2019 Tesla Model 3 Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System) 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. The VIN was not available.

After driving the car for about 2 minutes a warning message popped up on the screen panel. It was a warning of reduced steering. When I started to turn left onto another street I could barely move the steering wheel. It felt almost completely locked up.

Error comes up replace auxiliary battery low voltage. And then it says vehicle may not start. I was told by the dealer where I bought the car that their a recall and I wanted to see if my vehicle is qualified. Which the dealer said it is. I can't drive my car and I do ride share with it please can you help me.

Twice in a span of six weeks my 2019 Tesla Model 3 simply stopped operating - dead stop. First incident was on a road trip over the Christmas holidays ([XXX]). We had stopped in suburban Chicago before continuing our trip home. The vehicle control screen went black and the vehicle ceased almost all operations. The vehicle could not be started nor put into a gear for towing. All functions accessed through the screen (virtually every function) was rendered inoperable. I called Tesla who told me that according to their computer systems the vehicle was active. The mercifully nearby service center said no fault was recorded by the computer log. They were able to get the screen reactivated and we continued our trip with no further incident and they weren't able to explain what happened. On Friday [XXX] the same thing happened in our garage. The vehicle was towed to Tesla. They diagnosed the issue to an electrical fault in the steering column which shuts the vehicle down. The remedy is a replacement of the entire steering column at a cost of $2100 plus labor. I don't know if this is a typical remedy for other manufacturers but this is quite a expensive solution for an issue unrelated to the steering function. From a safety perspective this was an astounding occurrence. If this winter was colder or we were in a more remote place we would have been in pretty big trouble not being able to activate the heat or any other function of the vehicle. I believe the totality of the shutdown makes this fault an extraordinary concern with an extraordinary price tag for Tesla drivers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car is showing a system failure of the passenger restraining system, including the airbag. Car is only five years old with 67,000 miles. This condition should be repaired by Tesla at no cost to the consumer for this early failure. Also, the air conditioning compressor has failed, it is part of the battery cooling system which may create hazard of overheating The battery. This repair should also be covered by Tesla since it is a safety feature. These two failures seem to be very common among Tesla owners as evidence by the multiple social media post on these failures, a safety recall should be implemented to provide these repairs, and no cost to the consumer. Thank you so much.

Both the front left and right lateral linkages have failed after 4 years of normal use. This is similar to an issue experienced in other Model 3 vehicles that were recalled. This vehicle is not covered by that recall but appears to have the same build quality issues. These links should not fail at such an early vehicle age. Replaced Left Front Lower Lateral Link. Replaced Right Front Lower Lateral Link.

Ever since Tesla updated my vehicle to 2023.44.30.8, the autopilot has become effectively unusable. It now nags and beeps at me whenever I am not looking straight ahead. It is ridiculous that Tesla has ruined one of the best aspects of my car due to (ostensibly?) NHTSA pressure. Please allow their previous driver attentiveness system with the steering wheel to be reinstated. It is so miserable to have my car nanny camera flip out on me every time I look anywhere other than straight ahead. At the very least, every other manufacturer should be forced to have just as annoying a system if my Tesla had to be ruined. Its wrong to punish every Tesla owner because some people misused autopilot.

I am writing to express my serious concern and to file a formal complaint regarding a critical issue with my Tesla vehicle, specifically related to the Power Conversion System (PCS). I have recently been informed by Tesla’s diagnostic team that the PCS in my vehicle has malfunctioned and requires replacement. This is particularly alarming given the vehicle's relatively low mileage and my previous history of reporting charging issues. For your reference, the key details are as follows: Vehicle and Issue Identification: The vehicle in question, which I took delivery of in May 2019, is now experiencing a significant reduction in charging capability, only charging at 16A instead of the expected 32A. This issue has persisted despite earlier assurances that the problem was with the wall charger, a claim which now seems inaccurate. Mileage and Usage: My vehicle has only covered approximately 29,000 miles, which casts doubt on the wear-and-tear argument for such a critical component failure. Safety and Recurrence Concerns: While I am currently not aware of any direct safety issues, the recurrence of this problem among other Tesla owners is worrying and suggests a potential pattern of technical shortcomings. Cost of Repair: I have been quoted a repair cost of $1,808/- by Tesla, which is a substantial amount, especially considering the vehicle's age and mileage. Given these points, I request a thorough re-evaluation of this matter. I strongly believe that this issue should be covered under warranty, or as a goodwill gesture, considering the vehicle's low mileage and the history of charging issues reported shortly after purchase. Furthermore, I urge Tesla to investigate if this is a wider issue affecting more vehicles, as it raises concerns about the reliability and durability of critical components in Tesla vehicles. The vehicle is available for inspection at your convenience. I expect a prompt response to this complaint, and I hope for a swift and satisfactory resolution.

When driving the car and turning the wheel there was a creaking noise at low speeds. Upon inspection at the service center the issue was diagnosed to be suspension part issues. The compliance link assemblies, lower lateral links, and control arms require replacement. This issue could have resulted in the car wheels breaking off while driving, causing a safety issue for myself and others.

The upper control arms on this vehicle are a known chronic issue where the ball joints fail anywhere from 15,000 miles and up. Tesla is charging for this replacement if vehicle has more than 50,000 miles

Upper control arms and linkage on left and right needed to be replaced. Tesla charging $600 labor.

Heating suddenly stopped working after 3 years.

Climate control unavailable. Unable to heat cabin. Ran test and received a PTC heater faulty. Vehicle is over 50K miles and no longer under warranty. Through research online. Many heating issues become available. Software and numerous PTC failures especially older vehicles that had similar issues with 30K, 40K, and 50K miles.

FSD causing more Nagging to the steering wheel due to recent recall update, making it much more dangerous to constantly having to move the steering wheel while the car is in motion and can cause the car to serve out of control or into another lane, DANGEROUS RECALL, revert this back

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the recall to be performed would not disable the "Auto-steer" function, however the Over the Air software update had disabled the auto steer. The contact stated that the manufacturer advised that to restore the auto steer feature the contact had to pay to do so. The contact stated that the manufacturer was not following the recall as stated. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure of the auto steer function on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 71,817. Parts distribution disconnect.

Repeat error messages of "Front safety restraint" on the screen followed by passenger window not rolling down. This has happened in June 2023, October 2023 and December 2023. The tesla windows need to roll down half inch for the doors to be closed. Because the windows get locked, i cannot close the doors. Because the doors are not closed i cannot drive the car. the other connected problem is that the passenger side mirror is folded and cannot be unfolded. Every time we log a service ticket with Tesla, they do not give an explanation on the problem and just mention it as a software problem. in July 2023 when the safety restraint problem was fixed, it was invoiced as seat repair.

Since nhtsa recommended changes, the assist driver require more input to confirm I am paying attention and is distracting me from paying attention to surroundings. For example proir to the vehicle being "safer" I was able to focus my attention on immediate risk but possible risk that were greater than 12 seconds ahead of me. The vehicle was safer prior to the recall.

Warning message regarding passenger safety restraint system. Code RCM_056

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the back over prevention camera frequently failed to operate as designed with a blank screen being displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

I continuously receive a notification on my car that the there is a fault with the passenger restraint system and includes a red income with the airbag. I have found hundreds of Tesla drivers that have reported the same issue. Tesla is claiming that my airbag needs replaced as well as other safety components with the seat that need retrofitted in order for the airbag to work properly. They quoted me over $2.4k for the repair and are holding me responsible for all costs since the vehicle is out of warranty. They told me that the airbag may not work properly. This is a common problem among Tesla’s and should be assessed.

While stopping at the post office drop box and then attempting to depart, my steering completely stopped working. I could not turn the wheel without extreme force. Luckily, I was not far from home and was able to get home without accident.

