Complaint volume
587 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
2019 Tesla Model 3 Complaints
587 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Tesla Model 3, grouped by component category.
587 Total complaints
58 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
19 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 forward collision avoidance, suspension, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 58 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 19 injury reports, and 3 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 134 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 21,753 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, suspension, unknown or other?
- 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 2019 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.
2019 Tesla Model 3
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2019 Tesla Model 3 complaints?
58 Crash
5 Fire
19 Injury
3 Fatality
47 Towed
15 Medical attention
What are the most common 2019 Tesla Model 3 complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 63
SUSPENSION 53
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 35
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 26
LANE DEPARTURE 26
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24
AIR BAGS 20
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18
STEERING 17
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 17
587 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | A Tesla model 3 was eastbound on a two-lane roadway at approximately 7:20am local time. A westbound school bus slowed, and activated its amber warning lights, followed by the red stop lights and driver side stop sign. The Tesla, proceeded through the traffic control devices of the school bus while the bus was accepting child passengers. It was evident that the "driver" of the model 3 had full self-driving mode engaged, and was not fully paying attention to the road as he was clearly interacting with his smart phone, held at steering wheel height. The Tesla FSD system clearly failed to appropriately stop and wait for the school bus traffic controls. Had the students needed to cross the highway (instead of only boarding from the shoulder) a serious vehicle/pedestrian incident could have resulted. NOTE: Model 3 was NOT my vehicle - This form is flawed that it makes the assumption that the reporting party is the owner of the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Received an alert through the Tesla App that my car alarm was going off. When I stepped outside my house I saw smoke coming out of the windows. I opened the rear passenger door and saw the floor on fire. I went inside and called the fire department. By the time they arrived the entire car had been destroyed. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| May 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Firstly, I have 2 recalls on my vehicle which I have reached out to Tesla to repair. Their response was that if it's not a problem now, they won't fix it. If the cable/monitor loses function, I am asked to contact them. In regard to the 2nd recall, they said that they will fix it up with a recent update. No further action needed. My concern and current complaint is my back left/driver's side quarter/corner glass shattered spontaneously. This is after I closed the trunk and pushed back the backseat upright (which was pushed down probably from closing the trunk). Within 30-60 seconds of being in the car, the whole class corner panel shattered. The car was parked (in 50* degree weather) for 4 hours while I had dinner and watched a movie. I was inside the car when the spontaneous shattering occurred on 05/10/2022 @ approximately 9:00pm. There was no internal or external force, the car was parked, and I was inside when the whole situation happened. I was beside myself how it just shattered and how lucky I was not to have kids or anyone in that backseat behind me next to the shattered window. This is unacceptable to have defective and poor quality controlled glass/workmanship. I don't expect to close my car door and have my window shattered or close the trunk and have the windshield explode. This needs to be investigated so no one would actually get hurt. I am lucky that I had no one in the car and the vehicle wasn't moving but I can't imagine if others would be so lucky. I called roadside and customer service. They were of no help. They reported no recalls on the glass and that I should fix it and it won't be covered. I've called numerous numbers to get no where and no explanation other than we're sorry and you will need to get it fix and pay for it. I understand if someone broke in my car or if there was an accident, but in this case, it seriously just shattered without an explanation. I am hoping to get some resolution from Tesla and protect others. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This is a safety report on the poor function of the rearview camera and is for two issues that both hinder the ability to safely back up utilizing the camera display. The first issue is in regard to the delayed display of video on the screen compared to reality. The display always is delayed by a noticeable margin. Reacting to what is on the screen _now_ is often the wrong reaction, as the real position of the car has changed from what is displayed. While this delay still results in a smooth video an estimated 80% of the time, there are times when the screen freezes for a second or two, making it more likely for an accidental crash due to non-current video being displayed. The second issue is in regard to the quality of the video displayed on the screen in what Tesla calls "low light" conditions. The video is grainy, with vertical lines obfuscating what is displayed on the screen. After numerous reports of this to Tesla over the time of my ownership, the always reply saying it is normal. If backing up in nighttime conditions, the screen may not adequately display surroundings due to Tesla's known inability to fix the display when it is not daylight. As reference, this happens even backing into my own garage during the daytime hours, when I can see perfectly well myself. I would not consider this low light condition. Tesla has refused to fix this issue, and instead insists it is expected behavior and offered to explain it to me further, rather than resolving the issue. They seem more interested in getting customers to be quiet, than fixing issues. Please feel free to contact me to discuss this further. I would be more than happy to gather any data that would help you. I just want my car I paid for to work without safety issues shrugged off by the manufacturer. Thanks! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The traffic-aware cruise control frequently brakes hard at high speeds (70-80mph). It will brake for no reason, bringing the car's speed from 80mph to 30mph in a few seconds. This happens about 3 times an hour. If there was a car close behind me whenever it happens, this could have caused significant harm. I feel this is an extreme safety risk. My vehicle has not been inspected, but this is a common complaint among Tesla owners in recent months. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | You have many reports of Tesla Model 3 ball joint failures. The ball joints are failing due to lack of lubrication. If an owner complains enough Tesla will squirt some lube in and reseal with silicon goop. Owners are even DIYing with WD40. Here is a Tesla in the junkyard with upperball-joint popped apart and all other ball-joints busted. https://www.iaai.com/VehicleDetail/33393366~US Just wondering when you might get around to demanding a recall. Thanks Your friend Keef. Say Hello to Elon for me. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While streaming Bluetooth audio, the forward collision warning fails to activate sometimes until after a few seconds. What happens is when it is supposed to sound, all audio in the car stops and there is a clicking for a few seconds. Then after a few seconds, the alert goes off. The alert is very dangerous because it severely reduces the time for a reaction. Secondly the backup camera has ghost images and stutters. When placing the vehicle in reverse, a ghost image appears for a second or two then goes into the live view. The live view is very laggy and non responsive. The image freezes and does not update. This causes issues when backing as any sudden movements may not be recorded and will cause an injury because the driver will not be able to see what is going on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have a Tesla model 3 SR and it only has the standard autopilot option, not the full self driving option. When on the freeway in a single lane and autopilot is engaged, if the single lane splits into two lanes, the car will swerve violently trying to determine which lane to take. This is a danger for the other vehicles behind me, as they are confused as to which lane the vehicle will take. Sometimes it will take a left or right hand turn lane and then start beeping when it determines that it made a mistake. A huge safety risk, as somebody would be thinking that I would move left or right, but instead the car moves into the lane going straight ahead at the last minute. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | On 3/28/22 at 4:01 pm, while in parking lot traffic traveling 2-3 mph, the vehicle lost propulsion, and steering. The vehicle's audible warnings sounded and displayed a series of errors ranging from tire pressure to driver assistance features not being available. The vehicle struggled to move and had steering as stiff as a vehicle without power steering all four tires flat. I backed it into a parking space and conducted a hard re-start using the steering wheel buttons. After a few minutes the vehicle rebooted and continued as normal. A service appointment with Tesla was made immediately. On 4/15/22 Tesla conducted a remote diagnostic and submitted a repair estimate to me in preparation for a 4/16/22 repair. The estimate was for the amount of $757. This amount appears to be related to my vehicle being 3,000 miles past the bumper-to-bumper 50,000 mile warranty. The invoice states Tesla will conducting the following: Correction: Sensor - Wheel Speed -ABS - Rear - RH (Remove & Replace); Correction: Hub - Rear - RH (Remove & Replace); Correction: Hub - Rear LH (Includes Alignment Check) (Remove & Replace). Lastly the invoice lists the HUB ASSY as the part being replaced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Telsa has not timely corrected the faulty wiring harness for the rear and side cameras causing an increased backing hazard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Even after the firmware update which was supposed to have FSD beta come to a full stop, the car still does not come to a full stop. The car slows to a speed of around 0.5 mph at a stop line with a stop sign and continues on if it is clear, but only comes to a full stop if it believes it needs to yield to other vehicles. Watching videos of other vehicles demonstrating the capabilities of FSD beta with the latest firmware version show the same behavior. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The scenario mentioned has happened numerous times. When using Autopilot on a two lane highway, the vehicle's AEB kicked in and slammed on the brakes multiple times. My theory is that since ditching radar, the vehicle thinks that the oncoming traffic is coming into its current lane even though there is a set of double yellow lines dividing it. This phantom braking issue is especially prevalent when there are curves in the road, as momentarily it may appear that oncoming traffic is "head on". This resulted in me almost getting rear ended by the vehicles behind me and causing a multi-vehicle accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | LANE DEPARTURE | While the vehicle’s “autopilot” is engaged with the screen showing the blue lane border lines on the screen, the lane keeping assistance will suddenly and sharply veer out of a straight and clearly painted lane without any warning creating a dangerous reaction from the driver to attempt to correct (and possibly over correct) the abrupt and unexpected departure from the lane.? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The vehicle suddenly and without visible obstruction in the road and with out warning applies the brakes aggressively which decreases velocity in an unsafe manner. This occurs while the enhanced autopilot is active. The component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or other. The only prior warning is that the aggressive braking has occurred on several occasions as early as 2019. The most recent occurrence was on 03/19/22. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,LANE DEPARTURE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 30,000 |
| Mar 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving on I 70 in Kansas with cruise control on, the car violently decelerated several times during a trip. This happened with no reason, with no object in the vehicle path and was like someone jamming the breaks and tire nearly skidding. If someone was behind me they surely would have rear-ended my car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | While driving with Tesla auto-pilot enabled, the car experiences phantom braking. This has happened multiple times already. The car will break unexpectedly for no good reason even if there is no obstruction on the road. The problem typically happens in the freeway at high speeds and presents a huge safety risk to the car occupants and the car behind since it increases the risk of a rear end collision. The problem is pretty common, a simple search on internet of Tesla Auto Pilot Phantom braking will yield many results. The problem started getting worse after Full Self Driving Beta was enabled around January 2022. When the problem happens, the car beeps loudly and breaks really hard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Automatic Cruise Control and Tesla's Auto Pilot feature phantom braked extremely aggressively when it saw on coming traffic. Sometimes without any traffic. Through a roughly 1,200 mile road trip it happened at least 2-3 dozen times to the point where I turned it off concerned it might phantom brake aggressively with a car behind me and cause me to get rear ended. Sometimes it would give me alert sounds, sometimes it would just brake. This was never nearly as much of an issue until the November update of 2021. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | TESLA HAS CHARGED $6000 FOR DELF DRIVING 2 YEARS BACK AND THE SELF DRIVING JUST CAME IN EFFECT , IT IS REALLY RISKY TO USE THIS AS THE CAR BRAKES RIGHT BEFORE EXIT AND SOME TIMES DOES NOT EVN RECOGNIZE THE RED LIGHT S | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving along the interstate on my commute at freeway speeds 60-70 miles per hour, the emergency braking system will suddenly engage, and the car will issue a collision warning. During these incidents there is no car at risk for striking my vehicle or slowing down in front of my car. My commute usually occurs in the evening and early in the morning. This typically happens at least once during my work week. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | STRUCTURE | Vehicle handle will become frozen and because of the design, it is difficult to open the door. Once it is opened, the windows will not roll down far enough for the driver to close the door. Because of this, the driver will need to move or drive the vehicle with the door open. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Constantly beeps and makes me think I’m getting into an accident took to tesla they say sensors are ok. But a car shows on my blind side and sometimes there’s no car there, especially big trucks doesn’t bring up sensor correctly | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | On a cold day at 26F, the parking system will seized. When attempting to move, you will have to move the accelerator pedal nearly more than a quarter to break free. This is extremely dangerous if you are parking close to another vehicle ahead. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |