2021 Tesla Model 3 Problems & Owner Complaints

Forward Collision Avoidance 405 10 crash 1 fire 8 injury

“1:Brake fail when trying to stop the car after the accident. The car is available for inspection at Arrow towing service Oklahoma City. 2: After the car accident the car keep going can't stop got Tee boned and my passenger broke his legs and ankles, elbow. 3: No, the problem has not be discussed with the dealer or manufacturer yet. 4: No one, including police, insurance have been inspect it. 5: No warning lamp or any kind of warning.”
NHTSA complaint #11527815, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“On [Wednesday, 07/09/2025], I was driving my Tesla Model 3 in rainy conditions when the vehicle suddenly swerved and crashed into a sidewall. The road was wet but not flooded, and I was traveling at a moderate speed. As I lifted my foot off the accelerator to slow down, the car's regenerative braking system engaged abruptly, which I believe shifted weight forward and caused the rear tires to lose traction. This led to hydroplaning and complete loss of control. There were no warning lights or alerts prior to the incident. The road surface did not have visible hazards or standing water that wou…”
NHTSA complaint #11676548, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while using a self-driving mode at 50 mph, it would not stay in the lane and drive slowly into the next lane. The contact stated on April 9, 2023, while using a self-driving mode at 15 mph, a pedestrian walked into the lane and the vehicle did not detect the person and hit the pedestrian. No air bags deployed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The pedestrian sustained an unknown fractured leg and a fractured arm and sought medical attention for his injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle wa…”
NHTSA complaint #11533171, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Service Brakes 124 11 crash 1 fire 5 injury

“1:Brake fail when trying to stop the car after the accident. The car is available for inspection at Arrow towing service Oklahoma City. 2: After the car accident the car keep going can't stop got Tee boned and my passenger broke his legs and ankles, elbow. 3: No, the problem has not be discussed with the dealer or manufacturer yet. 4: No one, including police, insurance have been inspect it. 5: No warning lamp or any kind of warning.”
NHTSA complaint #11527815, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“On [Wednesday, 07/09/2025], I was driving my Tesla Model 3 in rainy conditions when the vehicle suddenly swerved and crashed into a sidewall. The road was wet but not flooded, and I was traveling at a moderate speed. As I lifted my foot off the accelerator to slow down, the car's regenerative braking system engaged abruptly, which I believe shifted weight forward and caused the rear tires to lose traction. This led to hydroplaning and complete loss of control. There were no warning lights or alerts prior to the incident. The road surface did not have visible hazards or standing water that wou…”
NHTSA complaint #11676548, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Phantom braking for no apparent reason. Worst occurrence was this morning driving home from work on cruise control, max speed cruise 73mph, suddenly my car braked on its own down to 59mph in 2 seconds. Very scary. My wrist hurts from that incident & my forehead almost hit the steering. Nothing in front & thank God no tailgating car behind me. This is not safe. It happens to me all the time but this was the scariest of all.”
NHTSA complaint #11450308, 2022 · 1 injury(ies)

Vehicle Speed Control 123 11 crash 6 injury 2 death

“This accident involved a high speed collision on the 2nd floor of a parking garage at a hospital in a suburb of Houston, Tx. Both the driver and the passenger were killed. A question has arisen as to how the vehicle could have accelerated at such a high rate, in such a short period of time, especially inside a parking garage? When we found out NHSTA was re-opening, the Tesla sudden acceleration issue, we thought it important to include the facts of our accident. Sudden acceleration in this case, raises some concern, taking into account the facts and circumstances surrounding this accident.…”
NHTSA complaint #11543898, 2023 · crash · 2 death(s)

“The contact owned a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that after reversing out of a parking space, then shifting to the drive position and lightly pressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward at a very high rate of speed. The vehicle drove across a street and crashed into a building. During the crash, the driver sustained an upper torso and neck injury and was transported to the hospital. One person inside the building was also injured during the incident. No further information was available. The vehicle was destroyed and towed…”
NHTSA complaint #11560173, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“1:Brake fail when trying to stop the car after the accident. The car is available for inspection at Arrow towing service Oklahoma City. 2: After the car accident the car keep going can't stop got Tee boned and my passenger broke his legs and ankles, elbow. 3: No, the problem has not be discussed with the dealer or manufacturer yet. 4: No one, including police, insurance have been inspect it. 5: No warning lamp or any kind of warning.”
NHTSA complaint #11527815, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Unknown Or Other 93 6 crash 5 injury