My 2019 tesla model 3, with 41158 miles, started making a strange noise when I turned the steering wheel left or right. I scheduled service at a tesla service center. The tesla technician confirmed the noise from the upper control arms. They replaced the pair of upper control arms. After test driving the vehicle and putting the car on the lift the technician verified additional noises coming from the steering rack. The technician stated the left inner tie rod attached to the rack was also loose and since they both come together as a singular component they recommended replacement. There has been no warning lamps or messages about the problem. When I noticed the noise I scheduled the appointment. My concern is the possible steering failure if the problem isn't addressed immediately

Brake lines are bubbled and do not pass inspection. Tesla claims this is my fault as I live on an unpaved road. My mechanic has seen the same problem in another 2019 tesla and there are few of these cars in Central VT

Loss of steering power while driving on the highway. Came out of nowhere

When Driving an Alert activates DIR_a126 Power Reduced. Exiting and re-entering vehicle may restore operation. My vehicle speed limit goes to 50 mph and keeps lowering after driving for a few miles to a creep. This alert pop up constantly.

Air bag sensor not functioning as advertised. I have opened 4 service actions with Tesla. I have been told the sensor activates the airbag for passengers weighing 100 lbs or more. My wife weighs approximately 120 lbs, and we are having continual failures of the system to activate the front passenger airbag, despite her occupation of the seat. We have provided time and date information as requested for Tesla service to review the car's log information. Tesla has performed 2 "hands-on" inspections of the vehicle, and one remote inspection, and continue to assert that the system is working as intended. Tesla service is now stating that clothing could cause the problem, but have failed to render a solution to the issue. I find it unreasonable to have a 20% margin of error for a sensor that operates a life-safety system in a modern vehicle.

The vehicle is supposed to automatically slow down (regen) when you let off the accelerator. Recently the car continues to coast or stay the same speed. The battery is not close to being full (will not regen). I will apply the brake and let go and the car will continue to move forward. It is dangerous.

Vehicle experienced phantom breaking previously documented for Teslas. The vehicle suddenly decelerated by 22mph from 75 to 58 mph in approximately 2 to 4 seconds while cresting a hill on an interstate and navigating on autopilot. There were no vehicles or objects ahead of the vehicle. There was one vehicle behind at an indeterminate distance at the start of the phantom breaking event. The driver had their hand on the wheel before the initiation of the phantom breaking and the autopilot system alarmed and prompted the driver to take control at the onset of the phantom breaking.

The vehicle will randomly start emergency braking for no reason once so ever when using teslas full self driving. This is extremely dangerous as it can happen at any moment while the autopilot feature is in use. In my most recent instance autopilot was set to 70 mph, and with no vehicles are traffic control devices present what is known as “phantom braking” started to occur. Which requires me to quickly reassume control of the vehicle and bring it back up to speed.

The automatic windshield wiper feature fails to properly respond to rain intensity. The wipers turn on when it is perfectly dry outside, causing premature wear. On the other hand, when it is actually raining out, the wipers consistently and ongoingly activate at a much lower frequency than necessary to keep the windshield clear, resulting in forward visibility of close to zero in most situations. Tesla ran diagnostics on the wiper system and determined that my vehicle's hardware and equipment is functioning properly, despite all the problems.

Manufacturer refuses to address outstanding FSD recall from February 2023 despite multiple service appointments and available remedies. This impedes ability to import vehicle to Canada.

The following recalls have been pending on my vehicle: 23V-838; TC2023-657, 24V-051 Tesla is unable to push over-the-air (OTA) updates to my vehicle to remedy these recalls due to an issue with the onboard computer being unable to receive updates. This issue arose when Tesla pushed a software/firmware update to my vehicle which effectively "bricked" the Advanced Drive System portion of the computer. In other words, I am unable to safely receive an update to resolve the issues (solved by the recall) because Tesla's failed software update damaged the onboard computer.

Front right safety restraint system fault. Rear right safety restraint system fault.

Issue with control arm and compliance links. Poor design causes corrosion problem.

I get an intermittent error message: RCM_a021 Front left safety restraint system fault service is required Tesla service charges nearly $360 for this repair. I have understood from owners with the same issue that the connector to the seat belt pretensioner is the issue. Several owners have the same issue.

