Complaint volume
984 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Tesla Model 3 Complaints
984 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Tesla Model 3, grouped by component category.
984 Total complaints
100 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
34 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are suspension, unknown or other, forward collision avoidance. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 100 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 34 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 219 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 25,782 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to suspension, unknown or other, forward collision avoidance?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Tesla Model 3?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Tesla Model 3
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Tesla Model 3 complaints?
100 Crash
4 Fire
34 Injury
0 Fatality
63 Towed
19 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Tesla Model 3 complaint categories?
SUSPENSION 116
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 82
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 73
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 49
AIR BAGS 42
SEAT BELTS 39
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 34
STRUCTURE 27
STEERING 26
AIR BAGS,SEATS 20
984 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2018 | STRUCTURE | PASSENGER DOORS OPENED ELECTRICALLY. I BELIEVE MANUAL BACKUP OPENING EXISTS ONLY WITH FRONT DOOR. WILL REAR SEAT PASSENGERS BE ABLE TO EVACUATE ARITHMETIC FIRE, OR IN WATER, OR WILL THEY BE TRAPPED? HAS NOT HAPPENED, BUT MIGHT IT HAPPEN? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2018 | STEERING,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | I HAVE HAD A SERIES OF ESCALATING INCIDENTS (SEE ATTACHED PDF) THAT HAVE EACH INVOLVED THE VEHICLE DISABLING AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS), TRACTION CONTROL, PARTIAL STEERING CONTROL, REGENERATIVE BRAKING (FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE), AND MOST RECENTLY EXPERIENCED COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING FUNCTION WHILE REVERSING AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL WARNING THAT MY AIRBAG WAS DISABLED. INITIALLY I WAS ADVISED TO RESET MY CAR SINCE IT MAY BE A SOFTWARE GLITCH SIMILAR TO A COMPUTER OR PHONE NEEDING A RESTART. AFTER SEVERAL INCIDENTS, I WAS ADVISED TO TAKE IT TO A SERVICE CENTER WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A FIRMWARE ISSUES KNOWN TO TESLA, BUT EXPERIENCED A CRITICAL SHUT DOWN OF MY VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY FUNCTIONS THE NEXT DAY. I HAVE SEEN BEEN INFORMED THAT THEY HAVE REPLACED THE HIGH VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND THE WIRING HARNESS. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN UPDATE SINCE CONFIRMING THAT THEY BELIEVE THE LATEST REPAIR WILL MAKE THE CAR WHOLE, SAFE, AND FUNCTIONAL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,500 |
| Jun 2018 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SAFETY ISSUE WITH REAR DOORS. REAR PASSENGERS AND SPECIALLY CHILDREN WHO ARE UNABLE TO EXIT THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAN BECOME TRAPPED IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE OR MAJOR COLLISION THAT DISABLES THE ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE DOORS. FRONT DOORS ARE EQUIPPED WITH EMERGENCY RELEASE LATCH HOWEVER, REAR DOORS HAVE NO SUCH SAFETY BACKUP IN A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,500 |
| Jun 2018 | SERVICE BRAKES | TESLA'S CEO, MR. ELON MUSK, HAS MADE SO MANY FRAUDULENT STATEMENTS IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. YET, NO GOVERNMENT AGENCY INCLUDING THE SEC, HAS DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THESE DELIBERATE, FRAUDULENT AND OBVIOUS STATEMENTS. PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING FACT: CONSUMER REPORT TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS NOW RECOMMENDING MODEL 3 OF TSLA BECAUSE THE BRAKING PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED. ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE THAT I READ TODAY, A SENIOR ENGINEER WHO HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND SIMILAR ISSUES FOR THE PAST 28 YEARS, INDICATED THAT THE RETEST THAT CONSUMER REPORT CONDUCTED WAS ON DRY ASPHALT. ACCORDING TO HIM, NOW THAT THE CALIBER HAS CHANGED, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE BRAKING DISTANCE ON WET AND SNOWY ASPHALT HAS BEEN IMPACTED NEGATIVELY. ACCORDING TO HIM, THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE WHICH ENDANGERS PUBLIC SAFETY. LET'S GET TESLA, CONSUMER REPORT AND AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY TO TEST THE BRAKING DISTANCE ON WET AND ALSO SNOWY ASPHALT, AND SEE IF THOSE DISTANCES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED NEGATIVELY. AGAIN, ACCORDING TO AN EXPERT WITH 28 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE NEW CALIBRATION HAS AFFECTED THE BRAKING DISTANCE NEGATIVELY ON WET AND SNOWY ASPHALT. ALSO ACCORDING TO THIS EXPERT, TESLA KEEPS RUSHING AND DOESN'T CONDUCT ENOUGH SAFETY TESTS THAT IS STANDARD IN THE INDUSTRY. TESLA AND CONSUMER REPORT HAVE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE WORLD TO CONDUCT THESE TESTS AS WELL. IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THE CAR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 100 YEARS. ALSO, ACCORDING TO THIS EXPERT,THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A CAR MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE BRAKING DISTANCE OF ITS CAR ON DRY ASPHALT OVER THE AIR BY USING A SOFTWARE RECALIBRATION. THE EXPERT IS WARNING THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY IN UNCHARTERED TERRITORY, AND THESE TESTS ABSOLUTELY MUST BE CONDUCTED TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE WORLD. LET'S PROTECT THE WORLD AND THE HUMAN BEINGS. THANKS. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2018 | AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | DRIVER FELT SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING THE CAR. THE ACCELERATION HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF SECONDS WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNING 90% AT PRETTY NORMAL SPEEDS TO PARK. THE CAR HIT A TREE, AND SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT FRONTAL DAMAGE. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 4,500 |
| May 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHOSE CRIMINAL LIABILITY IS THE INDEPENDENT GUIDE? SELF-DRIVING CARS MUST BE BANNED FOR LEGAL REASONS WITHOUT PERSONAL LIABILITY. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2018 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL 3. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO PART OF A STORE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED TESLA'S SERVICE CENTER AT (610) 407-7030, BUT THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2018 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | HERE IS A VIDEO THAT HAS JUST BEEN UPLOADED TO YOUTUBE: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=4GUHSMIPIQ4 THIS OWNER THINKS IT IS PERFECTLY SAFE TO JAM SOME FRUIT IN THE STEERING WHEEL TO ELIMINATE THE "HOLD STEERING WHEEL" NAGS. HE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A COMPLETE IDIOT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT HE HAS BEEN MISLEAD BY THE HYPE SPREAD BY TESLA AND CEO ELON MUSK. DESPITE SEVERAL FATAL CRASHES MUSK IS STILL SPREADING THE MESSAGE THAT NHTSA FOUND AUTOPILOT IS 40% SAFER THAN A HUMAN DRIVER. NHTSA HAS NOW REVEALED THAT THE CLAIM WAS BASED ON TESLA'S OWN (UNVERIFIED) DATA. MORE PEOPLE WILL DIE UNLESS THIS UNCONTROLLED AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS EXPERIMENT IS HALTED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU. DEEPLY CONCERNED CITIZEN. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,000 |
| May 2018 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF 2018 TESLA MODEL 3. ISSUE DESCRIPTION: ISSUE OCCURRED ON 05/04/18 AT APPROX. 11:52 AM WHILE TRYING TO PARK THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT OF A GROCERY STORE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARKING SPACE POSITION WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE DRIVER. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED HOWEVER THEY FELT INOPERATIVE. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OVER BRAKING AND THE VEHICLE HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. THE DRIVER TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID DIRECTLY HITTING A DUMPSTER WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THEN HIT A CURB AND A PONY WALL. AFTER THE IMPACT, THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THAT EVENTUALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. PROBABLE CAUSE: UNKNOWN. GIVEN THE VEHICLE IS NEW, IT IS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY A REASON WHY WOULD IT ACCELERATE UNINTENTIONALLY. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ENHANCED AUTO PILOT WHICH WAS NOT ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED SOFTWARE GLITCH WHERE IN IT WOULD NOT CONTROL THE VOLUME OF THE RADIO WHILE DRIVING WITH THE BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS STUCK IN CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION. CAR IS RUNNING SOFTWARE VERSION 8.1 (2018.14.13 9E3B7FF) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 1,100 |