Below are recalls and complaints reported to NHTSA for the 2023 Tesla Model 3. This information is consumer-reported and provided for general informational purposes only. Vehicles like this may qualify under California lemon law depending on their individual repair history.
The following are consumer-reported complaints filed with NHTSA. These are unverified allegations and are not proof that any defect exists.
Regen braking sporadically not working when going down mountain or steep roads. Sometimes they work and sometimes they won’t. This is after extensive driving on warm days while battery is between 70-80%. Support could not help me and they don’t ha | Three times while driving at low speed and attempting to reduce speed—even while pressing the brake pedal—my 2023 Tesla Model 3 unexpectedly accelerated. During the first incident, the Dynamics screen did not allow me to change the Deceleration Mode. | I was turning into a parking garage when my car suddenly slammed on the brakes very hard to a sudden stop. Like there was an imagined hazard. I did not have the car on auto Drive as I do not trust the technology, but Tesla had just offered everyone f
Door cannot be opened during power loss / emergency. I am a Tesla Model 3 owner in California. I discovered that the rear doors do not have a mechanical emergency release. Tesla service confirmed that my vehicle does not include any manual rear emerg | The rear doors intermittently will not unlock. Even after hitting the unlock button from menu or short or long press of the driver unlock button or from the app unlock button. The driver only unlock feature is disabled. I have video that would not up | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving with the Autonomous Self Driving feature activated in rainy weather, the vehicle suddenly turned towards the left onto railroad tracks. The contact regained control of the v
Allegedly reported: 3 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
Reporting a stress fracture in the front windhsield of my model 3 tesla. Looking online and speaking to attorney its a very common problem. Mine resulted simply from a heat wave it crack down the middle in a c shape emanating from the top edge of the | The rear driver side door became impossible to open due to a trim piece failure - this is a safety hazard for rear seat passengers. | Tesla has completely removed the rear door manual release latch in my late 2023 Model 3 Performance. This elevates the concern of the ongoing NHTSA Defect Petition DP25002 (opened December 2025), which investigates similar issues with emergency egre
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
Documenting a sudden unintended acceleration experience. Today while driving and trying to stop for a red light, I lightly applied pressure on my brake pedal to brake for the red light. Midway through the braking, my car lunged forward for about half | After backing out of a parking place I could not switch into "drive". The car froze and had to be put into "tow mode" to be pushed aside and later taken to a dealer. Before being collected the car was partially blocking a car park, but there was no o
Car is disengaging Full Self Driving because of steering becoming difficult at slow speeds in a turn. FSD disengages and the car drive straight instead of staying in the turn, crash could be likely. | During a road trip, autopilot started pulling to the left and right because the autopilot was struggling to center the car in the lane. Driving without autopilot showed that the car was pulling to one side. A wheel alignment by Firestone showed align | This is an addition to my earlier complaint, NHTSA tracking number # 11520382. To reiterate, in this issue the suspension components failed even though the rim and wheel were pristine, and the sidewall did NOT have bubbles even a week after steering
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped accelerating after 3-seconds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently. The contact lost control of the vehicle, coming to a complete stop after crashing into two poles and | I have twice experienced a sudden acceleration when decreasing pressure on the accelerator pedal. It felt like the motor was producing full power. In both cases, I was able to quickly apply the brake which stopped the acceleration. Both episodes ha
Allegedly reported: 2 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
The Full Self Driving (Supervised) system (FSD(S)) failed by running a red light. Video is available for inspection upon request. My safety was not at risk - this time - because the system waited until there was no cross traffic to resume motion, eve | In autopilot mode on 1/28/26 the vehicle without any warnings went through a red light causing an accident. A week prior it failed to adjust speed in a 35 mile per hour zone maintaining 71. | While driving my Tesla equipped with Autopilot/Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, I experienced an unexpected and abrupt braking event. A vehicle had entered the center turn lane and had already cleared my lane, posing no obstruction to my path. Despite t
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
The volume control buttons and vehicle setting buttons on my car’s steering wheel are made of metal. In high atmospheric temperatures the interior of the car heats up. The buttons also heat up and can cause burns if touching the button for an extende | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Steering Wheel. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Single vehicle accident. Driver suffered injury. No other person or v | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The steering system appears to have malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to consistently pull to the right, even after multiple alignments with perfect s
Allegedly reported: 2 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
Incident Summary: On [XXX], I was in an accident and dropped my Tesla Model 3 at Tesla’s North Phoenix Collision Center in Nov 2024. I received the car back in Dec/Jan. Immediately, I noticed dangerous swaying, bouncing, and veering when hitting dips | This complaint is about a Tesla rental car from Avis which has just shown up in the salvage yard. Because the VIN of the wreck can not be identified I have used the VIN of another wrecked Tesla. Here is the wreck in question. [XXX] It is available f