“Autopilot failed. Driver had head, neck injuries , and the passenger had head, neck, and knee injuries. CRASH REPORT: Date - 1/14/23; Time - 10:30 am. NCIC Number - 9565; Officer's Name: Garduno #22857”
NHTSA complaint #11502891, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“On [Wednesday, 07/09/2025], I was driving my Tesla Model 3 in rainy conditions when the vehicle suddenly swerved and crashed into a sidewall. The road was wet but not flooded, and I was traveling at a moderate speed. As I lifted my foot off the accelerator to slow down, the car's regenerative braking system engaged abruptly, which I believe shifted weight forward and caused the rear tires to lose traction. This led to hydroplaning and complete loss of control. There were no warning lights or alerts prior to the incident. The road surface did not have visible hazards or standing water that wou…”
NHTSA complaint #11676548, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Phantom braking for no apparent reason. Worst occurrence was this morning driving home from work on cruise control, max speed cruise 73mph, suddenly my car braked on its own down to 59mph in 2 seconds. Very scary. My wrist hurts from that incident & my forehead almost hit the steering. Nothing in front & thank God no tailgating car behind me. This is not safe. It happens to me all the time but this was the scariest of all.”
NHTSA complaint #11450308, 2022 · 1 injury(ies)

Electrical System 76 7 crash 1 fire 4 injury

“After parking and leaving the car, I realize later the dashboard did not shut down. The dashboard was still illuminated, and I was also able to hear the sound from a tuned FM radio. I re-open and closed both the driver and the passenger doors in an attempt to shutoff the dashboard. Since I did not get the expected result, I decided to get back into the car. I sat down in the driver chair to investigate the problem when the car was instantly activated and switched to a sudden and uncontrolled acceleration. It crashed into a facing wall after a run of about 30 feet.”
NHTSA complaint #11423241, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“see description on file report Nb:11423241”
NHTSA complaint #11423248, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Car was charging in garage overnight when an interior dash electrical fire started. Fire burnt dash and smoke damaged the interior or car. Fire smoldered itself out, and car was considered a total loss. Collision center that picked up vehicle stated that they believed the fire started from an electrical charging fault at the harness in the dash.”
NHTSA complaint #11556904, 2023 · fire

Lane Departure 31 6 crash 1 injury 2 death

“Component: Lane Support System — Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) Part of standard Autopilot safety suite (not FSD) activated without valid lane detection data and pushed the vehicle into the oncoming lane of traffic on Ohio State Route [XXX]. The system then aborted mid-intervention (LSS_STATE_ABORT), leaving the driver in the oncoming lane. The resulting head-on collision killed both drivers — the [XXX] Tesla driver and the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Two people died because of this ELK malfunction. Tesla's own telematics data confirms the following sequence: 5At 23:51:17.420 UTC, the Lan…”
NHTSA complaint #11750627, 2026 · crash · 2 death(s)

“1. Autosteer/Lane assist failure, yes its available for inspection upon request with Tesla 2. Due to above failure met with a crash which led to severe medical issues 3. The car has been totalled and the car is not functional, waiting on Tesla to inspect and confirm 4. Police has filed a crash report but manufacturer, insurance yet to inspect the vehicle or component 5. Absolutely NO WARNING lamps/messages prior to the failure.”
NHTSA complaint #11620683, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Component/System involved: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems — FSD (Supervised)/Autosteer (Lane Keeping Assistance) and Adaptive Cruise Control. Possible failure to warn/stop (FCW/AEB). Vehicle and data are available for inspection upon request. I preserved dashcam files and requested Tesla to preserve engineering logs and EDR. What happened & safety risk: On [XXX] at ~[XXX] PDT on [XXX] near East Palo Alto, CA, with FSD (Supervised) engaged, the system appeared to misinterpret an exit ramp/gore area as a continuing lane at a highway fork and maintained ~60 mph (posted ~70). As soon as I saw…”
NHTSA complaint #11681396, 2025 · crash

Visibility/Wiper 28

“HVAC system went out at 7500ish miles. It was repaired under warranty, and a "fix" was administered through software by tesla. My HVAC has gone out again at 84k miles FOR THE SAME REASON. about 77k miles after it was just repaired. Quick check online. this is still a very common issue. No heat creates a significant safety hazard due to lack of the ability to defrost the vehicle or frost building up on cold days.”
NHTSA complaint #11711146, 2026

“-- Summarized Explanation The automatic windshield wiper system behaves unpredictably and creates unsafe driving conditions. Wipers frequently activate when there is no rain, operate at excessive speeds during light rain, and, most critically, fail to activate during active rainfall. These failures reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a motor vehicle crash. Automatic wipers are forcibly enabled whenever cruise control or Autopilot is activated, regardless of weather conditions. This requires the driver to repeatedly adjust or disable the wipers while driving. Sudden transitions t…”
NHTSA complaint #11706220, 2025

“The interior rearview mirror exhibits tiny bubbles around the edges and streaking or cloudiness within the layered structure of the auto-dimming (electrochromic) mirror. The problem has occurred in multiple potential replacement mirrors, indicating a design or manufacturing defect. The issue first appeared as small bubbles around the outer edge, then progressed to visible streaking and cloudiness within the mirror surface. These symptoms impair rear visibility, particularly at night or in bright light conditions, when glare and distortion are most severe. This creates a safety hazard by: 1)…”
NHTSA complaint #11671080, 2025

Steering 26 10 crash 2 fire 4 injury 2 death

“The contact's son owned a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that his son was involved in a fatal collision while driving at an undisclosed speed with the autopilot activated. The contact was informed by his son's friend, who was a passenger in the vehicle, that the autopilot malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to inadvertently drive off the road, hit a tree, and then catch fire. An unknown bright orange light was seen on the windshield right before the failure occurred. The contact's son's friend was able to exit the vehicle, but the contact's son was unconscious and was not able to exit t…”
NHTSA complaint #11466262, 2022 · crash · fire · 1 death(s)

“Please note that the VIN I have used is not the VIN of the actual vehicle which is the subject of this complaint. There has been a fatal crash in San Diego. Here is a video of the aftermath. [XXX] I have taken stills from that video that show the Tesla wheel lying on the roadway well before the crash site and marks on the road that show the car slewed sideways after the wheel fell off and then crashed and burned incinerating the young driver. Photos are attached. You know full well that Tesla has defective suspensions. You have blood on your hands for failing to take action against Tesla. I…”
NHTSA complaint #11572238, 2024 · crash · fire · 1 death(s)

“1. Autosteer/Lane assist failure, yes its available for inspection upon request with Tesla 2. Due to above failure met with a crash which led to severe medical issues 3. The car has been totalled and the car is not functional, waiting on Tesla to inspect and confirm 4. Police has filed a crash report but manufacturer, insurance yet to inspect the vehicle or component 5. Absolutely NO WARNING lamps/messages prior to the failure.”
NHTSA complaint #11620683, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Power Train 17 2 crash

“The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while his wife was driving at approximately 29 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated and the front of the vehicle crashed into a tree, where it came to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The front driver's side air bag was deployed. A police report was filed. Medical attention was sought as a precaution; however, there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,340.”
NHTSA complaint #11655429, 2025 · crash

“The vehicle, a 2021 Tesla Model 3, had an episode of sudden unintended acceleration. I was almost stationary waiting to make a left when the car accelerated by itself, left the road, crossed a grass field at high speed and crashed into bushes. The vehicle was not on auto pilot, it resulted in damage of almost $ 20.000 as estimated by insurance. The vehicle is available for inspection, it will be checked by Tesla service after the damage is fixed. There were no previous warnings, this is the first incident of this kind. It is not clear what component malfunctioned, probably some electric/…”
NHTSA complaint #11592876, 2024 · crash

“My RWD motor completely went out and lost power on the highway off ramp. Could have turned into a dangerous situation. Not sure why these motors seem to be very unreliable. Tesla has not given me an explanation as to what is exactly causing this. Happens to thousands of owners. And this car is only 5 years old. I had the motor replaced in November 2022 and 3 years later it’s out for good. Now I have to deal with teslas insane costs. I feel like they sold me a defective car.”
NHTSA complaint #11735962, 2026

Structure 16 2 crash

“I was driving in the street at 10 miles, I turned to the right and I push the break but the car didn't break and I crashed with the car in front of me.”
NHTSA complaint #11581335, 2024 · crash

“I want to report an issue I have with Tesla concerning the damage that occurred to my vehicle as a result of a failure of Tesla FSD version 10.3 firmware release 2021.36.5.2 recalled by Tesla on 10/29/21 NHTSA recall number 21V-846. At noon on 10-24-21, I was testing the latest release of FSD as part of the beta program. My Tesla was in self-driving mode on a city street at 35 mph. This was the same route it had already successfully done earlier in the day, when suddenly the car jumped over the curb, causing damage to the bumper, to the wheel and a flat tire. This appeared to have been caus…”
NHTSA complaint #11444772, 2021 · crash

“I am reporting a safety concern regarding the glovebox fascia on my Tesla Model 3. The material on the glovebox trim is peeling and separating, which appears to be caused by prolonged exposure to heat inside the vehicle. The peeling fascia creates concerns about the durability and integrity of the interior component, as the material may continue to deteriorate over time. Loose or damaged trim could potentially interfere with the proper use of the glovebox, create sharp edges, or become a distraction while driving. I am requesting that Tesla inspect the affected area and determine the appropr…”
NHTSA complaint #11751588, 2026

Seat Belts 15 2 crash 1 injury 4 death

“Component: Lane Support System — Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) Part of standard Autopilot safety suite (not FSD) activated without valid lane detection data and pushed the vehicle into the oncoming lane of traffic on Ohio State Route [XXX]. The system then aborted mid-intervention (LSS_STATE_ABORT), leaving the driver in the oncoming lane. The resulting head-on collision killed both drivers — the [XXX] Tesla driver and the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Two people died because of this ELK malfunction. Tesla's own telematics data confirms the following sequence: 5At 23:51:17.420 UTC, the Lan…”
NHTSA complaint #11750627, 2026 · crash · 2 death(s)

“Front Seatbelt On March 13, 2026, at approximately 7:51 PM EST (23:51 UTC), the driver of a 2021 Tesla Model 3 was killed in a head-on collision on SR 741 in Warren County, Ohio. Two people died in this crash — the Tesla driver and the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Tesla's own telematics data (provided to the family post-crash) reveals that the driver's seatbelt unlatched at Row 5115 / 23:51:03.269 UTC — exactly 14.15 seconds before the collision. The driver was actively driving at the time, as confirmed by 66 separate steering torque readings between the seatbelt unlatch and the crash, r…”
NHTSA complaint #11750698, 2026 · crash · 2 death(s)

“The driver-side seat belt buckle/receptacle failed during normal use. There was no collision, impact, or misuse involved. While using the seat belt as intended, the buckle assembly separated/broke unexpectedly, causing the seat belt to no longer function properly. This appears to be a failure of a critical safety component rather than normal wear and tear. The vehicle should not be considered safe to operate until the restraint system is properly inspected and repaired. The failure occurred without warning and under ordinary driving conditions.”
NHTSA complaint #11738583, 2026

Suspension 12 2 crash 1 fire 1 death

“Please note that the VIN I have used is not the VIN of the actual vehicle which is the subject of this complaint. There has been a fatal crash in San Diego. Here is a video of the aftermath. [XXX] I have taken stills from that video that show the Tesla wheel lying on the roadway well before the crash site and marks on the road that show the car slewed sideways after the wheel fell off and then crashed and burned incinerating the young driver. Photos are attached. You know full well that Tesla has defective suspensions. You have blood on your hands for failing to take action against Tesla. I…”
NHTSA complaint #11572238, 2024 · crash · fire · 1 death(s)

“Without any warning from feel unstable, wobbly, or noisy, my car began pulling hard to the right as I was going straight on a small street. I was going about 10 m-15 miles an hour. My steering wheel did not respond to my efforts to straighten the vehicle and my brakes did not slow the car’s path. I was only stopped by two parked cars on the side of the road that I bounced off of. When I got out, bystanders pointed to the sheared tie rod on the front passenger side. The witnesses stated it was clear from their view that if I had been going faster on a wider street there would have been severe i…”
NHTSA complaint #11608657, 2024 · crash

“my 2021 tesla model 3 required replacement of both front upper control arms due to premature wear. the vehicle developed suspension noise, and an inspection determined both upper control arm assemblies with ball joints needed replacement. the repair cost was $1,845, including a wheel alignment. i am aware of numerous similar owner reports involving premature front suspension component failures in tesla model 3 vehicles and am submitting this complaint because i believe this may represent a broader safety-related issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11754861, 2026

Fuel/Propulsion System 9 2 crash 1 fire

“This is a complaint about the unacceptable fire risk that affects all Teslas due to the dangerous battery chemistry and the vulnerability to impact damage that can trigger an instantaneous fire . The VIN of a random Tesla has been used. This problem affects every Tesla. Here is a video of a test conducted by a European testing authority which shows the Tesla igniting almost immediately after a deliberate crash that only caused a minor strike to the underside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRDCKfCdh90 When NHTSA and many other testing authorities perform crash tests on Teslas they should do…”
NHTSA complaint #11481466, 2022 · crash · fire

“At around 5:30pm on 5/16/2021 We were entering our garage when our tesla accelerated on its own into our garage extremely quickly and nearly brought the garage down.”
NHTSA complaint #11417368, 2021 · crash

“BMS_a079 error. Battery is no longer able to charge. High voltage battery will need to be replaced. Basically rendering the vehicle useless unless the battery is replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11741063, 2026

Air Bags 8 3 crash

“The components involved are the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system and the airbag system. During the collision, the AEB system did not activate, and the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I was driving on a main roadway with no stop signs or traffic controls in my direction when another driver entered from a side street with a stop sign and pulled directly in front of me. I was unable to avoid the collision, and my vehicle was struck the other vehicle. The failure of the AEB system to engage and the airbags not deploying increased the risk of i…”
NHTSA complaint #11728185, 2026 · crash

“I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding the non-deployment of airbags during a recent traffic accident. The incident involved a collision where I was struck on the driver’s side front. Despite the severity of the impact, the airbags did not deploy, which raises significant concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of the airbag system in such scenarios. Incident Overview •Accident Type: Collision with impact on the driver’s side front •Airbag Response: No airbag deployment Safety Concerns The non-deployment of the airbags during this incident is alarming, as airbag…”
NHTSA complaint #11607429, 2024 · crash

“Car accident , car failed to deploy airbags .”
NHTSA complaint #11437833, 2021 · crash

Back Over Prevention 8

“The rear camera malfunctions intermittently and causes other errors to happen, like Automatic emergency braking unavailable or forward collision warning unavailable. When the camera error happens, it says the camera is unavailable. I took my car to the Tesla dealership three times. The first time, they did a continuity check and said the harness was degraded, and they replaced the harness and the rear camera. A week later, it happened again. The second time they reset the camera calibration and it worked. The day after, it happened again. The car is at the Tesla dealership for the third ti…”
NHTSA complaint #11719399, 2026

“The 2017-2020 Tesla model 3's have a recall for the rear camera wiring harness. The recall ends with cars built until September of 2020. My car was built in December of 2020 and my 2021 tesla model 3 was just repaired and had the exact same issue. The coaxial cable wore out and my rear camera didn't work. Because my car wasn't included in this recall, i had to pay for it. This recall needs to be expanded to other year models of the tesla model 3. The problem isn't isolated to vehicles prior to 2020.”
NHTSA complaint #11678889, 2025

“While backing up, the rearview camera feed occasionally displays a noticeable delay, which prevents objects and pedestrians from appearing in real time. This lag creates a significant safety risk, as the visual information on the screen does not accurately reflect the vehicle's current surroundings. Additionally, the display on the left side (vehicle proximity visualization) does not match the camera view or actual situation, further contributing to confusion and potential danger when reversing. This issue persists despite software updates and appears to be a systemic flaw that compromises dri…”
NHTSA complaint #11671084, 2025

Exterior Lighting 8

“Vehicle's turn signal is not hardware based, but instead relies on the software registering signal use. The turn signal can be "fully" pressed, and "partially" pressed, and the behavior is supposed to be: Full press: Blinks until you manually disengage 1/2 press: Blinks 3 times, then automatically disengages. Anything "between" a full press and a half-press, ie beyond the level which is supposed to trigger a 3-time blink, but not "bottoming out" the signal, regularly fails to trigger the signal at all. This leads to scenarios in which the driver "thinks" they have signaled, and creates unsaf…”
NHTSA complaint #11501406, 2023

“The Tesla uses “auto high beam” when in autopilot. The pros of this can allow drivers to utilize the light so the cameras can detect anything to avoid any possible wrecks, but it does not have an option to be turned off. Along with other people online, my brights have flashed at people on the interstate and highways or haven’t turned off at all. This is irritating and limits the way I am comfortable with using autopilot. Please inform Tesla to make the auto high beam feature OPTIONAL.”
NHTSA complaint #11492989, 2022

“Car brakes while using adaptive speed control. In one incident the car was traveling at 71 miles per hour and braked to 25 mph. In other situations the car braked by at least 5 mph, on some situations this happened while speed control was engaged and I was traveling at 50 mph or less. In all these situations, there was not another vehicle in front of me that posed an immediate threat of collision. The adaptive self dimming headlights do not work properly while driving at night. Lights do not always dim for approaching vehicles or when approaching another vehicle from behind. On some occas…”
NHTSA complaint #11471714, 2022

Latches/Locks/Linkages 6

“I am the owner of a 2021 Tesla Model 3 and am filing this complaint due to a significant safety concern: my vehicle does not have manual or mechanical releases for the rear doors; only electronic mechanisms are present. In the event of a total power failure, accident, fire, or submersion, rear seat passengers would be unable to exit the vehicle through the rear doors, as there is no physical lever or alternative escape route directly available inside the rear seats. This design poses a serious risk to occupant safety in emergencies, especially for families with children or passengers unable t…”
NHTSA complaint #11699856, 2025

“The frunk keeps opening while driving or parked without me pressing the control to open the frunk”
NHTSA complaint #11672330, 2025

“While traveling over 230 miles from home on a road trip, my 2021 Tesla Model 3 suffered a complete and catastrophic failure. While in North Carolina, the vehicle became entirely unresponsive—doors would not unlock, windows couldn’t be operated, and I was completely unable to access the charging port, trunk, or frunk. The vehicle was effectively bricked without warning. This wasn’t a minor inconvenience—it was a serious safety issue. I was stranded out of state from Saturday to Tuesday, completely dependent on others for transportation while waiting for the vehicle to be towed 58 miles to a se…”
NHTSA complaint #11656199, 2025

Seats 6

“Resistive occupancy sensor consistently failing causing: -Bluetooth to not automatically connect anytime the vehicle is entered - vehicle puts itself in park to prevent rollback if seatbelt is not applied - car does not recognize when driver is in seat These are serious safety concerns as it could cause a domino effect in safety features if not applied when needed.”
NHTSA complaint #11685809, 2025

“RCM2_a636 Front passenger safety restraint system fault Service is required Passenger airbag turns OFF when a passenger is sitting in it. Error is intermittent and while occasionally turn off and on. Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen should someone get in a car accident.”
NHTSA complaint #11668094, 2025

“Passenger SRS system fault. Initial error is due to a fault with the occupancy sensor. Presumably disabling or degrading seatbelt pre accident tensioning and proper airbag deployment. Also causes repeated & distracting beeps throughout drive.”
NHTSA complaint #11598091, 2024

Wheels 6 1 crash

“I want to report an issue I have with Tesla concerning the damage that occurred to my vehicle as a result of a failure of Tesla FSD version 10.3 firmware release 2021.36.5.2 recalled by Tesla on 10/29/21 NHTSA recall number 21V-846. At noon on 10-24-21, I was testing the latest release of FSD as part of the beta program. My Tesla was in self-driving mode on a city street at 35 mph. This was the same route it had already successfully done earlier in the day, when suddenly the car jumped over the curb, causing damage to the bumper, to the wheel and a flat tire. This appeared to have been caus…”
NHTSA complaint #11444772, 2021 · crash

“While driving a Tesla 2021 model 3 tonight at 8:45 P.M. turning left the wheels locked to the left and would not turn straight causing me to hit a concrete divider. After hitting concrete divider steering released to normal driving but driver side car front rim tire was damaged and wheel alignment misdirected.”
NHTSA complaint #11683322, 2025

“While driving, I started to hear a creaking sound while backing up and turning the wheel left. The sound became worse over the course of a few weeks. The steering also felt a little loose. I reached out to the manufacturer for a service appointment, and could only be scheduled about a month out. After a few weeks, while trying to parallel park, the car felt like a tire was stuck, or had a flat. I stopped the car to look at all of the tires and they looked fine. When I returned home, I tried to recreate the issue with my wife moving the car slowly from the driver seat while I looked at the wh…”
NHTSA complaint #11617402, 2024

Engine 5 2 crash 2 injury

“After parking and leaving the car, I realize later the dashboard did not shut down. The dashboard was still illuminated, and I was also able to hear the sound from a tuned FM radio. I re-open and closed both the driver and the passenger doors in an attempt to shutoff the dashboard. Since I did not get the expected result, I decided to get back into the car. I sat down in the driver chair to investigate the problem when the car was instantly activated and switched to a sudden and uncontrolled acceleration. It crashed into a facing wall after a run of about 30 feet.”
NHTSA complaint #11423241, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“see description on file report Nb:11423241”
NHTSA complaint #11423248, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I was driving to work that all of sudden heard warning sound and the monitor displayed the "Shutdown" sign as well. The car lost its power and came to complete stop in the middle of the street. Luckily there was no car near me. I was not able to drive the car and had to tow it to the dealership. According to mechanic “the rear drive unit has failed internally”. This was extremely scary and dangerous and may have caused a fatal accident. The problem has been fixed.”
NHTSA complaint #11549464, 2023

Tires 2

“On [XXX], I was given a Tesla Model 3 loaner vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) from the Knoxville, TN Tesla Service Center while my own Tesla was in for warranty repair. At pickup, I told the service advisor that the passenger-side tires looked unsafe. No inspection or warning was provided. After driving only 7.7 miles at normal speed on smooth roads, both passenger-side tires failed simultaneously. There were no potholes, curbs, or debris impacts. Tesla’s own service invoice states the cause was “not specified” and only speculates possible curb or debris damage without proof. Two tires failing on the s…”
NHTSA complaint #11679841, 2025

“Pirelli PZero 235/35/R20 tires on the entire car, was driving when front left tire blew out after 4500 miles, had the car towed back to Tesla dealer and tire replaced. Now after 2 months, rear left tire has bubble on the sidewall after only 5400 miles with no indication of previous damage. I believe this to be a defective tire and an immense safety hazard.”
NHTSA complaint #11457255, 2022

Visibility 2

“Rear window defroster is permanently broken. Tesla made 10 attempts to repair it over the past year+ and it is still not fixed. Under certain weather conditions, there is zero visibility through the rear window.”
NHTSA complaint #11652928, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
NHTSA complaint #11495260, 2022

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“Driving south on the 5 freeway right northing on Oceanside the vehicle shut down at freeway speed. I had to coast of the to the first Oceanside. Fortunately it was late at night and there were no cars in the immediate vicinity. In addition to this the vehicle has had multiple episode of phantom breaking. I do not feel safe driving the car.”
NHTSA complaint #11498431, 2022

Firerelated 1 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury 1 death

“The contact's son owned a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that his son was involved in a fatal collision while driving at an undisclosed speed with the autopilot activated. The contact was informed by his son's friend, who was a passenger in the vehicle, that the autopilot malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to inadvertently drive off the road, hit a tree, and then catch fire. An unknown bright orange light was seen on the windshield right before the failure occurred. The contact's son's friend was able to exit the vehicle, but the contact's son was unconscious and was not able to exit t…”
NHTSA complaint #11466262, 2022 · crash · fire · 1 death(s)