0.77 vs. all vehicles Too few recent reports to judge
51 of the 4,228 complaints about the Tesla Model 3 (1.2%) concern Lighting, making it the model's #11 problem area. That share is 0.8× the Lighting share across all tracked vehicles.
51Complaints · Lighting
1.2%Share of complaints
0.77×vs. all vehicles
4Last 12 months
2.0%Share involving a crash or fire
2Related recalls
Analysis
By model year, Lighting complaints peak with the 2024 model (17, 8% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2019 model (4). 4 Lighting complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
Owners most often describe: “turn signal”, “headlight”, “buttons”, “rear tail” and “steering wheel”. 1 of these reports (2.0%) describe a crash or fire, with 0 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 26V507000 (2026-08-05, model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023).
To whom it may concern, I am reporting an incident regarding my Tesla Model 3 (2024) that occurred on June 30th around midnight.
Lighting · 2025-09-29 · ODI 11690397 · Crash
I am filing a safety complaint regarding water intrusion into the rear tail lamp assembly of my 3-year-old Tesla Model 3. The rear tail light has progressed from minor condensation to active water accumulation and visible pooling inside the sealed housing.
Lighting · 2026-02-20 · ODI 11719385
The push type turn signals for the model 3 almost caused when accident when I had to enter and exit a roundabout. The orientation wasn’t clear and I was trying to signal to not exit instead - another car misunderstood my intent.
Lighting · 2025-10-12 · ODI 11692963
The indicator controls on the steering wheel are unreliable. Soon after purchasing the car, I returned it for warranty repair because sometimes the right indicator fails.
Lighting · 2025-09-22 · ODI 11688913
The design of the turn signals has several severe driver distracting safety issues. This is ultimately a design issue due to the choice of buttons on the steering wheel instead of a turn signal stalk. The buttons do not always activate the turn signals.
Lighting · 2025-08-18 · ODI 11681259
Turn signal will not turn on when button on steering wheel is depressed.
Lighting · 2025-04-26 · ODI 11656911
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: 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, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy: The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-003.
Summary: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. One or both taillights may intermittently fail to illuminate.
Remedy: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-016.
How common are Lighting problems on the Tesla Model 3?
51 of the 4,228 complaints about the Tesla Model 3 (1.2%) concern Lighting, making it the model's #11 problem area. That share is 0.8× the Lighting share across all tracked vehicles.
Which Tesla Model 3 model years have the most Lighting complaints?
By model year, Lighting complaints peak with the 2024 model (17, 8% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2019 model (4).
Is there a recall for Tesla Model 3 Lighting problems?
2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 26V507000 (2026-08-05, model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023).