Allegedly reported: 2 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
The contact rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH in the rain, a vehicle in front of him abruptly slowed down. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle jerked to the side. The contact stated that t | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while entering a parking lot, the brake pedal failed to respond, the driver was unable to control the steering wheel and crashed into a Ford vehicle and a tree. The air bags deployed, and
Allegedly reported: 2 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
I was involved in an accident due to what I believe was a malfunction in my Tesla’s steering system. While driving, the car unexpectedly turned the wheel to the left on its own and collided with a parked car. Despite my efforts to regain control by t | during a hydroplaning incident on a ramp, the tesla refused to budge or give any steer. Major issue was no air bags deployed during collision. | The components that failed or malfunctioned include the braking system, steering system, and the airbag deployment mechanism. These critical systems experienced sudden and unexpected failures. Yes, the vehicle and its components are available for ins
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
During a major car accident the airbags for my Tesla, Model 3, 2023 did not deploy airbags although other impacted cars had full airbags deployed. This posed a risk to my safety as a driver due to not having the proper equipment deployed during a maj | UNKNOWN Moving collision resulted in insurance company describing damage as a total loss. It was inspected by an auto collision expert; his description, photos and estimate were forwarded to a claims specialist at the insurance company. The side of | After a collision the screen flashed "Air bags deployed". The car then turned on the hazards, called 911 then vented the windows. The issue is the air bags did not deploy at all. I suffered a concussion and whiplash due to the accident. No warning l
Allegedly reported: 3 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
My Tesla Model 3 disengaged cruise control while going 68 mph and braked hard for no apparent reason. I was driving northbound on I-405 at 3:45 a.m. going to LAX airport in the number 3 or 4 of six or seven lanes. Cruise control had been activated | I was traveling at highway speeds on a highway with no vehicles or other obstacles in front of me. I had adaptive cruise control on. Then, the emergency brakes deployed for no reason (so called “phantom braking”), decelerating the car quickly. I turn | When using cruise control, my 2023 Tesla Model 3 will aggressively brake without warning or apparent cause. The braking is near maximal - as though the vehicle is attempting to prevent an imminent collision. This defect poses a hazard to occupants of
Allegedly reported: 2 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
I am writing to report several safety issues that I have experienced with my Tesla Model 3. These issues pose a significant risk to my safety and the safety of other road users. I kindly request that you investigate these matters thoroughly and take | The car lost all adaptive driving features and power steering.
Car accelerated forward unexpectedly while making a turn and hit a telephone pole. Brakes did not engage nor did the forward collision warning sound or engage. Was manually driving. Car is non-driveable and repairs from Tesla are backlogged so we wa | The car has a tendency when I’m on rural highways to suddenly emergency brake when I have the auto pilot on
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A COLLISION IN THE HIGHWAY | Vehicle started displaying warning messages as I pulled out of garage - "steering assist reduced" and "lane departure avoidance features unavailable." Afterwards, I noticed vibration and clicking sensation while turning steering wheel and driving at | Power steering stopped working when the car starts up, Cannot steer the wheel at all in PDNR. Basically cannot steer the car at all and it is not drivable.
The contact rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50-60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The Engine Lost Power message was displayed, instructing the contact to pull over immediately; unable to drive, | Within one day of taking ownership of a new 2023 tesla model 3, the car suddenly stopped running, slowing rapidly to a crawl on the highway, causing a potential hazardous situation. Error code DI_a137 appeared onscreen, and a message that the vehicle | The contact's son owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired.
Constant lane change while driving has gotten out of control. A couple of instance the vehicle has changed lanes without manual manipulation. This is getting out of hand and has certainly put risks on my family while operating vehicle. | Summary: FSD malfunctioned, failed to disengage, causing loss of steering control, thus causing car to steer into wrong lane and resulting in an accident. Tesla Service Center refused to inspect unless car is fixed. Car was sent to Crash Champions
On several occasions, the last being July 19,2024, auto correct on steering took control of my vehicle when no correction was needed. I’ve been taken by surprise and struggled on all occasions to gain full control of the vehicle. In addition, my | So thanks to YOUR interference my Autopilot on my Tesla is broken... You guys THINK you are making our cars safer by getting your controlling poorly educated stupid hands into Tesla systems that are DESIGNED TO BE MORE SAFE. On paper Tesla Autopilot
On [XXX], around 1:00, I was driving normally on the highway. I remember using autopilot, and the speed limit was 55 mph, but I'm not very sure. At that time, it was raining heavily, and I was following the car in front, not doing anything else. Sud | Steering wheel stuck in straight position, unable to turn. Also, A/C line supermanifold defect present, needed to be replaced. Steering rack and harness both needed to be replaced. Tesla model 3, only had 40 miles before needing to be towed.
While driving to work on a local road, I approached a red light where there were no vehicles immediately ahead. However, my vehicle unexpectedly steered off the road in front of a construction sign, entering a ditch. Despite my attempts to regain con | On 09/11/2023 at approx. 6AM CST, my wife went to a nearby Walmart store for groceries. As she was parking the car in the parking space, the car started to accelerate by itself and went around the parking lot in random directions. She couldn't contro
I decided to take my first road trip in the new Telsa Model 3. The trip was from Seattle to Portland down [XXX] which is a pretty straight and easy road. Because of this I decided to use the Autopilot feature (I purchased the FSD package) to help tak | While traveling on a busy interstate highway, my Tesla 3 presented four errors on the control screen: Automatic Emergency Braking disabled, Power reduced, Vehicle shutting down and Unable to drive. The left hand side of the screen flashed red and ins
On August 7th, 2025 at around 8 AM in the morning, my vehicles mobile phone car key was in-operable and I was unable to get in the car which led me to trouble shoot how to fix this issue with the car. Upon researching I was directed by Tesla to direc | vehicle auto stopped in the middle of the parkway | The Driver Assistance System fails. Specifically, the cruse control, parking assistance, blind spot monitor, display of other objects, lane identification, stop sign or traffic light recognition and other safety features fail repeatedly.
model 3 self deleted after failing to maintain lane and crossed the white line, and off pavement, into eroded ditch. | Tesla autopilot drifted over two lanes and into the side of a semi-truck on the freeway. It was night time but with plenty of light, no rain, and clearly marked lines separating the lanes. Not only did autopilot fail, but the features to help avoid
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
I am reporting a serious safety incident involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. On March 29 at approximately 5:00 PM, while driving on the freeway at about 65 mph, the right-side passenger door suddenly opened while the vehicle was in motion. The door had b | Component or System Failed: The critical safety issue involves Tesla's door locking system, specifically the lack of a readily accessible and obvious manual door release in the rear seat. This design flaw could prevent any child or passenger from kno
The vehicle’s brakes did not work, automatic emergency brakes and collision warning both did not work. I pressed on the brake for about 5 seconds but the brakes did not work, resulting in a collision with the car in front. Everything is available f | On [XXX], my 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ) suddenly accelerated on its own and the brakes failed to respond despite repeated pressing. To avoid hitting other vehicles, I turned into a property driveway and struck a tree. The airbags deployed. This | On 2 separate occasions, the cruise control set to 80 and suddenly decelerates. Very scary. Term being used in Tesla chat rooms is 'phantom breaking'.
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
A bolt securing the rear subframe assembly is loose and missing its nut. This condition has caused damage to the rear subframe assembly, which now requires replacement. The vehicle was inspected by a licensed dealer who confirmed on video that no imp | Front upper control arms replaced. Vehicle Only has 24,000 miles. | The car has issue with suspension, i know it is sporty suspension, but I drove so many sport cars. But this is the only one that has jarring issue, my whole upper half is shaking back an forward on bumpy wavy roads causing me to have lower back pain
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
Brake Feature Malfunction Vehicle Details: •Model: Tesla Model 3 •Year: 2023 (approximately 1 year old) •Mileage at Incident: ~11,000 miles Incident Description: On 10/29, while manually driving my Tesla Model 3 on a public roadway, I experienced a | With the TACC system activated when traveling on a 2-lane road with a right-hand curve, if there is a semi-truck in the opposing lane, the emergency braking engages with a hard brake application. It can be overridden with accelerator pedal, but it e | On [XXX], I was driving my Tesla model 3 from California to my new home in Idaho as part of my move there. During the day, I had 6 or 7 situations where the car would suddenly go into full regenerative braking, or outright apply the brakes for no app
Front driver seatbelt will not latch or lock. Car less than 3 years old. | Seatbelt of drivers side won’t latch into compartment, putting myself and others at risk | I am writing to file a claim concerning a recall affecting my Tesla vehicle, identified by NHTSA Recall Number 24V376. The recall involves a defect in the seat belt reminder system software logic affecting certain Tesla models, including my own. The
The Tesla ran a red light on two separate occasions while in full self driving mode. The first time it went through without me being able to intervene. Given it had done it before, the second time I was able to stop it. Both times occurred at the int | Curvature Assist feature agressively brakes while driving at highway speeds. This is supposed to slow down for curves, but frequently intervenes for straight, clearly marked lanes. Feature cannot be turned off. Drivers behind me have gotten agitate | Tesla Motors has two self-driving features, a mode they call enhanced autopilot and Full Self-Driving. Enhanced Autopilot is used primarily on freeways, and allows the car to switch lanes without driver's assistance, while maintaining the speed of tr
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
Design defect that caused the cooling system to fail and potentially not cooling the battery system. Per Tesla service center, leaves and debris which are common in everyday use got on top of the radiator, the fan on the back of the radiator sucked | Car accelerated by itself. Approximately 4:30pm december 3. I just exited freeway and pulled my foot off the pedal and it started to decelerate then there was a chime sound and the car suddenly shot forward. I slammed the brakes as quick as i could.
