Major Problems with Tesla Model 3 Derived from Complaints & Recalls

Learn about the common problems with a used Tesla Model 3 to avoid purchasing a bad year of the model.

Tesla Model 3 complaint overview

55 recorded complaints across model years
Years covered 2019–2020
Most recorded categories VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (23), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (11), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (11)
Highest recorded count 46 in 2019

Complaint counts are reports, not confirmed defect rates. Older model years have had more time to accumulate reports, and sales volume and reporting coverage differ by year. A higher count does not by itself make a year the least reliable, and these figures are not a failure probability.

Compare two model years

Year A Year B

Problem category

Tesla Model 3 FlawScore

Best and Worst Years for Tesla Model 3

Explore the chart showing how many complaints have been filed for each year of Tesla Model 3.

Model Year	Complaints
2020 Model 3	9
2019 Model 3	46

Worst 3 Tesla Model 3 complaints

2019 Tesla Model 3 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM Victims: 3 Mileage: 1000 miles

2019 Tesla Model 3 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL Victims: 2

2019 Tesla Model 3 UNKNOWN OR OTHER Victims: 1

Browse Tesla Model 3 complaints by category

Problems with VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER and POWER TRAIN are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Tesla Model 3 owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL when in cruise control mode and a vehicle crosses my traffic lane far enough away to pose no hazard to...	23 ~ 3168 miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM i was moving forward at ~15 mph over a set of railroad tracks on a city street when both electric...	11 ~ 3229 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER three times when driving the tesla the screen starts flashing then either goes black or freezes. the tesla's screen is...	11 ~ 1533 miles
SERVICE BRAKES my tesla model 3 just suddenly accelerated as i was turning right trying to the lot to park the car.	7 ~ 2617 miles
SUSPENSION here is a tesla model 3 in the junkyard. https://www.iaai.com/vehicledetails?itemid=33838953&rownumber=80&similarvehicleitemid=&isnext=&loadrecent=true both front wheels and suspensions have completely fallen off. all...	6 ~ 8216 miles
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM i am making this complaint in the interest of public safety. there has been a tesla model 3 crash in...	5 ~ 2658 miles
BODY > STRUCTURE this is for the 2019 tesla model 3. part number 1131205-00-c >pp-gf20< located in the frunk (front trunk area) near...	5 ~ 3858 miles
POWER TRAIN i was moving forward at ~15 mph over a set of railroad tracks on a city street when both electric...	4 ~ 4139 miles
STEERING my car was five weeks old. while i was driving home on my commute i realize the screen had froze...	4 ~ 3438 miles
VISIBILITY/WIPER in sudden heavy rain on busy highway (i5) the auto wipers wouldn't go on. to switch to manual or control...	4 ~ 4915 miles
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL i just bought the new tesla model 3 last week for long run battery but it's not giving me...	3 ~ 3213 miles
AIR BAGS my car was five weeks old. while i was driving home on my commute i realize the screen had froze...	3 ~ 5954 miles
WHEELS autopilot was engaged. the tesla vehicle sensors failed to recognize 2 parked vehicles on the right side of the street	2 ~ 3685 miles
EXTERIOR LIGHTING so regarding the car brakes they are very hard to fully depress and i believe its because of the regenerative...	1 ~ 5 miles
ENGINE my vehicle is experiencing wire issues resulting in error messages such as "power reduced front motor disabled etc" that disable...	1 ~ 7800 miles
SEAT BELTS my wife has a tesla model 3 car purchased earlier this year and having about 8000 miles on it. the...	1 ~ 8500 miles

FAQ

What year Tesla Model 3 is the most reliable?

Speaking of the models produced in the last 2 years, Tesla Model 3 models of 2020, 2019 year of manufacture have had the least number of complaints.

What year was a bad year for Tesla Model 3?

Tesla Model 3 models of 2019 and 2020 are probably the years to be avoided like the plague due to a higher than an average number of issues reported.

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