NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Tesla Model 3. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Consistent "phantom breaking" when autopilot is engaged. There is not an option for a regular cruise control, rather, Tesla activates an autopilot feature when the cruise is activated - the adaptive breaking is consistently applying the breaks when there is no reason. This is a safety issue as people following behind could hit my car when it tries to stop for no reason on a highway going 65-70 mph.
I'm submitting this because my safety recall NHTSA # 21V-00D which was sent to me on Feb 15, 2022 has not been serviced in a timely manner by Tesla. The letter I got stated that they would either replace the harness, or install a guide protector for the rearview camera. However they have done neither. When I call them about it, they tell me "everything is fine, there are no repairs available for your car, just keep using it as normal". When I told them that what they were telling me disagreed with the recall notice, they told me to "ignore the recall notice".
Pursant to NHTSA Recall 21V-00D, I received notice of recall on my Tesla Model 3 in a letter dated 2/15/2022. I have not received any further communication regarding a repair in the the 7 months since, which in my estimation is beyond a reasonable time to address a recall notification. I am thereby submitting a NHTSA complaint that Tesla has failed to remedy this defect within a reasonable time, as outlined in the recall notice. Please advise any additional steps I may need to take to register or advance my complaint.
I start noticing when you stop at stop light or traffic light and soon you start drive and before it’s get speed it’s break for second you feel and notice something stop for second and this start happening since last 10 days
Several times while driving highway Route 2 in Massachusetts, westbound and eastbound, the adaptive cruise control system slammed on the brakes for absolutely no reason. There was nothing in front of the car for 100 yards, sometimes longer. It happened at least 10 times within an hour. This caused a dangerous situation for myself and the cars behind me who were not expecting my vehicle to brake suddenly and for no reason. There have been many other cases of this submitted to the NHTSA, it is not an isolated problem. There were no warnings displayed during the phantom hard braking incidents.
While in Tesla’s auto pilot mode, the vehicle breaks for no particular reason. This is particularly very dangerous while going 70 mph and someone is following in close proximity. I have gotten side eyes and hand gestures from fellow motorists, I presume it is due to them thinking I break checked but I am very defensive driver and I would not put anyone at risks for any reason. I got rear ended back in 2019 in slow speed but do attribute this to Tesla sudden breaking issue. I have since stop auto auto pilot in regular basis. I do use auto pilot once here and there often in light traffic.
While driving with autopilot engaged (adaptive cruise control + automatic braking) the vehicle abruptly slams on the brakes even when there is no vehicle or objects in its path.
Wiper don't work as expected on auto, and changing setting on the screen it's very dangerous in severe weather as you need to click the button, look to the screen while visibility almost zero and choose the speed while driving. This is very unsafe and almost I make accidents because of that. Solution is to let users change speed from steering scroll after hit the physical button on the indicators stick.
going down the highway (I75) and at a certain exit north of Sarasota FL the car just randomly and unexpectedly brakes (phantom braking) No cars around, just straight highway Has happened several times in this spot and also other spots
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) and 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repair were 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 repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned... A: Summary: When using the car seat forward facing and in a configuration acceptable for forward facing as outline in the product manual, specifically when using the vehicle safety belt, the car seat harness can get tangled and interlocked with the vehicle safety belt, preventing the car seat harness from being tightened fully and also damaging the vehicles safety belt in the process. See attached images, videos, and transcript with Clek Support for more information. Q: ... and is it available for inspection upon request? A: Yes Q: How was the child’s safety put at risk? Had I not noticed the issue by checking the tightness of the harness on my child's shoulders, I could have incorrectly believed that my child was securely fastened in the car seat. An inattentive parent or one that doesn't frequently check the tightness of the shoulder straps, could believe, if they were to pull the harness tightening strap and it were to stop, that their child was secure when in fact the harness could be tangled with the vehicle safety belt and the child not being secured in the car seat. Additionally, over time the vehicle seat belt could become damaged enough to where it no longer can serve its purpose adequately in securing the car seat to the vehicle. Q: Has the car seat been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A: Clek support has been contacted and all details were provided but they are claiming that there is no issue with the car seat despite confirming with them that the car seat is in an acceptable configuration for forward facing and with being able to repeatedly reproduce the issue. Additional: I have a video of the issue but its too large to submit. I have uploaded it to my youtube account for viewing. https://youtu.be/q7BVuGeBNqM The images submitted are those provided to Clek in the initial communication and the resulting conversation. The video best shows the issue.
My radar-capable Tesla Model 3 is in the FSD beta program. As part of the program, Tesla disabled radar functionality. Unfortunately on vision the car brakes aggressively (10+ mph decrease) approximately one time per five miles on the local undivided highways of Central Oregon. This is not safe for me or for other drivers. I have contacted Tesla repeatedly to opt out of the FSD beta program and reenabled radar, but they have not responded. Customer service and service centers are not empowered to fix the situation. This situation puts me and other drivers at risk and could be easily remedied by Tesla by adding a process for FSD beta program removal. Clearly their current approach is not working.
Every time I am on a two lane road, and sometimes even on divided highways, I experience numerous instances where the car seems to think there is an imminent collision, where the brakes are immediately applied excessively and for seemingly no reason. This issue is present with either the FSD beta engaged or simply having cruise control engaged at all. The issue is far worse at night, and in a 1 hour drive it is likely to happen several times. In addition to the above, the car also forces the auto high beams back onto auto when re-engaging the system after I've had to take control to stop it from stopping or swerving unnecessarily. Since the auto high beams are really bad, the car often will flash oncoming drivers on its own, and again for seemingly no reason. I usually remember to disable it every time, but have also forgotten and flashed oncoming drivers due to this as well. In addition to the above, the FSD system will make swerves that make no sense at times as well. For instance, it turned into what it thought to be the turning lane a block early, but maintained speed for the actual intended turn. When it saw the lines ending, it abruptly made a 90 degree turn a block early as it didn't know what to do. While I feel competent enough to be MORE alert than an average driver should expect to be when driving, I feel it is a matter of time, if it hasn't already happened, where Teslas cause a rear end accident, injury, or even death, from their seemingly random and sudden movements by a driver that doesn't understand the limits of the cars. For the approximate date field below......it happens every time I drive on a two lane road, and even more so at night. It's not a one time instance. It's every single drive. I'll put the date the last time I drove longer than a couple miles from home, but want to emphasize that everything described above can be easily reproduced on every single drive.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the air bags deployed without impact. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was sent to the manufacturer who was investigating the failure however, no resolution had been made. The vehicle had not been repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,100.
Automatically activated Blind Spot camera system view is filled over 50% with glare from blinker while driving at night. This renders the driver safety feature unusable during nighttime driving and creates additional driver distraction with the bright light flashing on the vehicle display every time the turn signal is activated at all driving speeds.
The contact owned a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at 57 MPH during rainy weather conditions, when hitting a puddle the vehicle then drastically slowed down and fishtailed veering to the left. As a result, the contact crashed into the divider. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a AAA center where it was confirmed a total loss. The contact mentioned that the failure could be related to Phantom Braking. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,140. It was determined that there was no phantom braking at the time of the accident. Consumer stated he would like to withdraw the complaint.
The screen on my Tesla fails routinely (everyday) while driving and then reboots after about 3 minutes. This happens abruptly with no warning. Tesla has told me (verbally) that it was reproduced in their service location in Palo Alto. During this time, I have no idea of my speed or any other vehicle status, such as lane keeping, collision warning, navigation, heating, etc. I have tried to remedy this issue with Tesla service repeatedly over two months, and the interactions have been unsatisfactory. Tesla does not seem to appreciate the potential seriousness of this issue and the risk to ourselves and others. Tesla Service at Sunnyvale, CA, encouraged me to continue driving, even though I pointed out the risk of "driving blind". My family is very wary of this vehicle now.
The rearview camera of the Tesla Model 3 is defective and it will lead to an incident since I rely on it when going in reverse. Tesla issue a recall letter in February 2022 but has not provided an update or dates as to when the solid core coaxial able will be replaced. If you can put pressure on Tesla to replace this part ASAP before someone gets hurt.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the Back Over Protection camera failed to display an image on the screen. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) several months ago. The dealer was contacted and stated that the parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA to file a complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Phantom breaking on highways when approaching an overpass during daytime. Abrupt breaking on 5 fwy from 65mph Limit to 45 mph Limit when it is 65mph Limit.
Two problems 1. vehicle breaks randomly on the road when on assisted driving is enabled on freeways 2. new vehicle steering makes creaking/ clicking noise when turning. reported to tesla and vehicle was repaired, but same issue again.
The most recent OTA update, V11, poses a severe safety risk and potential for future incidents. The update has moved visibility/safety activation into sub-menu's requiring the driver to take their eyes off the road for longer periods of time and search for these controls while the vehicle is moving. The main safety feature which is no linger available on the main screen is defrost, but other controls such as climate control, seat heating, TPMS, and more are now 2-3 clicks/swipes away when they used to be one. Not only does it take 5-10 seconds to turn on the defroster which could be deadly in the event of a quickly fogging windshield, but one has to then take their eyes off the road to adjust all of the other climate functions that come on automatically by simply activating the defrost, such as a/c, seat heaters, etc. There is also no fan speed control to defrost, so on a very cold day if one does not want the defrost blowing at full power (very loud) the entire time they are driving they must keep toggling the touch button on and off, each instance requiring 2-4 clicks/swipes and 5-10 seconds of taking eyes off the road.
Tesla provided notification of NHTSA Recall No. 21V-00D regarding the coaxial cable affecting camera visibility on 12/31/21. There is no estimate of when they will replace this cable, just that they have no parts available. I believe a reasonable time has passed and would like to have this safety issue resolved.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Telsa has not timely corrected the faulty wiring harness for the rear and side cameras causing an increased backing hazard.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Software Update Version 11 makes it dangerous to drive when the front and/or back windshield fogs up. Getting the defogger to turn on requires multiple attempts to find icons and then more icons and then more options while attempting to drive the car (or pull over out of traffic to hunt down the defrost "button".) My windshield fogged up in a matter of seconds and it was impossible to SEE who was ahead of me, see the road, or get pulled over to avoid an accident while I struggled to find the software "button" hidden deep in the menus/screens somewhere. Also, blind spot warning camera is DANGEROUS. It requires the driver to look away from the road and traffic, attempt to interpret complex visual data, and make a split-second decision (all while driving is traffic). It's way WORSE than not having the distraction at all. I love my Model 3, but someone needs to reign-in Tesla and keep them from forcing owners to drive their cars in an UNSAFE manner.
Since the last software update, it became twice as complicated to start the windshield defogger, because the button that was previously always on the screen, was relocated one level deeper and takes that much longer to keep our eyes off the road. This is unsafe.
Heating in the vehicle suddenly stops working in cold weather. I have been in the midst of a drive home in sun zero temperatures where I lose heat from my climate control and the cabin temperature plummets very quickly
Tesla's new user interface / software to navigate the screen (adjust climate, radio, seats, vehicle settings, odometer, trip settings, etc.) has been destroyed in their latest update. Their cars are now too complicated to drive and pose a serious safety risk as drivers are trying to adjust simple controls in their vehicles which now require much more focus and effort to adjust. Tesla needs to revert their changes to their user interface.
update 2021.44.25.2 hid the defrost, defog, windshield wiper controls. these are safety concerns for me. the update also hid the seat heaters which is irritating but only a safety concern if i get cold and become distracted.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the manufacturer had provided a new software update for the vehicle. The contact stated that the update made it difficult to use some functions. The contact was concerned that he had to take his eyes off the road to use the windshield wipers, defroster, and other features. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000. The VIN was not available.
Tesla implemented a software "update" 2021-12-24 and removed basic functions making driving in everchanging CA weather a hazard. Both Front and Rear defrost buttons were constantly across the bottom bar of the touchscreen in the car before the software update on 2021-12-24. After the software update, the functions have been removed from the ever-present bottom bar. Because the touchscreen is the only way to turn on the defrost, this is a hazard. Now istead of simply pressing a button on the bottom of the screen, you have to press the car, then go to "climate" then turn on defrost. This is now a 2 or 3 step process. The other way to turn on defrost is to "Swipe" up on the temperature, and this (if the climate control is off) will automatically turn ON the climate control. On the new screen, I then have to hit "climate off" and also "defrost on". This is unsafe. Standard functions such as: Volume, Temperature Control, Defrost should be a SINGLE PRESS away, not hidden behind several menus. Attachments Description: OLDUI.PNG this is the OLD User Interface. Notice bottom bar on bottom of "Screen" I have circled the defrost buttons in pink. NEWUI.PNG this is NEW User Interface. Notice the bottom bar now does not have the defrost buttons, but instead a "Toybox", Phone, and other icons that have nothing to do with driving a car.
Defrost "button" location moved with SW update. Window became fogged rapidly and I couldn't find button. Figuring out how to locate the button, even though I had read update notes about moving button, took several seconds causing me to focus on car touch screen rather than road much longer than it should. I missed my turn because of this and could have easily run a traffic control sign/signal or drifted out of my lane, but I am experienced enough to know to glance up from the screen frequently even while searching for button. I waited a couple months to file this complaint figuring I would just need to get used to the new button placement, but I am thoroughly convinced the button needs to have 1 touch access on the touch screen as it did before, not opening a separate climate menu.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I was driving on a straight local street going around 40mph when all of a sudden, the car baked hard without the presence of any other cars or obstacles. This may have happened several times already and I am now reading that other people had similar incidences.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the Lane Departure, steering assist, and braking assist warning lights illuminated. During the failure the steering wheel had become difficult to turn in either direction. Additionally, while releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate instead of decelerating as normal. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who performed unknown repairs however, after retrieving the vehicle the steering failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the service center. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
The left front lower control arm came loose while I was getting out of my garage. The vehicle immediately became undrivable.
During autopilot driving on highway, the car applied the brakes hard 2 times during my drive for no apparent reason. I was fortunate that no one was close behind me. This is a significant safety hazard.
On three occasions while driving on the expressway the vehicle slammed on the brakes while TACC was enabled. One occasion the vehicle behind me had to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid hitting my vehicle. There was no threat or obstacles in the road, it was totally random. I’m afraid to use TACC and have no option for traditional speed based cruise on my vehicle.
We have two Tesla Model 3s - 2019 and 2020. Both vehicles are experiencing increased issues with phantom braking where the car unexpectedly applies the brakes for no apparent reason when using cruise control or AutoPilot. Often times the braking is sever and abrupt. There have been incidents where we were nearly rear ended by the car behind us because of this. This is a major safety issue and I am asking the NHTSA to investigate.
Tesla model 3 is a cat death trap. There is a large platform cats can easily crawl into. . Cats jump out of the moving car when it's too late. Over two years period, two of my cats were killed the exact same way. When I took the car to the Tesla service center, they refused to even take a look and diagnose the issue. Tesla needs to provide a fix for owners with cats or even have neighbors with cats. I'm attaching a picture showing the space with cat hair still stuck to it. The car behind me almost hit me when I tried to suddenly stop when I saw the cat jumping out. Cats died anyways.
This is my primary car and I have been driving the Model 3 for more than an year. The side view mirrors provide very limited visibility. It doesn't provide the necessary field of view needed for safe driving. Many a time I find myself missing a car in the side lane when I turn my head. My spouse will not drive the car for same reason. The mirrors itself is very small and so is the viewing angle coverage. For context, I often travel for work and drive numerous different rentals cars - I have never felt this issue on other cars. I sincerely feel something is wrong with Tesla Model 3 side mirrors. I also the feel the same way about the rear view mirror. It is small and has to precisely adjusted. It is however less of a safety issue compared to the side view mirror.
After getting a shingles vaccination and eating lunch, a vaccine side-effect suddenly caused me to become extremely sleepy while driving. But AutoPilot drove me safely to my destination parking lot where I took a two hour nap. AutoPilot saved my life and car from an accident.
The casing that the batteries are covered in will sometimes "pop" during charging or preconditioning events. I think it's made from AL and the temperature increase during cold days causes this pop. This may cause high cycle fatigue in colder climates while the vehicle is being charged constantly.
On 10/17/2021 my son was killed along with his passenger in this Tesla. The car was thought to be going over 100 miles an hour on a city road Coconut Point Road in Estero Florida. The car was thought to have hit a tree with the rear tire and was sent flying through the air and hit another tree and split in half. My son knew this road well as it was close to his home and drove it on his way home from work. I feel strongly that this was an acceleration issue!! He has driven this car for 2 years, so knew the car well.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 21V00D000 (Back Over Prevention) and 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the parts were not available. 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. The contact stated that the backup camera was inoperable nearly caused the vehicle to strike a pedestrian. The failure mileage was 48,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Location: 5 Fwy North (Solana Beach area) Situation: 5pm Rush hour traffic. Speed 30- 40mph Incident: Emergency braking system engaged for no reason resulting in all 4 wheels locking up. Scared the s#!t out of me but no injury or accident. No warning lamps or messages before the incident. Outcome: Looked like an idiot to my fellow commuters. When I arrived home I turned off the feature and never used it again. No inspections.
The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced "phantom braking". The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact informed the manufacturer of the failure through the Tesla App and the mobile service unit was dispatched to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that recently he had experienced the failure five times within an hour and a half. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,100.