There are 11 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2020 Tesla Model 3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
License plate light has a recall
I am writing this claim to report a headlight assembly passenger side has failed at 22,000 miles in a Tesla model three 2020 year
Subject: Non-Functional Left Rear Tail Light Due to Condensation Build-Up in Tesla Vehicle Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report an issue with my Tesla vehicle concerning the left rear tail light. The tail light has stopped functioning, and I believe this failure is due to condensation build-up within the light assembly. When I previously reported the condensation to Tesla, I was informed that it was normal and not a cause for concern. However, it now seems that this persistent condensation has led to the failure of the tail light. This issue raises significant safety concerns, as fully functional tail lights are essential for safe driving. *Especially during automated self-driving which disregards the alert of a nonfunctional tail light. * I am seeking your assistance in addressing this problem and ensuring that it is properly investigated. I am concerned that other Tesla owners might experience similar issues, which could compromise vehicle safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your guidance on the next steps. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] VIN: [XXX] --- INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
FSD Beta 11.4.9 - A concern documented in NHTSA Complaint ID 11555478 and subsequently remedied with later releases has returned in the current FSD Beta build 2023.44.30.14. When engaging FSD ,the display screen enters an AUTO brightness mode and requires driver intervention to adjust brightness back to the driver's desired setting, as described by the following. When FSD is engaged, display AUTO brightness is activated and the screen adjusts up in brightness from the previous setting, which is often too high. The driver's attention is then taken away from road and traffic ahead while the screen is reset to the driver's preferred setting. In the current build the following anomalies also occur. When FSD is engaged and the display is set to AUTO brightness, if the driver opens the Display menu and adjusts brightness down, that driver setting is held even though the Display brightness is still shown to be in AUTO mode. However, if after activating FSD and the AUTO brightness is engaged, and the brightness is then adjusted down using the left scroll wheel, the display remains in AUTO mode and the screen is automatically adjusted back up to the AUTO set point. This is true when the driver's preferred setting is lower than the AUTO set point, but not true if the driver's preferred setting is higher than the AUTO set point. When the initial driver setting is higher than the AUTO set point, the screen remains at the driver's preferred setting. While these anomalies are not safety concerns, per se, they do require that the driver's attention is diverted to resetting the desired display brightness. If, as if often the case, FSD is disengaged and then reengaged, the process described above is repeated. In the course of a 30 minute drive this can require that the driver adjust screen brightness multiple times, sometimes repeating the adjustment process within minutes after prior adjustment.
FSD Beta Firmware Version 2023.27.7. -- When operating with FSD Beta in control of the vehicle, the turn signal is activated and the appropriate left or right side blind spot video is brought upon the driver's display automatically. This works perfectly for city street lane changes and turns at intersections or driveways, etc. When operating on a controlled access highway the systems works in the same manner, activating the turn signal and displaying the blind spot video on the driver's display when changing lanes and exiting the highway. However, the turn signal is not activated and the blind spot video is not displayed on the driver's instrumentation when first entering a controlled access highway. This is the one exception where the driver is required to activate the turn signal while FSD Beta is in control, and seems like an oversight or 'bug'. However, it might be by design, in which case the intent that the driver is required to activate the signal indicating the vehicle's merge has not, to my knowledge, been communicated to the driver as the one exception to the otherwise automatic operation of the turn signal and blind spot video display while the vehicle is under FSD Beta's control.
Activating FSD Beta Version 2023.27.7 switches the Display brightness to AUTO and to a brightness that is higher then the level set by the driver. In a darkened vehicle at night the Auto setting was too bright and a distraction to safe driving at night. I then spent 2-3 seconds with my attention away from the road ahead as I reset the brightness on the display screen to the comfortable level. After disengaging FSD Beta the display remains at the brightness level set buy the driver. The next time FSD Beta is activated the display brightness is once again set to AUTO and the distracting process of taking the display out of AUTO and adjusting the brightness to a level comfortable to the driver must be repeated. Activating FSD Beta puts the High beams into AUTO and allows the system to use the high beams when the Vision system requires it. This is excellent and works well. The display brightness is a driver preference and adjusting the display brightness is not needed for the vision system to operate effectively and should remain set at the driver's preferred setting so as to no be too bright and so the driver does not need to repeatedly adjust the brightness each time FSD Beta is activated.
I was driving to work on the morning of February 24th 2023 and it was raining. After some time, and while on the freeway, I noticed that my low beam headlamps icon (green telltale) on the center display was not showing. As I always drive with lights in AUTO, and since it was raining (windshield wipers were activated automatically), I expected the headlights to turn on automatically. I worried that I would not be seen well by other drivers, and had to navigate to the controls on the center display and switch the headlights from AUTO to ON manually. The headlights then turned on (I assume, since I couldn't see indications on whether they were on or off on the outside, but the green icon did appear after I pressed the "ON" button). Given that it was raining outside, relatively dark, and the windshield wipers were on, I would expect the headlights to be activated while in the AUTO mode. I have never had issues with this before, and wonder if this came from a software update. The switch to go from auto to manual lights isn't very easy to reach from the driver seat so I would expect the auto mode to work well so this situation doesn't have to happen.
Recall 21v-00d was registered DEC 2021, notice said waiting for parts. It's been OVER 12 months and no parts yet? Also, the phone number Tesla has listed on the recall notice and their recall info on your website goes to a self-service site that states to use your Tesla app to schedule a repair so there is no way of contacting the company directly to find out about the status of the recall.
Tesla issues an update to software that forces drivers to go through a jumble of menus to do important tasks like turning on defrosters and windshield wipers. These used to be one touch items on the home screen, but now require drivers to take their eyes off the road for a dangerous amount of time.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TESLA MODEL 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER LEAKED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TAILLIGHT. DUE TO THE FAILURE, CONDENSATION FORMED INSIDE THE TAIL LIGHT SOCKET WHICH CAUSED THE LIGHT TO BE DIM. THE CONTACT ALSO EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT THE ELECTRICAL CHARGING PORT WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TAILLIGHT. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED OF THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED TO HAVE THE TAILLIGHT REPLACED, WHICH WAS STILL PENDING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.
SO REGARDING THE CAR BRAKES THEY ARE VERY HARD TO FULLY DEPRESS AND I BELIEVE ITS BECAUSE OF THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN GOING EAT HIGHWAY SPEED AND YOU NEED TO PRESS THE BREAK PEDAL HARD IT LITERALLY FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS REFUSING TO LET YOU USE THE FULL CAPACITY OF THE BREAKS. ITS VERY SCARY IT HAPPENED TO ME AND I COULD NOT PRESS THE BREAK PEDAL COMPLETELY DOWN. AND REGARDING THE LIGHTS MY CAR HAS FOG LIGHTS INSTALLED BUT I'M UNABLE TO TURN THEM ON BECAUSE ACCORDING TO TESLA SUPPOSEDLY I DID NOT PAY FOR THEM BUT THEY ARE INSTALLED ON THE CAR AND THEY DON'T WANT TO ALLOW ME TO TURN THEM ON BECAUSE ITS CONTROLLED VIA SOFTWARE. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY THING BECAUSE IF THEY ARE INSTALLED ON THE CAR I SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THEM BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THIS COULD PUT US THE DRIVERS IN A HAZARDOUS CONDITION IN FOG OR OTHER LOW VISIBLY CONDITIONS UNNECESSARILY.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026