After leaving my neighborhood, my car stopped working while I was turning. Everything went black, and I was unable to turn my hazards on and had to exit the vehicle using the emergency lever to open the door. The car was towed to Tesla. It had to be forced onto the tow truck, as you can only shift the gear to neutral if the car is on. We asked Tesla what the problem was in the service chat, and they said "Yes the rear drive inverter went out on it that goes to the rear drive unit." I have never heard of such a malfunction with Tesla. There was no warning to pull over. If this was on a highway or busy street, the car would have just died, which could have caused a major or fatal accident. This matter should be investigated promptly, as it is a major safety issue. There could have been a fatality if this had happened on a busy highway with speeding cars. When I say it stopped working without warning, I truly mean it. I was unable to turn on my emergency lights. The Tesla was totally unresponsive. I am truly scared to drive the car again, even if it gets repaired. The car only has around 20k+ miles. This should never have happened, and Tesla failed to give me a warning before the major malfunction occurred. Truthfully, I do not know if I will ever drive my Tesla again. I no longer trust the vehicle.

Car seat is able to tip onto it's side during turns in the direction of the seat belt latch by sliding down the seat belt. My child's legs are caught between the seat belt and the back of the seat causing her injury. This occurs when installing as per manufacturer instructions without base using seat belt only. It only occurs in our vehicle where the handle does not touch either front seat and the seat material is low friction, both of which I believe contribute to the seat being able to tip. I have tried to contact Britax regarding this issue however their website contact form is non-functional. We have 2 of this model car seat and they both exhibit the same behavior.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the front suspension. The sound was heard while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed upper control arm. The contact was informed that the upper control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that five days later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a scheduled service appointment in May 2024, the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed suspension lateral link needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the suspension lateral link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of two recalls, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V235000 (Suspension) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V835000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,775.

This is a rampant problem with tesla models. You get a seat restraint safety feature has failed. These are being repaired with a make shift repair and the owners are being charged for it.

The car is plagued by "phantom braking." It occurs when I am on the freeway - the car suddenly brakes and/or decelerates. (Sometimes it is a sudden braking and sometimes the cruise control just turns off.) This is very unsafe - I am fortunate that it has occurred when there is no car close behind me. I feel it happen and put my foot on the accelerator as soon as I can. It's happened as many as 3-4 times during a long (@500 miles) drive, and other times only once. It occurs in various kinds of weather and I have never been able to figure out why it happens. It has happened when there are no cars in front of or next to my car. I believe this problem has been reported many times before. I do not know what system or part is responsible for this. I have had the car since 2019 and this has been happening as long as I can remember. I have never received any kind of a warning or signal that the car would brake. NOTE: B/c the problem is ongoing, I did not put in an approximate date below.

Since Summer/Fall 2023, 2019 Tesla Model 3 software appears to have been compromised. The vehicle shows entirely incorrect directions, at times having taken me 24 miles out of the way; shows a Subdivision in Baltimore, MD named "[XXX] Heights" and a business in Woodbridge, VA named "David's [XXX] Pole Waxing"; has removed all charging stops at certain times and then showed all charging locations in a Metropolitan area as "busy", has rolled down windows at random in 17⁰ weather to the point of having to hold the window toggle up with one hand while driving, is operating windows in reverse; shows an overlay on the screen where the white speed limit sign sometimes changes the size of the square; shows an overlay on the app, and has at times locked me out of the car entirely (seemingly remotely). The heated seats had overheated at other times and had left burns on my back. Tesla denies that the software and/or app have been compromised and claims that the currently-installed software is the original factory software without having inspected the car. Tesla twice now has declined to inspect it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The NHTSA is forcing Tesla and other self-driving cars to come to a complete 0 mph stop at stop signs and according to Elon, only 0.5% of all drivers in their fleet actually do this and that seems inline with the general public also doesn't come to a 100% stop at every stop sign and as a result I got rear-ended because in a completely wide-open intersection the driver behind me thought I was going to do a rolling stop but didn't. The point of the NHTSA is to keep drivers safe and driving like a safe driver and not a robot that follows 100% of all road rules makes an unpredictable driver therefore an unsafe driver. The NHTSA has allowed car manufacturers like Volvo set max cruise control to 125 mph!!!! That breaks the speed limit on 99.999% of all roads in America but you've allowed it for years because everyone goes above the speed limit and that's ok with the NHTSA. Letting self driving cars slow to 1 or 2 mph before proceeding in an intersection where no other cars or people are present aligns with what over 99% of all drivers do so that would make them a predictable driver and therefore a safe driver. Not saying allow them to blow through intersections at 3+ mph but not come to a 100% stop, seriously no one does that!!

