Complaint volume
402 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
2023 Tesla Model 3 Complaints
402 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Tesla Model 3, grouped by component category.
402 Total complaints
66 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
33 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, steering, 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 66 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 33 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 39 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 14,505 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, steering, 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 2023 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.
2023 Tesla Model 3
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Tesla Model 3 complaints?
66 Crash
0 Fire
33 Injury
0 Fatality
53 Towed
25 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Tesla Model 3 complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 74
STEERING 49
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 20
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 14
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11
STRUCTURE 9
VISIBILITY/WIPER 9
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 8
402 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The car has a tendency when I’m on rural highways to suddenly emergency brake when I have the auto pilot on | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | STEERING | Steering rack failed. Not able to steer vehicle The consumer stated that the vehicle was repaired. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | STEERING | I just read an article on Yahoo Finance detailing steering issues with a few Tesla Model 3 and Model Y's. This issue involves loss of steering completely or loss of power steering. Additionally the screen says "power steering is reduced or disabled". Well, I had this exact thing happen to me. I bought the car on May 6, 2023. Two weeks later, May 20th, I went to leave the house and my Model 3 had no steering. I literally could not turn the steering wheel and the screen said "power steering is reduced or disabled". I tried everything to fix the issue. I even did a complete "reboot", but to no avail. I submitted a service claim to Tesla and told them they would have to come pick up my car as there was no way the car could be driven to Atlanta for service. Later that day, I remembered my screen also said "charging error", along with "power steering is reduced or disabled". So, I decided to charge the car to 100%. Well, that seemed to fix the problem. Since then the steering has worked fine. (I am thankful the car was parked at home when it lost steering.) Just an FYI - I have a screen shot of my service request filed with Tesla back on May 20th should you need that. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | STEERING | On 7/21/2023, I received an alert saying “steering assist reduced”. I could not turn the steering wheel. Luckily I was parked and trying to back out of my spot. The steering assist came back after getting in and out of the vehicle. Contacted Tesla about this and they told me to monitor the situation. I took delivery of my vehicle 7/20/2023 around 3pm EST. So I had the car less than 24hrs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | STEERING | I was driving to work in the morning and there was a sudden jolt and then the steering wheel became very heavy and I had to pull over and stop the car, when I did do it showed me power steering failure and the steering was very hard to control and could not drive straight and kept sway from side to side. The steering wheel was very heavy and unreliable. Tesla had to come and tow my car to service center and provided me with loaner car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | on July 18th around, 7:00PM, the location is 1688 Hostetter Road Pacific, Rim Lane, San Jose, CA 95131. when I parked my car, and the car almost stop, the car suddenly unintended accelerated and hit another car. the car I used Creep mode, not Hold mode. I definitely sure my foot on the break. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The battery range is showing on the computer and tesla website as 272 miles but real driving range is 150-160 miles. The car is in service right now for that issue. Service probably will say it depends on driving conditions, there is no problem with the batteries but it does not explain 50% lose of usage. This is the biggest scam of human history. I am very disappointed due to 50% lower range then what it is supposed to be. There are thousands of people complaining with this issue. This is basically a scam that tesla is doing. If i knew that the actual drivimg range is around at most 200 miles i would not buy the car. I am scammed by tesla. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Battery Range incorrect, quickly dropped from 50% to 18% after 3 uses an estimated less then 10 miles caused the range to drop | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | STEERING | g on the cars computer screen came up with this message ( STEERING SYSTEM ERRR DETECTED ). Contact service if error persists!! Service was contacted on 7-11-2023. service was schedulad 1st for 7-13-2023 then rescheduled for 7-24-2023. Both time have been informed that the part has nt coime in. The vehicle has lost its POWER STEERING. At times its like turning with 2 people at the steering wheel ( 90% ). and the other times ( 10% ) with a certain ammount of jerking. NO INFORMATION AS TO PART ARRIVAL [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while parking, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb, and crashed into a building. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The passenger's front seat occupant sustained injuries to her hand. The passenger rear seat occupant sustained injuries to her neck, and medical attention was provided. The air bags deployed. There were no reported fires. A police report was filed. A person in the building sustained unknown injuries, The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | 3,000 |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On Adaptive cruise control mode about a set speed of 70-75mph on I-5 , the car was suddenly decelerating or braking on Freeway for no reason. I.e. No vehicle or obstacles was there which required braking during approx 3 occurrences happened on a same day of 200+ miles drive. It was deadly dangerous and increases risk for a nasty rear-end crash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | While traveling on the interstate using cruise control, my vehicle abruptly started to break which caused the vehicle behind me to brake as well. I did not touch the brake, accelerator, or the cruise control itself during this incident. And there were no cars in front of me or to the right of my position (I was in the far left lane). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The rear door jammed shut. It would not open and we discovered there is no mechanical way for a passenger to open the back doors of a Tesla model 3. The car’s electrical system has to be on and functioning properly in order to exit from the back. This is terrifying. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Since purchasing this vehicle in May 2023 I have had four (4) instances of the vehicle automatically braking (phantom braking) while traveling at a higher speed on the interstate using cruise control (Autopilot). This has occurred during both daylight and nighttime driving. At the time it occurred, only once was there a vehicle in front of me, but far enough away that the auto braking should not have activated. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stopped suddenly without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 5,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Jul 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While I was driving along a freeway using autopilot cruise control, the car suddenly slammed its brakes even if there was no cars in front of us. I thought it was just a fluke but it happened at least twice if not thrice during that trip. There was at least an approximate of 3 miles gap between us and the car in front, so practically no cars in front. Had there any vehicles behind us, it would for sure rear ended us. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving, both while using Adaptive Cruise Control and while using "Autopilot" (automatic lane centering), the car has severely emergency braked with no input from me. The conditions were bright sunlight, with mirages on the roadway in front of the car. I believe the car cannot tell the difference between these mirages and actual obstacles. The emergency braking is severe enough to potentially cause an accident, with speed rapidly dropping from 70 mph to 45mph. This is a serious defect that needs addressed ASAP. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have had this car for 6 months. Three times within the past month sudden braking (phantom braking) occurred while driving on the high way with cruise control engaged. The car slowed from 70miles/hour to 35-40 miles/hour without warning on a clear day on a clear road. Then the car picked up speed. The cars in the front and the rear were far away to cause any incident. This happens in a random fashion and cannot be reproduced. | Crash: No Fire: No Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My Tesla Model 3 has had 3 phantom braking episodes since I bought the car new in June 2023. All 3 episodes were when the cruise control was on. Without any warning, the car will violently slow from 70mph to about 25mph in a very short time. My guess, less than 2 seconds. The tires loose grip on the road surface and the car will come to a stop. In all 3 instances, I needed to apply the accelerator to get the car moving again. During all 3 phantom braking episodes, there were no vehicles behind me that could of rear ended me. If so, the vehicle(s) behind me would have no doubt rear ended me. All 3 instances occurred on clear warm days close to Yermo CA on Interstate 15. I reported this phantom brake issue with the local Tesla location and they reviewed my cars software and said nothing was wrong. The system is working as intended. Once my Tesla Model 3 phantom breaking started, I have researched the issue online and noted a tremendous amount of complaints and reports to your agency. This phantom braking needs to be fixed and until then disclosed when a customer buys a Model 3. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When driving in highway using autopilot, the car suddenly slammed on the brakes. This made no sense at all as there were no cars in front of it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Rear Drive Unit Inverter failed and left me stranded on a busy highway on the shoulder. Waited an hour for tow truck to arrive. Car had about 3000 miles on it. Car was fixed under warranty but shouldn't be having an issue with a car that is relatively new. Searching through forums, I have encountered a lot of people having the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Phantom braking occurred 3 times over the span of several minutes while driving at highway speeds. The first two incidents occurred while utilizing Autosteer. The third time occurred while only using cruise control. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Scenario 1: Driving mid day in hot weather in desert highway with rolling hills and cruise control activated. Upon cresting a ridge with mirages the car slams on the brakes until the mirage dissipates. Also as another car approaches and its reflection is bounced back from the mirage in the road surface the car slams on the brake until the reflection shifts or the mirage dissipates. Scenario two: Driving on freeway mid day in warm weather and brightly illuminated freeway and approaching dark shadows under an overpass. The car slams on the brakes until closer to the overpass. 20-40 mph deceleration noted. The specific freeway section had a slight descending roadway leading into the shadow and then ascended on the other side so that a continuing road surface was not immediately visible beyond the shadow. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On July 6th, at 6:42pm, while driving 70 MPH on California Highway 152, on a clear day (88 degrees F), with no traffic around our car, the car slammed on the brakes, taking the speed from 70 MPH to 46 MPH in a period of 5 seconds (with most braking in the first couple seconds). I was using the cars' built-in Autopilot system. The car did the same thing about 2 minutes earlier, so we happened to have been recording a video of the cars operation when it happened this second time. The car did the same exact behavior on June 29th at 10:30am, on the same highway but different location. It was also a sunny day, and there were (thank goodness) no cars near us when it happened. That time, it braked so hard it triggered the ABS system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | We have experienced several episodes of the car suddenly breaking for no reason when using cruise control. The speed is very quickly reduced a good 15 mph without warning.this is not only very alarming as drivers/passengers but it is incredibly dangerous. If there was a car following closely behind us, they would have hit us. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |