Tesla Model 3 problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 4,327 owner complaints and 36 safety recalls for the Tesla Model 3. That averages 91.6 complaints per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (index 2.27 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #8 of 10 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 50.8.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 194% above the 2018 and 2019 models (252 early complaints per model year versus 91).
The 2022 model year has the highest rate (160.2 complaints per year) and the 2020 model year the lowest (66.4). The 2022 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 91.6 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Driver-assist systems (30.6% of complaints), followed by Electrical (13.1%) and Brakes (12.0%). Driver-assist systems complaints are 5.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 461 complaints (10.7%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 252 injuries and 16 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 534 complaints versus 522 in the previous 12 months — up 2%. The 2018 model year generated the most recent reports (108). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 27 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 36 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (12), 19 fixable over the air. 18 NHTSA investigations have covered this model, 6 still open; the latest is “Lower Lateral Link detachment” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2026-07-29, still open).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X and Ford Mustang Mach-E, but fewer than Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model Y.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,030 | 117.2 | 2.9 | 108 | 19 | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2019 | 616 | 79.1 | 1.96 | 61 | 22 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2020 Fewest complaints | 451 | 66.4 | 1.65 | 50 | 21 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2021 | 669 | 115.6 | 2.86 | 59 | 22 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2022 ▲50%+ | 767 | 160.2 | 3.97 | 51 | 18 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2023 | 428 | 113.0 | 2.8 | 57 | 12 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2024 | 220 | 78.9 | 1.96 | 63 | 5 | Unspecified or other | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 118 | 66.0 | 1.64 | 57 | 3 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 28 | 28.0 | 0.69 | 28 | 1 | Electrical | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 534 · Previous 12 months: 522 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Driver-assist systems ›
1,324 · 30.6% · 5.34 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Electrical ›
566 · 13.1% · 0.83 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Brakes ›
521 · 12.0% · 2.0 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Airbags & seat belts ›
358 · 8.3% · 2.18 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Unspecified or other ›
356 · 8.2% · 0.92 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Steering ›
322 · 7.4% · 1.16 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
303 · 7.0% · 2.79 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Body & structure ›
249 · 5.8% · 0.63 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Other
127 · 2.9% · 1.59 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Transmission / powertrain ›
85 · 2.0% · 0.17 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Lighting ›
51 · 1.2% · 0.76 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Engine ›
45 · 1.0% · 0.05 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
20 · 0.5% · 0.11 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 27 months
What owners report
My Tesla displays a mandatory FSD (Supervised) disengagement feedback survey on the center touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion.
On September 22, 2026, my 2019 Tesla Model 3 was involved in a very low-speed front collision. The Tesla Vehicle Data Report records the front collision event at approximately 23:21:26.933 and shows vehicle speed of approximately 2–3 mph at the time of the…
I am reporting concerns involving the high-voltage battery and battery management system (BMS) of my 2025 Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD.
The owner reported a grinding noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the Tesla Service Center in [XXX], where it was diagnosed on XXX, at 47,821 miles.
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during peak sunlight, FSD failed to operate as intended, causing the contact to drive manually in daily traffic.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Electric vehicles
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 544 | 14.8 | 0.37 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 13 | Electrical |
| 2 | Tesla Model S | 723 | 16.1 | 0.4 | Worsening | Falling | 31 | Unspecified or other |
| 3 | Tesla Model X | 752 | 17.1 | 0.42 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 33 | Unspecified or other |
| 4 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 678 | 24.8 | 0.61 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 0 | Electrical |
| 5 | Ford F-150 Lightning | 551 | 33.4 | 0.83 | Improving | Falling | 2 | Electrical |
| 6 | Kia EV6 | 544 | 37.8 | 0.94 | Improving | Rising | 5 | Electrical |
| 7 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 1,011 | 48.3 | 1.2 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 25 | Electrical |
| 8 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,327 | 91.6 | 2.27 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 36 | Driver-assist systems |
| 9 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 1,359 | 93.8 | 2.32 | Improving | Rising | 15 | Electrical |
| 10 | Tesla Model Y | 3,850 | 112.3 | 2.78 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 43 | Driver-assist systems |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 36
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 19
Safety recalls: 2018 (19) · 2019 (22) · 2020 (21) · 2021 (22) · 2022 (18) · 2023 (12) · 2024 (5) · 2025 (3) · 2026 (1)
Investigations
- Lower Lateral Link detachment Open
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 directional control. In most cases, there was no advance warning or indication that the suspension failur…
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time …
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traffic safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automation sy…
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements Open
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 of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a report to b…
- Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a Recall Query to assess the remedy adequacy of Recall 23V838. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system, which Tesla described as an SAE Level 2 (L2) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Autopilot is the simulta…
- Sudden Unintended Acceleration Open
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 petitioner bases this information on a review of open-source research and the DP20-001 denial. The petiti…