I have had multiple compressor issues since the car was made in 2019 and already replaced once. Now it is failing again and as the compressor is used to cool the powertrain it can degrade performance and who knows when my car could fail while on the road due to lack of cooling capacity.

I previously had asked Tesla to check my front suspension as I was noticing a unusual sound which they did however the technician assessment was that all was fine. Today, just 4 months out of warranty (but still under the 50k), the front control arm just fell off while I was driving. This resulted in the control arm to brake as well as my front fender (it hit the tire in motion). To my disbelief there was nothing put in place to keep that control arm up, if I were driving on the freeway it would have resulted in a catastrophic accident. I’m emailing you to see if there is anything that can be done to hold Tesla accountable for this major flaw. Online forums have plenty of other tesla drivers with similar issue as well as an official recall which unfortunately my vin did not fall under. Please advice on how to proceed. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and closing the driver's side door, the doors locked and failed to open because the vehicle was experiencing an electrical failure. The contact stated that he engaged the driver's side door emergency door release lever, but the lever failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle became hot, and he exited the vehicle through the trunk. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center, where it was determined that the 12V battery needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 23,969.

I was at a toll booth paying for tow. All of a sudden the car accelerated forward by itself, ramming into the toll bar. At that time, my arm was still sticking out the window while interacting with the toll terminal. This incident is something that needs to be looked at. It certainly looks like this is a result of the accident avoidance feature. Not sure why it activated either. But I am 99.9% sure that I did not accidentally press the gas pedal because I had to slam on the brakes to stop. Currently contacting Tesla to see if they can get the log to prove whether I accidentally press the pedal or not. In addition to this, there were reports of inverter spikes causing acceleration issues. Please look into the linkage of these incidents. As an electrical engineer myself, this is very alarming.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while parked, the valet could not drive the vehicle out of the parking garage because the steering wheel was firm. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,359.

The front upper control arms on the vehicle failed at around 50,000 miles. The control arms failed with the same symptoms described in Tesla's service bulletin [XXX] ). However, despite the service bulletin stating that the correction was to reseal the area around the ball joints, Tesla's service team told me that they no longer do that because they found out that the problem would reappear if they only reseal them. That they instead replace the front upper control arms with a newer version. They billed me $181.44 for that work despite having a service bulletin for the issue and despite it being a widespread issue with the early failure of those control arms. I was lucky that I had this issue addressed when it only made noise and did not wait for the suspension component to structurally fail, which would have resulted in a crash. I have the invoice and the written communication between myself and Tesla. However, when submitting this incident form on NHTSA's website, the Upload Files section wasn't working in Chrome or Firefox on Windows. Clicking the "Upload Files" button on this web form just made the button disappear and nothing else happened. If it is helpful, I'd be happy to share the invoice and written communication between myself and Tesla with NHTSA. Please let me know if that's needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Automatic windshield wipers have not worked since a firmware update several months ago. Unfortunately, the touchscreen controls for the wipers are not easily accessible and that makes it difficult to control them while driving. Drivers are required to take their eyes off the road to adjust the wipers. Making matters worse, the buttons are small, low contrast, and difficult to press while the car is in motion. These touchscreen controls are the only method for operating wipers. Do to the way the controls work, automatic wipers are a necessity for safe driving in bad weather. I live in an area with frequent rain so this is a serious issue. I have reported the issue to Tesla at least twice and they continue to say it is a “known firmware characteristic” with no ETA for a fix.

The contact owned a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a squeaking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front suspension system was faulty and needed to be replaced. The front suspension system was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 93,000.