2021 TESLA MODEL 3 Unknown Or Other Problems

89 NHTSA complaints on file

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All Unknown Or Other Complaints — Page 2

#11502891 | Crash
Autopilot failed. Driver had head, neck injuries , and the passenger had head, neck, and knee injuries. CRASH REPORT: Date - 1/14/23; Time - 10:30 am. NCIC Number - 9565; Officer's Name: Garduno #22857
#11497864 |
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...
#11494868 |
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
#11489364 |
Driver side window fails to lock completely upon locking the car manually and/or using auto walk away function. This leaves the car very much unsecure and open to being vandalized. Additionally, the driver sides window fails to close fully when auto close button is pressed. The driver side window button has to be fiddled with few times to get a complete window seel.
#11489213 |
Seat sensor fail and was able to drive in the middle of the intersection to make a left turn. Since the sensor fail if vechicle is driven less the 5 mph the car will go in park- very scary when in the middle trying to turn left
#11485971 |
Tesla allows owners to enroll as FSD beta testers however, the owner cannot unenroll when they request. The FSD beta is extremely dangerous and makes the use of even ACC impossible to use. I have requested to leave the beta via emailing [email protected], which an automatic response is received stating to unenroll respond to that email with your VIN and they will process the request. However, they do not process the request; I have sent dozens of email requests with no response and am still stuck in the beta software queue. I have attempted to submit service requests but the app recognizes the verbiage and blocks the submissions, stating to send the email instead. There is no other method to contact Tesla.
#11481947 |
Driving in autopilot during daylight hours (8:30am) about 70mph the vehicle suddenly braked long and hard, tires screeched when there was nothing around me or in the road. It could have caused a serious accident if anyone was behind me.
#11480915 |
The screen keeps freezing while I’m driving. It freezes and after a while the screen shuts off and resets. The most dangerous situation was when while I was on the interstate between Barstow and Baker. The screen screen recently froze while driving on August 20th around 255pm
#11476477 |
Heating failure in colder temperature climates, left with my heat completely not working during a 7 hour drive in 15 degree weather. Had to eventually get a tow truck. Went to tesla to get it looked at and they were trying to charge $250 for a diagnostic. I had this same exact issue a week after when I first purchased the car where the heat would not work in cold weather. Had three sensors replaced under warranty. After some miles the issue has came back with the same fault codes in the following winter. This is a disaster and if you’re stuck on the road, it can be a very lethal problem to occupants. Even in today’s heat wave, I have found that the AC does not work either linked to the same error as the heating portion where AC would fail to blow cool air into the cabin. Last...
#11475289 |
While driving the rear passenger driver side glass just shattered, this seems to be a issue with a lot of Tesla 3 models. The glass has a outward bulge, nothing hit the glass. Luckily this did not result in a crash, but could have. There are a lot of people that have reported this on the internet, this is a new 2021 model still under Warrenty and Tesla refuses to repair it under warranty even though a lot of them are having the same problem.
#11475143 |
Car would slow down and suddenly using regenerative braking for no good reason while on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (part of Autopilot) on very lightly traveled highways, mostly on I-80 in WY, UT, and NV. Incidents happened on 1 to 2% of every mile traveled. I have marked the date as July 3 below, but actually multiple (20 to 50 total) incidents occurred from 7/2 to 7/4, and 7/9 to 7/11. Incidents could occur whether Autosteer was engaged or not. No alarm sounded to indicate that a collision was imminent. If I didn't intervene, the car would sometimes recover almost immediately and slowed only 5 mph, but in other cases it would slow down by 20 mph within 2-3 sec before recovering. Speed limits were typically 75 to 80 mph; I was normally traveling around that speed. Although these highways have low traffic density, my biggest concern is that another car...
#11474626 |
Problems with phantom breaking while driving on the highways at speeds over 65mph. There will be no reason for breaking (I.e. the automatic breaking system picks up a truck driving on the opposite side of the road/direction and slams on the break aggressively) which can be a cause for a rear collision and whiplash for driver/passengers.
#11467508 |
I was in auto pilot (cruise control). The car was going at 78 mph. The brakes suddenly engaged for no reason. Slowing the car to 60 mph very quickly. It basically felt like I slammed on the brakes. This happened 3 times.
#11462823 |
We were driving on the freeway at 69 mph and suddenly with no warning the center console main screen froze. All electronic functions of the car stopped and the car was stuck at 69 mph. Speedometer And turn signals did not work. We managed to get to the side of the road (mechanical brakes and steering were unaffected). The car could not be put in Park so a manual reboot was not possible. The car rebooted itself (screen went black and then came back online) after about 10 minutes or so and then the car functioned normally.
#11457425 |
No specific incident, but potentially dangerous. Several of the font sizes used on the Touchscreen, but especially the ones displaying the time, the temperature, and the miles remaining on the charge, are very difficult, if not impossible, to read if you need reading glasses. This is especially true for seniors. In order to get that information, you need to either pull out and put on your reading glasses or move your face to the right and closer to the screen, both potentially dangerous if you’re moving, especially at high speeds. This problem has been complained about repeatedly online for several years, but so far no response from Tesla. I don’t think it would be difficult or expensive either to give owners the option to increase font size or to make a one time increase of, say, 30% or 60%. The change would make driving a lot safer for those of...
#11457314 |
on 3/9, the car lost heat (no heat at all, blowing cold air) and it was giving error message that the climate was unavailable. It created a driving hassle since the windshield was frosted. I took the car in to the Tesla service center on 3/10. They returned the car to me on 3/16, mentioning they replace the heat pump. on 3/17, the car starts giving error message saying the climate control is unavailable. I told the car in back to the same Tesla service center in Springfield NJ.
#11451595 |
Phantom braking. The Tesla brakes without warning or provocation when on cruise control. On two lane roads brakes deploy forcefully every time a semi truck is traveling in the on coming lane. It does not have to be on a curve. It is every time a large truck is in the opposing lane. On 4 lane divided highways, it will forcefully brake (from 75 mph down to 40 mph in seconds) climbing small hills, patches of tar on the roads, shadows, off ramps, side roads and for no apparent reason. I have almost been rear ended when a car is following closely and it happens. I have recorded these incidents , reported to Tesla, taken the vehicle for diagnostics and they have no answer and imply that occasionally it may happen however, it should not be an issue. IT IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM and an accident waiting to cause serious...
#11451046 |
When pressing the horn in the center of my steering wheel, it only activates when certain regions are pressed. When pressing certain regions of the wheel, such as the bottom half of the wheel, a switch is heard clicking, but the horn does not activate. This issue has been reported elsewhere on forums with videos e.g. in one case where the left portion of the wheel's center area did not activate the car's horn. I have discussed this issue with my local Tesla service center on four occasions and demonstrated it to the technician. But the issue is never addressed and I have now been told that bringing up the defect will incur fees from the service center. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/model-3-horn-issue-check-the-left-side.137767/ ^Here, there are at least 47 reports of the issue occuring, based on the thread's poll. I wouldn't mind this issue terribly much, except there has now been 3-4 separate incidents...
#11450776 |
The new Tesla touch screen UI is a major safe risk. Tesla has decided to hide the controls for the defrosters and wipers to such a degree that we are required to trust the automatic solutions for both and they both are abject failures. The manual controls worked fine, but the new UI is such a disaster, that we can no longer safely use the controls without taking our eyes off the road and touch the screen multiple times. I have contacted Tesla multiple times about this and will continue to do so requesting a way to roll back the software update. They refuse to do anything about this, so I have no recourse except to file safety complains to the NHTSA.
#11450653 |
Phantom breaking. The basic autopilot cruise control frequently + aggressively brake as it detects phantom threats due to obscured sensors. Car can brake from 65 to e.g. 40mph rapidly, causing more risk, due to the rapid deceleration. Car needs a basic cruise control feature
#11450496 |
When the car is in assisted autopilot, the vehicle will brake very hard when not necessary.
#11450308 |
Phantom braking for no apparent reason. Worst occurrence was this morning driving home from work on cruise control, max speed cruise 73mph, suddenly my car braked on its own down to 59mph in 2 seconds. Very scary. My wrist hurts from that incident & my forehead almost hit the steering. Nothing in front & thank God no tailgating car behind me. This is not safe. It happens to me all the time but this was the scariest of all.
#11448542 |
My vehicle has a VCFRONT_A447 error code and will not heat up. With temperatures as low as -20 and highs of 25 not only is just the temperature potentially deadly but im unable to defog my windshield without freezing. I feel my car is entirely unsafe to drive.
#11448332 |
On a recent road trip (8-9 hours) my car had a number of software tics that had been noticed (music skipping, screen responding slowly, etc.). After 7 hours on the road, while the Autopilot system was engaged my main screen froze on the car. Out of caution, I moved to exit the highway. While exiting, the entire screen in my car turned off, but all car functions were operable (turn signals, braking, accelerating, etc.). Once safely in a parking lot, I tried to do a soft reset with no success. After contacting service they told me the log indicated an issue that required a tow. In the interim I was able to do a power cycle which resolved the issue (but was difficult to perform since the screen was flashing on/off). The service rep recommended driving home but scheduling a follow up service. Subsequently the follow up team has informed...
#11447509 |
Tesla removed the ability to hang up a phone call via the steering wheel buttons which poses a massive safety issue. Currently the only ways to end a phone call are: 1- Having the person on the other end of the call end the call 2- Press the "end" button on the touchscreen (more details below) 3- Press the "end" button on the phone itself (note: physically interacting with a phone while driving is illegal in Georgia so this is not a viable option) The touchscreen generally has the phone call status on the bottom-left of the screen when a call is active. However there are times when this goes away which causes the driver to be required to navigate through a non-intuitive menu to get the phone call to reappear on the screen. Those times are: 1- a text message comes in while a call is in progress. That...
#11447214 |
The heat stops working at cold conditions. Many other users have reported this problem, after going into service I was told there is a sensor that is out in the open behind the bumper that when exposed to snow and rain can freeze and causes heat to stop working. I have experienced this myself when going on a trip back home from upstate NY to NC , I had no heat with temps outside being at 3 degrees F , not only was the car extremely cold causing me and my wife to get sick , but you can not use the defrost because there is no heat. So there is absolutely no visibility since there’s frost on all windows that you cant do anything about.
#11445298 |
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.
#11445033 |
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.
#11445011 |
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.
#11441457 |
On a recent trip, we started experiencing extreme issues with our car's cruise control and autopilot features. Specifically, when in cruise control or auto pilot, the car would randomly disengage the cruise control or auto pilot and start braking. Taking the car out of cruise control or auto pilot, restarting the car, etc did not fix the problem. We noticed the problem was much worse at night and when we were traveling on a two lane highway. We would be in cruise control/auto pilot and often when another vehicle would approach us from the opposite direction the vehicle would suddenly brake. While this happened more often at night, it continued to happen at any point during the day and when we were on many different roads/interstates. This seems extremely unsafe to have our vehicle hard braking randomly when we are traveling at high speeds (60mph+). We scheduled a service appointment...
#11439598 |
Tesla is now making interactive video games and live internet web searching possible on the main front seat display WHILE THE CAR IS DRIVING. The video games are allegedly restricted only to passengers. Web browsing is available to anyone at any time. Why is a manufacturer allowed to create an inherently distracting live video which takes over 2/3 of the screen which the driver relies on for all vehicle information? Tesla has no gauges above the steering wheel. NHTSA needs to prohibit all live video in the front seat and all live interactive web browsing while the car is in motion. Creating a dangerous distraction for the driver is recklessly negligent.
#11429782 |
When accessing the on-screen owner's manual, the Tesla screen freezes completely and no controls or signals are available. After the screen freezes, the air conditioning starts to blow at a full blast for about 30 seconds. The Tesla screen then goes blank for about two minutes, at which time the driver has no access to signals, speedometer, alerts, or any other car information detail. It is not clear if lights or doors are impacted. The car is able to accelerate and brake during this period, but the driver is essentially "driving blind." After approximately two minutes, the screen flashes a Tesla logo and reboots. Once the screen reboots, the screen - and car operation - appear to operate normally. This has occurred four times over a period of several weeks. This is a safety hazard. In one instance the screen went blank while driving on a highway on-ramp. It was...
#11428290 |
Tesla: 2021 Model 3 (Standard w/Full Self-Driving Capability) Vehicle Safety Issues as of August 09, 2021: 1. Vehicle does not have interior rear manual door release to allow rear seat occupants to escape in case(s) of emergency or vehicle electrical power failure 2. Vehicle does not have an exterior manual release for all doors in order to allow first responders the ability to assist or rescue vehicle occupants and/or driver 3. Vehicle doe not provide regenerative charging of 12V batter used as the only primary source of power to operate all Onboard Computer and Diagnostics, as well as electronics 4. Vehicle does not provide redundancy to operate Onboard Computer and Diagnostics or to maintain the electronics in order to allow vehicle to keep satellite contact or radio beacon 5. Vehicle does not have a mechanical locking system and is unable to be opened in the event of failure of the...
#11419673 |
While I was driving on the state way at about 50 to 55mph, the car suddenly sped up and the ABS system kicked ON and the brake pedal became tight and when I fully pressed the pedal to stop the car, the car would not move after that and it gave some random error messages. Called 911 since I was blocking the road and the informed Tesla. They towed the vehicle to their workshop. The tow truck drive mentioned that the car would not even go in to tow mode.
#11417368 | Crash
At around 5:30pm on 5/16/2021 We were entering our garage when our tesla accelerated on its own into our garage extremely quickly and nearly brought the garage down.
#11399195 | Crash
ON FEBRUARY 28, 2021 AT 4:08 PM.. THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF MY ARRIVAL AT WORKPLACE WHICH IS ALSO DISPLAYED IN MY NAVIGATION. AS SOON AS I'M DOING A REVERSE TO PARK MY TESLA FOR SOME REASON AND IT DID HAPPEN SO QUICKLY ACCIDENTALLY PRESS THE ACCELERATOR HARDER AND AS A RESULT I CAUSE AN ACCIDENT THAT MY REAR BUMPER HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME THAT WAS PARKED. THE DAMAGED WAS HUGE THAT IT KNOCK OFF THE PARKED CAR FRONT BUMPER, IT BROKE THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT AND BUCKLED THE ENGINE HOOD. IT REALLY BOGGLES ME AS TO HOW IT HAPPENED, I RE-CREATE THE SCENARIO AT HOME IT TURNS OUT AND I TRULY BELIEVED THAT I GOT CONFUSED WITH THE CURRENT DRIVING MODE AS I SWITCH THE CAR TO REVERSE WHILE I STOP TO CHECK MY PROXIMITY, BUT THE DISPLAY CHANGES TO 'HOLD BRAKE' FONT. NOT KNOWING THAT IT STILL IN REVERSE...
#11397138 |
HEAT NO LONGER WORKS IN THE CAR'S CLIMATE CONTROL. THIS APPARENTLY IS TIED TO FAULTY HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE SENSORS THAT MUST WORK PROPERLY FOR THE HEATING SYSTEM TO WORK, AND TESLA SERVICE CENTERS ARE AWARE OF THIS YET ARE NOT PROACTIVELY REPLACING THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN COLD CLIMATES SINCE THE WINDSHIELD DEFROST NO LONGER WORKS, AND THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE OVERALL IN COLD TEMPERATURES WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL HEAT. THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE RESTRICTED TO THE 2020/2021 MODEL 3/YS WITH THE HEAT PUMP THAT REQUIRE THESE SENSORS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. ANOTHER SYMPTOM IS THE CLIMATE SCREEN DISPLAYS AN ERROR MESSAGE OF "CLIMATE KEEPER IS UNAVAILABLE DUE TO A SYSTEM FAULT."
#11395970 |
WATER INTRUSION IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHLESS CARWASH . WATER LEAKED FROM UNDER THE GLOVEBOX COMPARTMENT. DRIVING OFF THE CARWASH BAY, WATER WAS HEARED SLOSHING THEN THE LEAK
#11394526 |
THE HEATING SYSTEM FAILED IN DANGEROUSLY COLD CONDITIONS IN A REMOTE AREA ON A WEEKEND TRIP TO THE ADIRONDACKS. I WASN'T ABLE TO REACH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE APP, AND I END UP DRIVING IT 7 HOURS HOME WITHOUT ANY HEAT. THE HEAT SYSTEM FAILURE OCCURRED EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN LEAVING OUR HOTEL TO DRIVE HOME. THE TEMPERATURE -18 DEGREES F. AFTER IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED, THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY SEVERAL FAULTY SENSORS. HE INDICATED IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM, RESULTING FROM A BAD BATCH OF SENSORS FROM A CERTAIN MANUFACTURER, AND THAT TESLA HAS SINCE STOPPED PURCHASING THE SENSORS FROM THAT MANUFACTURER. THIS IMPLIES THAT TESLA KNEW THE SENSORS IN MY CAR WERE DEFECTIVE. WHAT THE HELL?! THIS IS DANGEROUS!!! IF I WAS A LITTLE OLD LADY, I COULD HAVE FROZEN TO DEATH! WHY HASN'T TESLA ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL?

Other 2021 TESLA MODEL 3 Problem Areas

Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control 275 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking 225 complaints Service Brakes 123 complaints Vehicle Speed Control 119 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings 73 complaints Electrical System 58 complaints Visibilitywiper 28 complaints Steering 24 complaints Lane Departure Assist 18 complaints Power Train 16 complaints Structurebody 13 complaints Lane Departure Warning 12 complaints Seat Belts 11 complaints Suspension 11 complaints Exterior Lighting 8 complaints Air Bags 7 complaints Fuelpropulsion System 7 complaints Electrical Systemadasautonomousself Driving 6 complaints Seats 6 complaints Wheels 6 complaints Engine 5 complaints Back Over Prevention Rearview System Braking 3 complaints Back Over Prevention Sensing System Camera 3 complaints Back Over Prevention Warnings 3 complaints Electrical Systemadas 3 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance 3 complaints Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection 3 complaints Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatchemergency Mechanical Release 3 complaints Electrical Systemhorn 2 complaints Latcheslockslinkageshoodlatch 2 complaints Tires 2 complaints Electrical Systembody Control Modulesoftware 1 complaint Electrical Systempropulsion Systeminverter 1 complaint Engine And Engine Cooling 1 complaint Firerelated 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Controlsoftware 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Controlsoftwaresignagesignal Recognition 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance Dynamic Brake Supportbrake Assist 1 complaint Latcheslockslinkages 1 complaint Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatch 1 complaint Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdiscrotor 1 complaint Steeringautomatedadaptive Steering 1 complaint Structure 1 complaint Structurebodydoorhandleexterior 1 complaint Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control 1 complaint Visibility 1 complaint Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System 1 complaint
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