Complaint volume
101 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
2025 Tesla Model 3 Complaints
101 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2025 Tesla Model 3, grouped by component category.
101 Total complaints
21 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
4 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 unknown or other, vehicle speed control,forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 21 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 4 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 7 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 9,135 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, vehicle speed control,forward collision avoidance, electrical system?
- 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 2025 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.
2025 Tesla Model 3
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2025 Tesla Model 3 complaints?
21 Crash
0 Fire
4 Injury
0 Fatality
8 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2025 Tesla Model 3 complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 20
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 5
STEERING 5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2
LANE DEPARTURE 2
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2
101 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This model lacks a well-tested turn signal lever, replacing it with arrows on the steering wheel. This method of activating turns signals is fundamentally unreliable and consequently dangerous. As an owner of the subject Tesla for just over one year, I find that I regularly fail to achieve correct activation, even with repeated attempts to do so. The steering wheel control may: Not activate at all, even with multiple attempts to activate the signal. I find no consistent patter as to why pressing the arrow or vicinity of the arrow fails to achieve activation. Worse, may activate in the opposite direction to the pending movement. This is the most dangerous situation, misleading other drivers with regard to the intended movement. It’s also not apparent to me that the opposite direction has been activated. The problem is made worse by: Lack of tactile feedback from the controls. The switches do not move perceptibly, nor is there any other feedback, such as a click. The ridge between left and right arrows doesn’t provide sufficient indication of correct or incorrect placement of the thumb on the controls. Pressing on the controls within the vicinity of the arrows may or may not result in activation at all or activate the opposite one. The position of the control varies depending on the steering wheel angle. The control may be very difficult to access, particularly where a sequence of turns in opposite directions must be executed. Specifically, it is essentially impossible to activate for the second movement while making the preceding turn. I understand that Tesla recognizes the problem and owner dissatisfaction in that it offers a retrofit with a conventional and well-tested turn signal lever for $600. Tesla must be compelled to recall these vehicles and retrofit them with a conventional turn signal lever or other effective control at no charge to owners. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Tesla FSD out of control and run into a light pole | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Tesla is in a protracted battle with me over fees related to damaged property and illegal self-help repossession procedures. They have been formally notified that any trespass onto my property is not permitted because they said they sent armed repossession agents because of “angry customers” like me. I currently have a complaint for those issues filed with the Attorney General of Pennsylvania. Tesla’s recent attempts to repossess the vehicle were initiated approximately two hours after informing the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office that Tesla had not contacted me in any way, that Tesla was not being factual. Tesla’s response to that was again to not contact me but to send me a form letter stating they intend to disable my vehicle remotely. I am a privacy-minded person, and part of choosing the vehicle was a modicum of privacy guaranteed by Tesla. Tesla publicly says they do not so this, I was told they do not so this in the course of buying the car, and recent news seems to state they say they can’t do it. They have yet to repair a windshield and cabin camera that seem to be damaged. In other words, they intend to disable and lock my car without my permission or knowledge, without verifying the contents of the car. In other words, if there happens to be an occupant at the time they illegally disable the car, they intend to kill them. I’m asking that my contact information be kept private because they have already threatened to use lethal force, make extremely reckless decisions regarding their procedures, and retaliated by initiating this process when I informed a government agency that they lied to them. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions with Full Self-Driving (FSD) Mode engaged, the vehicle stopped abruptly while approaching a yellow traffic light, nearly causing the head of the driver to strike the windshield on one occasion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to gradually come to a stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,100. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,100 |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | On March 14, 2026, at 20:54:21 UTC, while the Autopilot system was engaged, the vehicle malfunctioned by initiating a sudden, unprompted right-hand steering command within 0.3 seconds, resulting in a collision with another vehicle traveling in the adjacent right lane. Telemetry data from the event confirms the system failed to maintain the lane despite the Primary Steering Torque Sensor measuring 0.00 Nm, proving no driver input caused the maneuver. This unintended steering event at cruising speed created an immediate safety risk to myself and the occupants of the other vehicle. To date, the manufacturer (Tesla) has declined to perform a technical or remote diagnostic review, redirecting the case to a collision center instead. No warning lamps, audio chimes, or system messages occurred prior to the failure; the vehicle is currently available for inspection and raw CSV telemetry logs can be provided to investigators upon request. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STRUCTURE | On April 23, 2025, at approximately 8:15 PM, I activated Tesla's Smart Summon feature to retrieve my vehicle from a parking spot. While operating autonomously under Smart Summon, the vehicle failed to detect a pole in the parking area and drove into it, causing approximately $11,000 in damage to the vehicle. I was not inside or manually controlling the vehicle at the time. The vehicle's autonomous driving software failed to identify and avoid a stationary obstacle. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | After the High Voltage Battery Contactor recall service, my 2025 Tesla Model 3 Performance suffered a sudden 13% drop in range (from 303mi to 264mi at 100% charge). An official Tesla Battery Health Test confirms the battery health is at 92% in less than a year of ownership. This degradation happened immediately following the recall procedure, indicating a hardware or software defect caused by the service. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving at highway speeds, using cruise control, the vehicle occasionally brakes for no apparent reason with no vehicles or obstacles in the way. The braking is severe and could potentially cause me to be rear ended. The dealer inspected the vehicle and could not reproduce the problem. There has been no previous warning to the braking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged at the time of the incident. The vehicle was traveling at low speed on a straight roadway when it unexpectedly initiated a sudden steering maneuver out of its lane toward a roadside structure (outdoor restaurant seating area), resulting in a collision. The driver did not provide steering input prior to or during the maneuver. There were no warning messages or alerts indicating a hazard or need for evasive action before the event. Vehicle telemetry data reviewed after the incident indicates that the steering system executed a rapid, large-angle deflection without corresponding driver input, consistent with a system-initiated maneuver. The system continued to apply throttle during the event. The incident created a direct safety risk to the vehicle occupants and nearby pedestrians due to unintended vehicle path deviation toward a fixed structure. Additional Context: When this car was in the repair shop for repairs, we were told that during the replacement of the dashboard/computer system, the technicians observed a persistent system code that would not clear. Tesla technical support was contacted, and the system was ultimately reinstalled to resolve the issue. While the direct connection between this code and the FSD malfunction is unknown, the persistent code may indicate preexisting software system instability. The vehicle has been inspected by repair professionals, and supporting data (telemetry and video) is preserved and available for review upon request. Cause of the malfunction is currently UNKNOWN, but evidence indicates a failure in the driver assistance system’s steering control. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE | I purchased a new 2025 Tesla Model 3. During normal driving conditions, the rear bumper detached without any collision or impact. The bumper became loose while the vehicle was moving, creating a potential safety hazard. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle but declined warranty coverage and refused to properly repair the issue. The bumper was only temporarily reattached and remains misaligned. Additionally, shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the seat belt assembly had a failure and had to be repaired by Tesla under warranty. While Tesla addressed that issue, it adds to my concern about the overall quality and reliability of a brand-new vehicle. Because the vehicle is new and the failure occurred during normal driving, I believe this may indicate a defect. I am requesting assistance in reviewing this situation. Vehicle: 2025 Tesla Model 3 VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vibration that they said they diagnosed was not fixed per company policy they said they cannot fix it which would mean my vehicle is still unsafe at highway speeds the issue occurs after 70 mph on march 4th 2026 when rescheduling for the same issue I received this message. From a Tesla rep that they did everything they can | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The vehicle presented an error that the audio system was offline, and that the horn, speakers, and internal safety sounds may not work. After driving on the PA turnpike and almost getting in an accident, this error causes the horn to not functioning at all. I was not able to alert the other driver due to this issue, and had to therefore slam on the breaks due to this issue which caused a safety risk to myself and other drivers on the road. This issue has been consistent since the error originally appeared a week ago. The horn does not function, as well as the reverse pedestrian safety sound that alerts pedestrians of the vehicle reversing. In the interior, no safety chimes, audio, turn signal clicks are audible and therefore are not able to be perceived. After putting in a service request and being told I was to be scheduled 2 weeks out and not provided a loaner, I called the dealership whom confirmed this, and stated they are not able to provide a loaner vehicle or move the appointment closer regardless of their being a potential safety issue. There are no other warning lights on in the vehicle, and the alert popped up out of no where, as well it does not mention the horn *does not* work, only warning that the horn may not work. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Inused tesla to back up from my driveway and it hit my Gate little damage but the car did it . Did not calculate and crash sensor sisnt work car crash the car on fss (automatic pilot) | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | I was using the vehicle's Autopark feature to parallel park on a public street in a normal/spacious parking spot. I selected the parking spot on the center screen and started Autopark. During the maneuver, the vehicle reversed into the parked car behind me and caused a dent (low-speed crash). I was supervising the maneuver and did not press the accelerator or brake before impact. After the incident, I reviewed dashcam footage and vehicle telemetry. The rear vehicle was clearly visible in the rear camera view. Telemetry shows the vehicle had already shifted to Drive before impact, but it continued moving backward for about 1 second and then contacted the parked car behind. Telemetry also shows accelerator pedal position was 0 and brake was not applied during the impact sequence. This appears to be an automated parking/close-range obstacle stopping failure or delayed stopping response. No warning lamp or prior vehicle fault message was observed before the incident. The issue has not been reproduced since the incident. I have dashcam footage and telemetry logs documenting the event. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Horn does not work properly during heavy rain and/or splashing from ordinary puddles. The sound produced by the horn is barely audible for a couple of hours until presumably it dries out. Service center declined to repair the problem as they could not reproduce it with their tests. Service center acknowledged that it is a known problem but Tesla has not provided a fix. No warning messages occured during the problem, which occured during two separate rain events, | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | STRUCTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Tesla’s Obstruction of Repairs Tesla deleted my original service complaint and annotations regarding these delivery defects. The associated service appointment was cancelled without notice or rescheduling. No repairs were performed despite the issues being raised during the warranty period. This prevented reasonable repair attempts and allowed the defects to persist. Current Nonconformities and Repair History The same or substantially similar defects continue and have worsened: • Recurring misalignment/alignment issues from delivery, impairing value and potentially safety. • Safety-related camera system failures: Persistent error codes on the camera(s) [specify if known, e.g., front/rear/ADAS-related], reducing visibility and affecting safe operation (e.g., backup, navigation, Autopilot/FSD if equipped). These are known Tesla issues potentially subject to recall (e.g., rearview camera display loss). • Power windows failure: Unresolved for at least 2 weeks despite service request; windows do not operate properly, impairing use and safety (e.g., emergency egress). Cumulative out-of-service time and failed repair attempts (including the obstructed initial one) meet or approach presumptions under § 1793.22(b): multiple attempts for the same nonconformities, with safety impacts. The vehicle remains nonconforming despite reasonable opportunity for Tesla to repair. nonconformities in the above vehicle that qualify it as a “lemon” under California Civil Code §§ 1793.2(d) and 1793.22 (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act). These defects originated at delivery, were reported within the express warranty period, but Tesla failed to repair them—by deleting my original service complaint, annotating delivery issues without resolution, and cancelling the associated appointment—preventing conformity to warranty. The same issues persist and recur post-warranty expiration, substantially impairing the vehicle’s use, value, and safety | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | On January 16, 2026, I noticed the vehicle's horn was extremely quiet and would not be audible to another driver. This puts the safety of the Tesla driver and other roadway users at risk because another driver or pedestrian would not hear the horn if the Tesla driver needed to get their attention. This problem occurred after receiving approximately 6-8 inches of snow and driving in the snow. It is possible the design of the Tesla allows for snow/rain to block the horn speaker causing it to not function correctly during and after snow/rain conditions. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I've submitted a service request via the Tesla app. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front windshield fractured independently. In addition, the contact stated that there was no evidence of impact on the front windshield. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was parked in an underground parking garage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 4,050. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,050 |