The system failed to detect the driver having a seizure and had no way for the passenger to break the vehicle. People in the vehicle and Others were put at the risk of a seizing person accelerating in a car that could not be prevented by the car or b | On [XXX] around [XXX], my daughter drove her Tesla Model 3 on [XXX] from school. Two strange/scary accidents happened to two different Tesla cars (Model 3 and Y). It was raining with low/medium visibility. One of the cars was driven by my daughter, | Recent recall update makes auto pilot more dangerous and distracting. I am getting alerts while my hands are on the steering wheel and paying attention to the road, which then causes me to take my eyes off the road to see the alert. Which I then get
Allegedly reported: 3 injuries (as reported to NHTSA).
Rims cracked with normal usage. Current mileage under 17,000. This should not occur, and poses a safety risk with loss of tire pressure. | I leased a Tesla 3 Performance Package on Oct 24, 2023. It was delivered to Connecticut, with the cold weather package, and unbeknownst to me, summer tires. Due to the summer tires and driving with them in temperatures unacceptable for their compound | Found wheel with 8000 miles with no damage form potholes or anything of the shorts to have a crack.
Using the Tesla "Autopark", the car backed right into a pole in back of the parking space. When the car hit the pole, it kept trying to back up rather than disengaging. It was a clear day, there was no traffic and there was no car in the adjacent p | On December 24th 2023, I was reversing into a parking spot with a protruding wall that was only 4 feet high, but the Tesla Model 3 reverse camera was unable to detect the wall. From the angle of the mirrors, it was difficult for me to tell there was
As part of transitioning from radar to a camera based system (this affects model years '22 onward), Tesla, has "temporarily" disabled key features such as lane departure, blind spot alerts and emergency braking. Though disabled, these features are st | Tesla has serious safety issues automatic emergency, braking Blindspot warning, Lane, departure warning, and other basic safety features which are very common in the cars these days. I purchased Tesla for my teenage child. In past three months we ha
There is NO mechanism to unlock the rear passenger doors in case of electrical failure. No Emergency mechanical door opening in case of emergency. Passengers will NOT be able to get out of the LOCKED vehicle during an emergency (i.e. crash, battery f | I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent rear drive unit internal part failure in my new Tesla Model 3. The incident has left me fearful that this issue may occur again, and I am genuinely worried for my safety. I implore you and
Windshield is defective which appeared crack without any solid object hitting incidence. | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain with the windshield wipers activated, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact was able to turn the switch for the windshield | While driving in rain, the windshield wipers will randomly stop. This will happen both in AUTO and in MANUAL modes, especially at night in poor visibility. I contacted Tesla and they came and replaced the wiper motor assembly but the problem was no
Driver seat will adjust itself while driving down the road. While the seat is moving by itself it will also roll the da window down and no way to roll it up. While all things happening the heat will also stop working. | When involved in a rear-end collision the drivers seat malfunctioned. It went into a laid down position and twisted causing a back injury. | On July 5, 2023 my front passenger seat assembly was replaced due to a passenger safety restraint system fault. Two days ago I discovered two black self tapping bolts sitting behind the front passenger seat on the floor mat. The front passenger seat
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
There is no manual door release for rear doors in the Tesla model 3 RWD. This can pose a safety issue if the car has no power and passengers need to evacuate the vehicle. | am reporting an issue involving unexplained cracking of my Tesla windshield with no known impact or debris strike. Last night at approximately 6:20 PM, while in Chapel Hill, NC, I entered my vehicle and noticed a crack on the driver’s side of the win | While driving, the side mirrors closed and the doors locked by themselves. Then, the front trunk opened, the rear trunk opened, and when I opened the door, the headlights turned on and the front trunk opened again. When I opened the door another time
Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA).
If your 2023 Tesla Model 3 has had repeated repairs for the same problem, you may have rights under California lemon law. Tell us about it and we will review your situation at no cost and no obligation.
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The recalls and complaints shown here are reported to NHTSA and are consumer-reported, unverified allegations. They do not establish that any defect exists in any individual vehicle, and nothing on this page should be read as asserting that the 2023 Tesla Model 3 is defective. Counts reflect items filed with NHTSA and may not be current. “May qualify” statements are general and do not mean any particular vehicle or owner qualifies.
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