2021 Tesla Model 3

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/31/2023· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  After the latest update the Tesla autopilot feature is very unsafe to use. The screen constantly pings and nags the driver to pay attention drawing my attention away from the road. The system has become so sensitive that adjusting the AC down a degree causes the warning to pop up which distracts the driver and in my opinion is significantly less safe than the older version. The warnings are too sensitive and the noise/warnings flashing are significantly more distracting

• 12/30/2024· SUSPENSION

  My car experienced a problem with the control arms and based on my research this is a known problem with Tesla Model 3 yet a recall hasn’t been issued

• 12/28/2022· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Adding our vehicle to the list of those affected by what seems to be commonly known as "Phantom Braking". The most recent occurrence was on Interstate 25 southbound in northern Colorado when the "Autopilot" (Adaptive Cruise Control) suddenly braked and reduced our speed from 75 to 51 mph, with no vehicles or other obstructions visible. We were almost rear-ended by a car following us, however. I want to point out that this was only the worst example of several episodes that occurred that day, and on earlier dates as well. We no longer use Autopilot, which makes long trips much less comfortable. I also want to mention that our vehicle does NOT have Tesla's "Full Self Driving" (FSD) installed, so my hands were on the wheel at all times.

• 12/28/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER

  The supermanifold failed, causing the front defroster to not work properly, resulting in loss of visibility in freezing temperatures. This is a common problem with 2021/2022 model 3/model y with the new heat pump that was supposed to be fixed with a software update, but was not. I now have a $3900 repair bill on a 1 year old car with 56,000 miles. The warranty expired at 50,000 miles. The failure was not a result of negligence.

• 12/28/2021· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Tesla in the December 2021 V11 software update as made the car's common control user interface unsafe. Critical controls, such as defrost and climate control, as well as many others (like trip, tire pressure, heated seats, windshield wipers) , are now only accessible by hunting through menus - - all which require the driver to turn their eyes off the road for longer periods of time than the previous user interface. Font sizes have also been made much smaller which will cause readability issues. This is a road hazard and needs to be addressed, and there is no option available to downgrade to the safer user interface. Please require Tesla to perform an over the air recall for this UI to correct these safety issues.

• 12/28/2020· STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES

  WHEN I TEST DROVE THE TESLA MODEL 3, THERE WAS AN OPTION TO TURN REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO LOW. THIS ALLOWED THE CAR TO HAVE MORE OF A COASTING EFFECT WHEN ONE LIFTS THE FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN I RECEIVED DELIVERY OF THE CAR, THE ABILITY TO REDUCE THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING EFFECT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE REMOVAL OF THIS FEATURE IS BEING DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN ONLINE FORUMS. THE LATEST VERSION OF THE OWNERS' MANUAL STATES THAT REGENERATIVE BRAKING IN THE STANDARD SETTING COULD CAUSE THE CARE TO LOSE TRACTION IN WINTER CONDITIONS AND THAT DRIVERS SHOULD SELECT THE LOW SETTING. BY REMOVING THIS ABILITY, TESLA, BY ITS OWN ADMISSION, HAS DECREASED THE CAR'S SAFETY IN WINTER CONDITIONS. A RAPID DECELERATION OF A CAR ON SLIPPERY ROADS IS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO INDUCE A SKID AND MAKE THE CAR DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY CONCERNING. TESLA NEEDS TO BRING THE FEATURE BACK, OR PUBLICIZE OTHER COMPENSATIONS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MADE UNBEKNOWNST TO OWNERS. I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE CAR ON 12/24/20, BUT ACCORDING TO ONLINE FORUMS THIS SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED STARTING IN OCTOBER OF 2020. A SIDE COMPLAINT WOULD BE THAT TESLA DOES NOT UPDATE THE OWNERS MANUAL IN A TIMELY MANNER TO COINCIDE WITH THE MANY SOFTWARE UPDATES. THE ABOVE EXAMPLE IS JJUST ONE OF MANY, SINCE THE CURRENT MANUAL MAKES A RECOMMENDATION THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DO IN THE 2021 MODEL 3 REFRESH.

• 12/27/2021· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  New software update removes easy access to basic functionality like wipers, defrost, heat, etc. and requires the driver to dig through multiple submenus which requires taking eyes off the road for an extended period of time.

• 12/26/2021· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Tesla pushed out a new user interface over Christmas. The new interface buries the wiper controls and defrost controls under sub-menus and you can no longer quickly access them while driving. It takes multiple clicks and requires you removing your eyes from the road for a long time. Furthermore, there is no way to revert back to their old interface.

• 12/26/2021· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  This is a follow up to my complaint issued NHTSA ID Number: 11439598. You opened an investigation and Tesla promptly backed down, but only in regards to one PORTION of my complaint. Tesla has now disabled video game playing on the front dashboard screen while the car is in motion. Good! But there's more to be addressed. Tesla still allows Live web browsing on that same screen. A keyboard pops up. You can type in your search, then click around most websites (except for YouTube, which is appropriately blocked.) I checked the latest update and Tesla has now moved the web browsing feature into the "Entertainment" category. Web browsing is permitted FOR DRIVERS. It is not "restricted" to passengers only. This is inherently dangerous. Please do not close this case before this web browsing distraction is addressed as well.

• 12/25/2022· STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  On certain sections of highway unsuccessfully attempted to activate auto-steer (two down clicks) multiple times in a row. Did this multiple times in a row but was unsuccessful to activate auto-steer. Instead a supposed "easter egg" (which activates with 4 down clicks) very loudly plays loud jarring music (called "rainbow road")...this is NOT FUCKING FUNNY--I nearly ran my car off the road and into oncoming traffic. Giant 2000 pound hunks of metal going at 60 mph should NOT FUCKING COME with special surprises. This is incredibly dangerous and jarring to drivers.

• 12/23/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V235000 (Electrical System, Forward Collison Avoidance) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

• 12/23/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE

  Several times during every drive where Cruise Control/Autopilot is used, an event known as "Phantom Braking" occurs often time triggering the collision warning systems with no danger present. Phantom breaking is the automatic braking of the Cruise Control/Autopilot systems when no danger is present, causing an unexpected and dangerous automatic braking event. I wish to emphasize that this happens when either system is used under safe conditions and even within the guidelines recommended by Tesla. It is available for inspection should it be necessary. During these events, a vehicle following mine can and has been caught off-guard by the sudden braking, resulting in near-miss rear-endings. The danger of a vehicle collision is extremely high in these scenarios. The problem happens consistently on two-lane roads with no median using standard cruise control (Autopilot is only recommended on divided highways/interstates). Phantom braking still occurs at random in varied environments with both systems. My vehicle has not been taken to a dealer, but the issue has been confirmed/acknowledged by the manufacturer with no solution. This vehicle is new and delivered to me this year. The problem has been occurring since taking ownership/lease. Aside from the the emergency collision warning chime occurring sometimes at the same time as the braking event, there are no symptoms, warnings, or lamps appearing prior to the automatic braking nor afterwards. I have attempted to use the vehicle's camera recalibration and have changed available safety settings to every combination possible to attempt a consumer fix for the issue, but no combination of settings seems to keep the automatic braking events from happening

• 12/22/2025· STRUCTURE

  There is no manual door release for the rear doors. Thus rear passengers are at risk should the electrical system fail in a crash. Tesla should be required to provide a modification that allows rear passengers to manually open the rear doors.

• 12/22/2021· STRUCTURE,WHEELSCrash

  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 caused by a discolored patch in the road that gave the FSD a false perception of an obstacle which it tried to avoid. Immediately after the accident, the car was towed to the service center. The repair was finished on 10/27/21 at which time I was asked to pay $2,332.37 to take possession of the car. I explained that the damage was caused by the recalled version of FSD NHTSA recall number 21V-846 and that Tesla should be liable for the damages. I was advised that the engineering team would conduct an investigation and based on the results the money would be reimbursed. However, I did not agree to pay hoping that after the investigation Tesla would honor the recall. After two months of waiting, there is still no communication on the results of the investigation even though the case is quite simple. The car was going straight at a very low speed in self-driving mode. There is nothing except the recalled version of FSD that could have changed its trajectory. Therefore, it is obvious that nobody looked at this issue and there is no commitment to doing so anytime soon. I communicated using the Tesla app chat that I am not willing to wait indefinitely and gave notice that I intend to file a petition with the Court. I gave e-mail notice to Tesla’s resolution team as well to make sure that my notice reaches Tesla’s legal department. I have paid the invoice on 12/22/21 to get my car back.

• 12/21/2022· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  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.

• 12/20/2023· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model 3’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner for over two years, I have generally found the vehicle and its features to be reliable and safe. However, the recent update has introduced an overly stringent hands-on-wheel detection mechanism that is not only inconvenient but also potentially hazardous. The new update requires frequent and often forceful interaction with the steering wheel to assure the system of driver presence. This change is drastically different from my previous experience, where I received only one hands-on-wheel violation in two years. The current sensitivity of the system disrupts the smooth operation of the autopilot, leading to frequent and abrupt disengagements. I have found myself struggling to maintain the system’s activation, inadvertently causing the vehicle to exit autopilot mode multiple times. This issue goes beyond mere inconvenience; it actively detracts from driving safety. The need for constant and sometimes aggressive adjustments to satisfy the system’s requirements is distracting and can lead to erratic vehicle behavior. The irony is stark: a system designed to enhance driving safety and ease is now a source of potential danger and stress. The unpredictability and over-sensitivity of the updated system could lead to dangerous situations, especially on highways or in heavy traffic, where sudden disengagement of the autopilot can be particularly risky. As a driver, I now find myself more focused on keeping the autopilot engaged than on the actual driving conditions and surroundings, which is surely contrary to the feature’s intended purpose. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue as a matter of urgency. The balance between ensuring driver engagement and maintaining the operational safety and rel

• 12/19/2025· STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  After Tesla replaced my high voltage battery in May of 2024 all of the following started to happen. Prior to the replacement none of these issues were present. While driving under normal conditions, my 2021 Tesla suddenly and violently steered into an oncoming lane or toward the roadside without any driver input. The steering wheel physically turned on its own with force. Full Self-Driving was NOT engaged at the time of the incident. This was not lane assist correction and occurred without warning. Importantly, the vehicle did NOT issue a warning at the time of the steering event. A “Take Control Immediately” message appeared several minutes AFTER the incident, not before or during, indicating a delayed or failed system response. This defect began immediately after a High-Voltage Battery replacement performed by Tesla Service in May 2024 and has occurred multiple times since. The incident presents a serious safety risk, including loss of vehicle control, roadway departure, or head-on collision. In addition to the steering defect, the vehicle began exhibiting multiple electronic and control anomalies immediately after the High-Voltage Battery replacement. These include navigation/map screen failures, windows adjusting themselves while driving, random “cannot shift into drive” warnings, system failure messages, camera malfunctions, and unexpected screen reboots. These issues did not exist prior to the battery replacement and support the presence of an underlying electrical or control system instability related to the steering defect.

• 12/19/2025· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  -- 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 to maximum speed during light rain are distracting and divert attention from the roadway, increasing cognitive load during vehicle operation. -- Attempted Remedies •Replaced windshield wipers multiple times using different manufacturers •Cleaned forward-facing camera/rain detection area •Applied windshield water-repellent treatments •Installed approximately 30–50 over-the-air software updates over four years •Multiple inspections at Tesla-authorized service centers Tesla has consistently stated the system is operating “as intended,” despite continued unsafe behavior. -- Additional Notes There is no option to permanently disable automatic wipers when cruise control or Autopilot is enabled, nor any way to adjust sensitivity of the rain detection. Because the system repeatedly re-enables itself, the driver must divert attention from driving to manage wiper behavior, often multiple times during a single trip. This is especially hazardous when using standard cruise control without Autopilot, where full driver attention is required.

• 12/19/2022· SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Random "phantom braking" while using autopilot or cruise control. Causes the car to slam on brakes and has lost control once almost causing me to go off the road. Also, has brake-checked many cars that follow behind me while I'm using autopilot or cruise due to the phantom braking. Also Tesla Repair center in Chicago replaced my front bumper with a discolored front bumper that had the same issue of peeling on the inner edges of the bumper as the prior front bumper. When I brought up the issue to Tesla they said that was a manufacturing process issue due to the molding process of the bumpers and that is how they all are. If that is the case why change the bumper? Could have just told me that's how all the cars are and saved a lot of my time. Also, have had many repairs from Tesla that don't seem to end. These cars arent being produced in a consistent manner. What was promised during the purchase of the car doesn't seem to hold up.

• 12/17/2022· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  At some point in 2021 Tesla released a software update that causes the vehicle to ignore the ambient temperature sensor for the first 15 minutes of a drive. Tesla explained to me that this was to avoid errant readings in hot environments with lots of reflected heat from pavement. I’ve reported the following safety issue to them several times through the winters of 2021 and now 2022, to no avail despite numerous software updates since. In cold environments where a vehicle is leaving a warm and potentially higher humidity environment such as a garage to a very cold and dry environment - just as the car begins using the sensor data the windshield will immediately fog up causing a major safety issue. This occurs with the hvac on auto and requires a shift of 30+ degrees, which is not an uncommon occurrence in cold environments. 50 degree garage to 17 degree outside for example.

• 12/17/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Phantom braking events on most every type of road and drive when using cruise control, not autopilot or other automated systems. Standard cruise control is unusable and is a safety concern with constant warning alerts and automatic emergency braking when other vehicles pass by safely in the adjacent lane.

• 12/16/2022· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The contact stated that the adaptive cruise control was activated during the failure. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,169.

• 12/16/2021· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle decelerated, and the brakes activated erroneously. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle returned to normal driving operation. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

• 12/15/2021· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Constant “phantom braking” when using autopilot on the freeway and other roads. When the pavement changes color, the car slams on the brakes in the middle of the freeway. When a truck is in the opposing lane, the car slams on the brakes. When a truck is merging into a lane to my right on the freeway, the car slams on the brakes. This is extremely unsafe and frightening. This software is garbage and worse than my 6 year old Subaru. Tesla needs to address this, and I hope they’re eventually forced to.

• 12/14/2023· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCrash

  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 away. A police report was taken at the scene. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 12,400.

• 12/14/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently made a sudden stop and then lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the inverter failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 9,000.

• 12/14/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  We continue to have issues with Tesla's autopilot feature. The Model 3 with autopilot activated or just with the adaptive cruise control activated, will "phantom" brake for zero reason. Today, 12/14/2021, it happened three times within 90 minutes. All three times there was no reason for the car to make emergency actions. Once I had a truck with a trailer behind me, forcing them to brake hard to avoid hitting the rear of the car. I submitted a service request to Tesla and this is what they told me: Incidents like the one you are describing where the vehicle slowdowns for apparently no reason are generally caused by a few reason such as: Map data inaccuracy, Speed limit data inaccuracies, the vehicle reacting to an upcoming event, GPS position inaccuracies, and predicative driving anomalies. In all of these situations the computer is trying to make the safest determination of what to do with the information that it being fed. To us as drivers, it would seem like a bad decision, but the computer uses our input following these events to get better at predicting how it should respond. Anytime you intervene with an autopilot behavior decision you are helping the system as whole get better. There are no faults with any of the hardware in the vehicle and at this time these behaviors are a limitation of software in the system. Our engineering team is working to improve auto pilot with every firmware update and we hope to see improvements in future updates. I'm sorry you feel that was Justin. Future firmware updates will improve functionality. You always have the options of not using your AutoPilot until they do. Thank you

• 12/13/2023· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  My 2021 Tesla Model 3 shuts/powers down WITHOUT warning while driving with a battery charge >0%. This unsafe event has occurred twice now! While the battery gauge displayed 10%, I was driving about 60mph when all of these warning messages appeared prompting me to pull over. As soon as these messages displayed, my car lost all propulsion and I was left stranded in the middle of the road. Both times I narrowly avoided being hit by other vehicles traveling at high speeds since my car died in the roadway. The car was towed to Tesla on both occasions, and they weren't concerned about my safety issue in the slightest. Instead, they said the battery just ran out; however my car displayed that I had about 6-10% charge remaining. So, if the battery were completely depleted (like Tesla says), then the meter should have displayed a 0% reading at the time of the breakdowns or, there is something defective with the battery/computer. Tesla service has refused to investigate the cause of the safety issue and, thus, refused to replace the EV battery (even though my car is still under the manufacturer's warranty). Electric vehicles should not die/run out of battery at 10% charge. However, my EV has done so TWICE! Tesla says that I just ran the car out of battery but has no response when I show them the pictures and video proving that the car died when there was, in fact, a decent amount of charge remaining on the vehicle (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED VIDEO AND PICTURES). If your phone died at 10%, then you would take it back to the manufacturer and demand that they fix the defective product. However, Tesla refuses to help fix my defective vehicle and just tells me that it is "operating as intended". EVs should not just lose all propulsion mid-drive. This creates an unsafe vehicle for me to drive, for my two young daughters in their car seats, and for other drivers who might hit me. I can provide other Tesla owners who have had a similar experience. Please force Tesla to take action!

• 12/10/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE

  On a daily basis while using the Adaptive Cruise Control or Tesla Autopilot, I will experience multiple erroneous automatic braking events. The car generally slams the brakes on when it is cresting a hill, attempting to pass a semi truck, or when sun angles produce large shadows in the road. The automatic braking events are sometimes very aggressive and can be extremely dangerous, especially if someone is following behind you in high speed traffic. My wife has requested that I don’t use cruise control or autopilot while she’s in the car, as we experienced an unwarranted, aggressive automatic braking episode which caused great pressure against her pregnant belly on a previous road trip. Additionally, the cameras on my vehicle will often produce warning/error messages stating “X camera is blocked or blinded” for absolutely no reason other than headlights from oncoming traffic shining into my lane. I am unsure if this contributes to the automatic braking issue.

• 12/07/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Central computer (motherboard), cameras (front/rear/side), autopilot/auto steer system. Error code: APS_w132. Description of Problem: On or around [XXX], Tesla pushed a mandatory over-the-air software update to my vehicle. Immediately after, multiple safety-critical systems failed: all cameras (including backup) became intermittent or non-functional, auto steer/autopilot stopped working, and the car emitted constant distracting beeping alerts due to a critical motherboard failure. This made driving hazardous—impaired visibility for parking/reversing, loss of collision avoidance features, and constant audio distractions that could lead to accidents. I had to drive in this unsafe condition for weeks while waiting for service. Tesla attempted a remote fix but it failed. I scheduled service on November 19 for December 3 (19-day delay). Diagnostics confirmed the update induced the hardware failure, a known issue reported by other 2021 Model 3 owners on forums like Reddit (e.g., software bricking motherboards post-update). Despite this, Tesla refused warranty/goodwill coverage, quoting $2,576.83 for repairs. Service advisors Josh and Andy were unprofessional: Josh was rude/condescending; Andy was aggressive, sarcastic, and retaliatory. After I mentioned filing complaints with the AZ Attorney General and News Channel 3, Andy threatened $100/day storage fees with an impossible deadline (called at 4 PM Friday, close at 5 PM, demanded pickup by morning, then noon). He closed my ticket without authorization, delaying fixes and forcing me to contact another location—prolonging my exposure to the unsafe vehicle. This defect poses serious safety risks: sudden loss of cameras/autopilot could cause crashes. Tesla's awareness (from prior reports) and poor handling (intimidation delaying repairs) exacerbates the danger. No crash/injury yet, but potential is high. Please investigate this update-induced failure as a widespread defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 12/07/2021· VISIBILITY/WIPER

  Windshield has highly visible internal reflections resulting in vertical ghosting in high contrast situations such as headlights brake lights and even on sunny days service center said it was within acceptable tolerance but it greatly diminishes the clarity of vision through the windshield. Haven't seen anything like it in the four other cars manufactured across two decades that I've driven regularly. Dangerous design or manufacturing defect.

• 12/06/2021· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  Front right headlight on a brand new car no longer functions, safety was put at risk by the fact that it is illegal to drive on 1 working light in the dark and rain; and this happened thankfully before leaving home on a dark morning so it was detectable and actionable. Problem was confirmed by remote diagnostic from dealer. No warnings or messages before failure which was confirmed by Tesla representative on the phone. They have not inspected the component and will not return calls / have not responded to service scheduling for 3 days. There is no service possible when they have a monopoly on their supply chain and will not schedule service. My car is unsafe to drive and is basically a lemon at this point until they fix it.

• 12/05/2022· LANE DEPARTURE

  I believe that Tesla's autosteer and Full self driving features are improperly designed. I will speak to them as if they were one and the same. I noticed that you have a check box for Lane Keeping Assistance above, but there is no checkbox for coercive auto steering, which is Tesla's product. The only ability it offers as far as steering the car is to forcibly disengage the autosteering feature. This is not assistance and this is the problem. A properly designed Lane Keeping Assistance feature continuously monitors driver steering action, lane position, and traffic conditions. If the Lane Keeping Assistance system finds itself 'alone' with little or no measurable input from the driver, action is called for. With the Tesla, the feature has an embarrassingly stupid 'driver attention check' which, until recently, could be easily defeated by the simple addition of a weight to one side of the steering wheel or the other. In a misguided attempt to correct this ridiculously poor design, they have recently made matters much worse. Now they distract the driver's attention from driving by forcing the playing of some sort of 'patty cake' type game, which does prove alertness of the driver, but detracts from the real and necessary work of circumventing the actual threats encountered in everyday driving. In short, a proper Lane Keeping Assistance feature should not be totally ignorant of the driver's subtle driving moves (it's an excellent feature as long as autosteering isn't engaged) and should honor requests to move into different parts of the lane long before disengaging, and no attention measuring system should come at the expense of driver awareness of actual issues. I have tried through email and phone to convince Tesla that something needs to be done, but have received no response from them.

• 12/05/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact leased a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the center display failed to operate as designed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle; however, while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle stopped abruptly in the middle of the road. A message indicating that the trunk was opened was displayed. There was also a question displayed whether the contact wished to continue driving. The contact tapped the option YES however, the touch pad center display failed to respond. The contact exited the vehicle and attempted to close the trunk several times; however, the trunk reopened independently. The contact was able to close the trunk after eight attempts. The contact was able to continue driving to her residence. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle, the trunk reopened independently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and assisted the contact with towing the vehicle to the local Tesla Service Center where it was diagnosed that an unknown software had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer declined to provide additional information. The failure mileage was approximately 15,460.

• 12/04/2021· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  My Tesla Model 3 is brand new and delivered in 2021, the vehicle has had no recalls or issues report by the manufacture and is running the latest software updates provided by Tesla, which as of this date is: 2021.36.8 I have driven the car since delivery a total of 5,596 miles, which includes a cross country road trip from CA to FL. During this trip I used "Autopilot" a feature which is touted as safe, however after my experience and reading and hearing other users reports I believe this is not the case. I had numerous cases of "phantom braking" which is where the vehicle believes there is an object that it will collide with and it slams the brakes on, usually dropping around ~20 MPH extremely rapidly. Many of these events occurred in lower light scenarios (night time) and almost all of them occurred when I had no vehicles in any direction for over half a mile, which means that there should have been no indicators flagging an emergency braking event. Here are some other reports, including a well known publisher CNET: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2021-tesla-model-y-review/ The Model Y and 3 share a lot of common design and technical elements, including their lack of a forward radar system, which is think is likely why this issue is occurring for these vehicles and not for the Model S and X. Here is a full user report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxvh60zBl70&t=1s I am writing this report in order to add myself to a growing list of Tesla customers that have not been listened to about this issue, it is a massive safety issue and should likely trigger a full investigation, this issue can easily be replicated with and 2020-2021 Model 3 and/or Y. And likely should trigger an immediate call for either a software patch, disabling of the feature, and/or recall of all affected vehicles, either to retrofit a radar system, or to fix the camera system.

• 12/03/2024· STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKESCrash

  UNKNOWN

• 12/02/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The cabin heater stopped working. I received an error code "VCFRONT_a447" recommending to take the vehicle in for service. This issue is a problem in sub-zero climates where the windshield will not defrost before and during driving. I have found 67 other cases from reddit and tesla motors club describing the same issue, on new or <2 years old cars. My components have not been inspected. I tried a full hard reboot of the software and no fix. Tesla service estimates $1,792 repair. Replacing a Supermanifold ($450.37) & A/C compressor ($1273.53) +tax =$1792. I am out of warranty by milage, car is 1.5 years old. 60,200 miles.

• 12/01/2025· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE

  The car, with no known or evident driver, stopped the lane awareness, cruise control, etc. All of those just stopped working and per Tesla that's expected which is surprising since it's all part of the safety systems. The car's visual cues stopped identifying lanes and as a byproduct of that, none of the dependent features work.

• 12/01/2024· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  vehicle constantly phantom brakes while driving. i have reported 100+ incidents thru my tesla "report bug" feature. It will read the speed limit sign on the off ramp and slow the vehicle down 20mps abruptly, it will see a car on an onramp and slam the brakes on thinking there is a collision coming. it is every single day using cruise control

• 12/01/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER

  I'm getting a notification that says " cabin climate control system requires service cabin heating/cooling limited or unavailable". As a result of this failure the defroster is not working properly. The windshield defroster will only blow cold air very slowly. This causes the windshield to fog up very quickly in cold temperatures. I cannot see out of the windshield properly.

• 11/29/2022· VISIBILITY

  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.

• 11/29/2021· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Driving normally, with cruise control (not auto steering) engaged vehicle will spontaneously and dangerously apply emergency breaking. This happens regularly to the point I won’t use it. It’s going to cause accidents, especially when slippery conditions exist.

• 11/28/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  ADAS systems detect oncoming traffic from the opposing lane on single lane roads and sounds forward collision alarm. If using adaptive cruise control or Autopilot, vehicle will rapidly decelerate. This poses a risk to the occupants and vehicles behind from unexpected changes in speed, which could cause a rear-end accident. The issue can be repeated in the scenario described above. Forward Collision Warning alarm goes off when it sees a oncoming vehicle far off in the distance.

• 11/28/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Vehicle will randomly have phantom braking and braking events when using adaptive cruise control. It happens more often when a vehicle has recently passed and it 150+ feet in front of the vehicle. This poses a safety risk for vehicles behind as the car will randomly slow down. The adaptive function becomes unusable.

• 11/27/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEMFire

  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.

• 11/27/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Tesla cars are having an issue with phantom breaking which is causing the car to slow down or even slam on the brakes for zero reason. Since I have zero control of how close someone follows me, this is a huge safety issue and makes me fear for my life every time it happens. I drove 60 miles today on two lane roads and this happened at least 6 times. Seems to happen more on two lane roads that aren't flat, but I've had it happen other times too.

• 11/26/2022· SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  While using cruise control on a cross country drive, there have been numerous instances of phantom braking in my Tesla Model 3 SR+ (2021). This has been occurring during both day and night driving on the highway, at speeds of 65-75mph. It appears to happen most frequently when there’s a slight up-hill on the highway followed by a slight downhill and then phantom brake, but there have been instances on flat highway road at night with phantom braking taking place.

• 11/26/2021· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  My new Tesla 3 deployed automatic emergency braking seven (7) times in a 5 hour period. The Tesla Autopilot was turned off due to reports of phantom braking like this from many other drivers in a Tesla online forum. Regardless, the car slammed on the brakes when there were no obstructions or cars in front of me. I almost suffered a rear end collision during one of these phantom emergency braking events, where the car suddenly braked from 70MPH to less than 40MPH. The malfunctioning component is likely the Tesla software that works with the forward-facing cameras which are installed as part of the Full Self Driving feature. While I did not pay the $10,000 for FSD, this system still operates for automated braking and lane departure. I have requested Tesla inspect the car, which has 482 miles on it, but am filing with you anyway due to the similarity between this experience today and the dozens of other complaints I have read about on the Tesla Owners forum called TOO.

• 11/25/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  It has been weeks and Tesla has still not provided a fix for this issue. It was supposed to be resolved over the air but we have called Tesla for weeks and they have no idea when the fix will be available. Do they have a time limit to resolve? Sep 19,2022 Manufacturer Recall NumberTBD NHTSA Recall Number22V702 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete

• 11/25/2021· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Terrible phantom braking. On a road trip, flat straight open roads, little to no traffic in front of me, and consistent full on hard braking from 75mph down to 35mph in a split second. Multiple times and so consistent I had to stop using the cruise control completely. This never happened like this in my day to day city driving. But as is, the cruise control is nerve wracking and dangerous. Thankfully no cars behind me because it could very easily cause a serious and deadly accident.