| Dec 2025 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | Lately I keep getting the following concerning message on the dashboard of almost brand new 2025 Tesla 3 car, even after reset the screen : Steering Assist Reduced Steering may require Increased Effort See the attached picture of this message, I took this photo On Dec 25, 2025 at 12:56 pm with parked car. I am pretty concerned with potential safety issue with the important steering-function while driving on highway and other roads. The car has only 804 miles as of Dec 26, 2025. The new car was picked up on May 31, 2025 with 15 miles. I have the FSD on monthly subscription. I have sent a message to Tesla. It has provided me with a service appointment at its West Bloomfield Township Center in Michigan on Jan 26, 2026 at 10:30 am. At the time of setting the appointment an estimate of about $450 was provided. It is concerning since the new car is under warranty. I am submitting this concerning safety related issue to NHTSA - to please investigate. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | This is a new one but not new for me as this vehicle was the first under my own registration/not rental. Had passenger in car and with music down the passenger heard a very clear odd word which I can only assume was its desire, we declined. This is the umpteenth of many odd and offensive remarks that can cause odd distortion to within the immersive sound system and was what I previously attributed to rental vehicle blue tooths or dysfunctional family raising. Its offensive, distracting, and sometime low-level so unhealthy. Im awaiting the response from tesla but it should be documented as ive seen ISAC section on this website, and ive dealt with it since 2018 , and ended up having to put boxing gloves in my trunk for potentially violent followers trying to pair and talk obscene. Im not sure what but its been confirmed and im awaiting the reply from manufacturer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I drove my car today after it snowed a few inches the night before and while I was driving, I tried to press the horn, but there was no noise coming from the horn. when I went back home I noted that the speaker used for the horn is located near the passenger side wheel well. The speaker was blocked due to snow accumulation. This is dangerous because that means whenever there’s any snow on the road and I try to press the horn in an emergency then I cannot I might get into an accident because of my horn failing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE | The steering was hard to turn, and the fully supervised driving mode didn't work. This has happened twice, and both times the issue went away on its own after a few minutes. I performed a soft reset both times, but it did not resolve the issue. The first time, the steering was very heavy, i.e., hard to turn. The second time was less difficult, but in both cases, FSD (Full Self-Driving) did not function. General Guideline questions: 1. The steering system malfunctioned. The car is available for inspection. 2. The car was very difficult to drive. I was able to turn the wheel, but I won't let my wife drive it. 3. No. The nearest service center is 90 miles away, and so far, they want me to bring the car to them. I am still working to resolve this, as I believe this issue requires mobile service. 4. No inspections have been done. 5. Yes. An alert message on the main display stated: "Alerts - Steering & Braking - Steering assist reduced/Steering may require increased effort." | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Horn on vehicle is too quiet. Poses a safety risk for cars who will not be able to hear it. Volume needs to be increased or put an actual horn on the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | I am submitting this complaint to report a safety issue with the turn-signal buttons on my steering wheel of the 2024–2025 Tesla Model 3 Highland. The turn-signal buttons are located on the steering wheel surface instead of a traditional stalk. When the steering wheel is turned at any angle, the buttons are difficult to locate by feel, often requiring the driver to look down to activate them and take his eyes off the road. Trying to signal during turns, lane changes, or roundabouts is not intuitive, and I have nearly had several collisions. This design presents a potentially dangerous safety hazard and could increase the risk of collisions. Tesla should be required to recall and retrofit these vehicles with turn signal stalks on the steering wheel column. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | STEERING | I drove car for about 15 minutes and pulled into a parking space. There was no bumping or other incident. I left the vehicle for about 10 minutes and returned. The screen on my return showed 2 warnings, 1. Steering assist disabled, and 2. Collision avoidance system currently inoperable. Dealing with warning number 1: On starting to back out of parking space, i discovered there was no assist for steering, and a high degree of force was needed to turn the steering wheel and guide the car. This required considerable force. I tried a "system reboot" twice to no avail (this is done by holding 2 steering wheel buttons for about 10 seconds). I called Tesla for service and they towed to car to their service center. I do not know what steps were taken to diagnose or repair the problem. Warning number 2 disappeared from the screen when I started trying to back up.. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |