781-6379-1 13781-6378-1 13781-6377-1 13781-6375-1 13781-6214-1 13781-6172-1 13781-6155-1 13781-6154-1 13781-6122-1 13781-6120-1 13781-6118-1 13781-5800-1Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2017

Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.

On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user f... rom a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private property. ODI analyzed complaint data provided by Tesla as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers to identify Summon incidents resulting in crashes. ODI's analysis indicates that almost all Summon reported crashes involved minor property damage claims with no reported incidents involving a vulnerable road user, injury, fatality, or major property damage as indicated by an air bag deployment or vehicle tow away. Out of millions of Summon sessions, a fraction of 1% resulted in an incident. Almost all those incidents took place where, typically early in a Summon session, the system or person using the app failed to fully detect or respond appropriately to vehicle surroundings resulting in minor impacts. Incidents took place when app users did not have a complete 360-degree view of the surroundings in the app to assess situational awareness. This limited the app user’s ability to determine whether an impact was imminent during initial vehicle maneuvers such as reversing in close proximity to an obstacle or a curb. ODI found that the impacts most often occurred with parking gates, adjacently parked vehicles, and short parking bollards. During this investigation, ODI identified two Summon crashes related to camera blockages. In both crashes, Summon attempted to navigate a snowy parking lot with snow partially or fully obstructing the forward-facing cameras. Summon did not detect the camera blockage and the vehicles collided with unoccupied parked vehicles while navigating the parking lot. App users in both instances did not command a vehicle stop or pause despite the obstructed camera visible in the camera stream in the app. On January 15, 2025, Tesla released Over-the-Air (OTA) Software (SW) Update Action numbers 578998 and 579185 for vehicles in service to implement a camera blockage detection condition. Both OTAs improve camera blockage detection mechanisms. Additionally, on January 20, 2025, and January 30, 2025, Tesla identified additional system requirements associated with camera visibility checks and released OTA SW-578752 and SW-580322, respectively. These firmware updates reduce false negative camera blockage detections due to snow or condensation. In its investigation, ODI identified one Summon incident where the vehicle did not yield for a gate arm blocking a garage exit lane and the app user did not command a vehicle stop or pause, resulting in an impact. On February 6, 2025, Tesla deployed OTA SW-578839 to improve vehicle reaction to dynamic gates. This OTA update upgraded vehicle perception systems through a high-fidelity occupancy determination network, which uses data from vehicle sensory systems to improve reconstruction of field objects with high accuracy. On November 20, 2025, Tesla further improved vehicle performance by adding object detections from a separate neural network through OTA SW-580514. Owners of the affected vehicles received all six OTA SW updates. Tesla also released these SW updates to production vehicles. See online public file for detailed descriptions of all six OTA SW updates. Due to low incident occurrence and low incident severity, this preliminary evaluation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. For additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete online public file.Read more

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2023

Loss of steering control

On July 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23014) to investigate instances of loss of electronic power-assisted steering in MY 2023 Tesla Model 3 and MY 2023 Tesla Model Y vehicles manufactured by Tesla, Inc. The complaints allege a sudden and unex... pected inability to turn the steering wheel or an increase in effort required to turn the steering wheel. These conditions were alleged to occur both during the drive cycle, at various speeds, and at vehicle start up. Consumers reported receiving the warning message “Steering assist reduced” either before, during, or after the loss of steering control, and some consumers described their steering begin to feel “notchy” or “clicky” either prior to or just after the incident. On February 1, 2024, PE23014 was upgraded to EA24001 to further investigate the alleged defect in the affected vehicles. Tesla identified the cause of the increase in steering effort as an overvoltage breakdown (the voltage applied exceeds the maximum design limit), which can overstress motor drive components on the printed circuit board of the vehicle’s steering Electronic Control Unit (ECU). If the primary motor drive components experienced an overvoltage breakdown occurrence while the vehicle was traveling above 0 mph, electronic power-assisted steering would be diverted to secondary motor drive components. The secondary, or backup, motor drive components would maintain electronic power-assisted steering until the vehicle reached 0 mph. If the vehicle was operating on the secondary system and reached 0 mph, the driver would lose electronic power-assisted steering with manual steering remaining available. Only manual steering would remain until the vehicle’s steering ECU is replaced. On February 19, 2025, Tesla filed safety recall 25V092 to address the loss of electronic power-assisted steering. The recall filing documents state that a steering ECU software update, identified as 2023.38.4, was introduced into production vehicles and provided to affected fleet vehicles through an over-the-air (OTA) update beginning in October 2023. The updated software was designed to prevent overvoltage breakdown and overstress of motor drive components on the printed circuit board. ODI’s analysis of related Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and Tesla field data found that complaint traffic declined following the 2023.38.4 software release. In view of the recall action taken by Tesla, ODI is closing this EA. ODI will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the remedy as is consistent with the Agency’s authority and practice. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2023

Loss of steering control

On July 28, 2023, The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23-014) after receiving 12 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting loss of steering control in model years (MY) 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Y vehicles. During PE23-014, ODI interviewed complainants, sent ... an Information Request (IR) letter to Tesla, and convened technical meetings with Tesla that included a joint inspection of a crashed vehicle. The investigation identified 2,388 total complaints regarding the alleged defect, including 124 complaints through VOQs and 2,264 complaints through manufacturer data. ODI is associating 1 crash to this investigation (11544655), where a driver was unable to complete a right hand turn in the intersection and hit a vehicle. This vehicle was subject to a joint inspection by ODI and Tesla. The steering rack was recovered by ODI with the consumer’s permission. ODI’s interviews of allegations supplied to the agency, in the form of VOQs, identified patterns of the incoming complaint traffic. Complaints allege an inability to turn the steering wheel, while other complaints allege an increase in required effort to turn the steering wheel. These conditions were reported to occur during the drive cycle as well as at start-up. Approximately one-third of complaints with a reported speed occurred at vehicle start-up or speeds less than 5 mph. Interviews with failures reported at speeds over 5 mph, half reported an inability to turn the steering wheel. A majority of complaints with a reported speed reported between 5 mph and 35 mph with approximately 1 in 10 occurring on open roads at speeds 35 mph and over. The highest reported speed regarding an alleged inability to turn the steering wheel is 75 mph. A majority of allegations reported seeing a warning message, “Steering assist reduced”, either before, during or after the loss of steering control. A portion of drivers described their steering begin to feel “notchy” or “clicky” either prior to or just after the incident. There have been multiple allegations of drivers blocking intersections and/or roadways. ODI is aware of over 50 vehicles which were allegedly towed as a result of the condition from a variety of areas including, driveways, parking lots, side of road and intersections. Multiple complaints state they were able to temporarily remedy the condition by power cycling the vehicle, but the issue reoccurred until the steering rack was replaced. Tesla supplied four steering rack part numbers on the subject vehicles. The investigation identified part numbers, 1044832-00-A and 1188832-00-A accounted for 2,187 of the complaints and 4 did not have original part number in the information request. ODI has upgraded PE23-014 to an Engineering Analysis (EA24-001) due to continued complaint traffic and to characterize the system conditions leading to- and stemming from- the alleged defect in vehicles supplied with steering rack part numbers 1044832-00-A and 1188832-00-A To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.Read more

DP, Open , Model Year: 2017

Sudden Unintended Acceleration

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP20-001 on the basis that intermittent high electrical current demands on the vehicles' 12VDC systems may have caused some or all of the incidents examined by ODI in DP20-001. The petit... Read more

DP, Closed , Model Year: 2017

Defect Petition Interlock Request

On March 21, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting a “recall of all Tesla cars” produced from 2013 to the date on which the petition was filed due to what Petitioner considers to be the increased likelihood of pedal misapplication. Attached to the Petitio... Read more

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2017

Autopilot System Driver Controls

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded PE21020 to EA22002 on June 8, 2022, to extend work and deepen the PE21020 crash analysis, to supplement that analysis with additional data, and to perform vehicle evaluations to understand how Tesla’s Autopilot system may exacerbate human factors ... or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver’s supervision. To support this work, ODI collected additional crash information and assessed vehicle control authority, driver engagement technologies, and related human factors considerations associated with partial automation via analysis of peer vehicle data and hands-on vehicle evaluation, assessments from NHTSA human factors subject matter experts, and reviews of related publications dedicated to partial driving automation. Autopilot is the simultaneous use of the features that Tesla calls Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) and Autosteer. TACC is a type of adaptive cruise control that, like traditional cruise control, maintains a set speed but also slows or accelerates as necessary to maintain the vehicle’s following distance from a vehicle in front. As designed, Autosteer detects lane markings and the presence of other nearby vehicles and objects to keep the vehicle in its driving lane. Autopilot is characterized by Tesla as an SAE Level 2 (“L2 system”) partial driving automation system that provides driver assistance through steering, propulsion, and braking within a specified driving environment under direct supervision of the driver. L2 systems should be designed to support the driver’s need to monitor the system in response to the constantly changing driving environment and, if necessary, take over the dynamic driving task. To ensure sufficient driver engagement, vehicles with L2 systems should employ driver engagement systems and usage controls that are appropriate and sufficient for the L2 system design and driver expectations. ODI completed an analysis of 956 crashes reported up to August 30, 2023. In approximately half (489) of those crashes, ODI found: 1.) that there was insufficient data to make an assessment; 2.) the other vehicle was at fault; 3.) Autopilot was found to not be in use; or 4.) the crash was otherwise unrelated to EA22002. Of the remaining 467 crashes, ODI identified trends resulting in three categories: collisions in which the frontal plane of the Tesla struck another vehicle or obstacle with adequate time for an attentive driver to respond to avoid or mitigate the crash (211), roadway departures where Autosteerwas inadvertently disengaged by the driver’s inputs (111), and roadway departures in low traction conditions such as wet roadways (145). ODI observed this pattern across all Tesla models and hardware versions. Crash and human factors assessment showed that Autopilot controls did not sufficiently ensure driver attention and appropriate use. At the same time, peer analysis and vehicle evaluations established that Autopilot invited greater driver confidence via its higher control authority and ease of engagement. This mismatch of weak usage controls and high control authority was evident in these crash categories, which included indications of driver disengagement from the driving task. This mismatch was also evident in roadway departures when the system was engaged in low traction conditions outside of Tesla’s recommendations.Additional information regarding NHTSA’s crash analysis is available in the EA22002 file. ODI reviewed these findings with Tesla during several conversations in Quarter 4 of 2023. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (DIR) (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system. Tesla’s DIR described the functionality of this system, stated that the prominence and scope of the system’s controls may be insufficient to prevent driver misuse, and described a remedy to improve the effectiveness of driver warnings and to reduce mode confusion. ODI completed an extensive body of work via PE21020 and EA22002, which showed evidence that Tesla’s weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot’s permissive operating capabilities. This mismatch resulted in a critical safety gap between drivers’ expectations of the L2 system’s operating capabilities and the system’s true capabilities. This gap led to foreseeable misuse and avoidable crashes. During EA220002, ODI identified at least 13 crashes involving one or more fatalities and many more involving serious injuries, in which foreseeable driver misuse of the system played an apparent role. ODI’s analysis conducted during this investigation, which aligns with Tesla’s conclusion in its Defect Information Report, indicated that in certain circumstances, Autopilot’s system controls and warnings were insufficient for a driver assistance system that requires constant supervision by a human driver. Given Tesla’s recall (23V838) of all vehicles equipped with Autopilot for insufficient controls to prevent misuse, ODI is closing EA22002. Concurrent with that closing, ODI has opened a Recall Query (RQ24009) to assess the effectiveness of the 23V838 remedy. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2018

Unexpected Brake Activation

On February 16, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22002) to investigate reports of unexpected deceleration while driving with the adaptive cruise control system engaged in Model Year (MY) 2021 – 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured by Tesl... a. The subject systems include Autopilot (all versions), Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC). These complaints have been colloquially referred to as “phantom braking”. ODI opened PE22002 to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to assess any resulting safety issues in the subject vehicles. The alleged defect is an unexpected and unrequested vehicle deceleration triggered by the subject system during subject system engagement. The alleged defect does not occur when the subject system is not in use and is separate and distinct from Automated Emergency Braking (AEB). During vehicle operation, AEB is actively monitoring in the subject vehicles regardless of subject system and its intervention is accompanied by audible and visual collision warnings. A Vehicle Owners Questionnaire (VOQ) trend originating in November 2021 prompted ODI to open PE22002. VOQ narratives reported unexpected brake activation while using TACC, Autopilot or FSD. The trend grew from 99 by the end of 2021 to 314 by February 16, 2022, when PE22002 was opened. ODI sent Information Request (IR) Letters to Tesla on May 4, 2022, and July 11, 2024, to request salient data to quantify vehicle production, field incidents, and the physical parameters of the phantom braking reports. ODI also requested information pertaining to Tesla’s internal assessments, problem resolutions, and their assessment of the alleged defect. Typically, the complaints to ODI and Tesla allege a 10-20 mph speed reduction at highway speeds over a 1-3 second time period.No collisions were identified. Drivers reported seeing no vehicles ahead in the travel lane that would have triggered the deceleration. Many complaints reported the conditions taking place on higher speed roadways in sunny conditions with shadows on the roadway. Complainants typically applied the accelerator to override the unexpected deceleration, and subject vehicles did not come to a complete stop or steer out of their travel lane. ODI analyzed data provided by Tesla in addition to consumer complaints submitted to ODI. Tesla’s complaint and field data exhibited some behavior that aligned with the transition from a radar-vision fusion system to vision-only in mid-2021. VOQ traffic coincided with public events such as Recall 21V846, the opening of PE22002, and several related media publications. In February and March of 2022, Tesla released firmware updates 2022.4.5.1 and 2022.4.5.17 respectively to target aspects of the subject system programming that affect unexpected deceleration. Incident traffic has dissipated substantially in the past years, with 45 incidents reported in 2024, 19 in 2025, and 3 since the beginning of 2026. The conditions reported, while concerning to the drivers, did not alter the vehicle’s lateral positioning in their lanes and did not cause significant loss in distance between the subject and following vehicle to lead to a collision. Complaint traffic to both NHTSA and Tesla reported the same conditions- vehicles traveling with the subject system engaged at higher speeds decelerating suddenly with no commensurate vehicle or obstacle ahead in the same lane. In view of these points, and a low demonstrated hazard to drivers, this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2017

Tesla Passenger Play

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-023) on December 21, 2021, to evaluate the driver distraction potential and use frequency / circumstances of in-vehicle game-play functionality referred to as ?Passenger Play? in certain model year (MY) 2017-2022 Tesla Mod... Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2017

Autopilot & First Responder Scenes

On August 13, 2021, NHTSA?s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-020) to assess the performance of Tesla?s Autopilot system (a system characterized by Tesla as an SAE Level 2 driving automation system designed to support and assist the driver in performing the ... Read more

DP, Closed , Model Year: 2017

Sudden Unintended Acceleration

On December 19, 2019, NHTSA received a petition from Mr. Brian Sparks requesting that the Agency recall all [Tesla] Model S, Model X, and Model 3 vehicles produced from 2013 to the present due to sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). In his petition and follow-up submissions, the petitioner identifi... ed a total of 232 non-duplicative complaints to NHTSA, including 203 reporting crashes. On January 13, 2020, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition DP20-001 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI's evaluation included reviews of all complaints and supporting information referenced by the petitioner, as well as 14 additional complaints to NHTSA related to SUA crash allegations that were either not selected by the petitioner or were submitted after the petitioner's most recent submission. The review also included analyses of available crash data (EDR, Tesla log data, and/or video data) the Agency acquired as part of the evaluation.After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into SUA in the subject vehicles. In every instance in which event data was available for review by ODI, the evidence shows that SUA crashes in the complaints cited by the petitioner have been caused by pedal misapplication. There is no evidence of any fault in the accelerator pedal assemblies, motor control systems, or brake systems that has contributed to any of the cited incidents. There is no evidence of a design factor contributing to increased likelihood of pedal misapplication. The theory provided of a potential electronic cause of SUA in the subject vehicles is based upon inaccurate assumptions about system design and log data.NHTSA is authorized to issue an order requiring notification and remedy of a defect if the Agency?s investigation shows a defect in design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle that presents an unreasonable risk to safety. 49 U.S.C. ?? 30102(a)(9), 30118. Since the information before the Agency is not indicative of a vehicle-based defect, it is unlikely that any investigation opened because of granting this petition would result in an order concerning the notification and remedy of a safety-related defect. Therefore, upon full consideration of the information presented in the petition and the potential risks to safety, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action if warranted or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists based upon additional information the agency may receive.The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP20-001. Those complaints and the 14 complaints ODI added to its evaluation can be viewed at NHTSA.gov. The reference numbers for the complaints added by ODI are: 11385350, 11383955, 11383233, 11383180, 11378492, 11378458, 11302076, 11299698, 11290006, 11190595, 11174504, 11115496, 11096644 and 11000097. The attached report, further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition, will be published in the Federal Register.Read more

TESLA MODEL 3 - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the TESLA MODEL 3 across all model years (2017, 2026).

139 Total Recalls

7,656 Total Complaints

13 Investigations

551 Reported Crashes

85 Reported Fires

14 Reported Deaths

TESLA MODEL 3 - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2026	1	37	View
2025	3	211	View
2024	5	339	View
2023	12	734	View
2022	18	1,506	View
2021	22	1,235	View
2020	21	771	View
2019 (current)	22	1,061
2018	19	1,706	View
2017	16	56	View

Other TESLA Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
MODEL S	283	5,158	View
MODEL X	259	2,303	View
MODEL Y	186	6,639	View
CYBERTRUCK	31	187	View
SEMI	2	6	View
ROADSTER2	1	2	View
ROADSTER	1	3	View
NEMA 10-30 ADAPTER	0	2	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2019 TESLA MODEL 3

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2019 TESLA MODEL 3

Safety Technology

Technical Service Bulletins, 2019 TESLA MODEL 3

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, TESLA MODEL 3

TESLA MODEL 3 - All Years Overview

TESLA MODEL 3 - Year by Year

Other TESLA Models