2021 Tesla Model 3 Electrical problems

worsened. The vehicle now experiences: Completely black rearview/backup camera. Black or unavailable side and other camera feeds. Loss of lane markings, surrounding vehicles, and road visualization. A frozen navigation map and unreliable vehicle positioning. Random system alerts, warnings, freezing, and loss of functionality. I have attempted restarting the vehicle's computer and reinstalling the software. Neither resolved the problem permanently. These failures affect important safety-related vehicle functions, particularly the rearview camera and camera-based driving assistance systems. I am concerned that a Tesla software update may have triggered or contributed to a failure affecting multiple vehicle systems. I cannot independently establish the cause, which is why I am requesting regulatory review. I am asking NHTSA to document this complaint, investigate whether similar failures have been reported in 2021 Tesla Model 3 vehicles, and determine whether this may represent a broader safety-related defect. I am particularly concerned about the complete loss of the rearview camera and other camera systems.

occurred during a Tesla-initiated update. A non-functioning rearview camera eliminates the driver's rear view and increases the risk of a backover collision, and the loss of automatic emergency braking removes forward crash protection. This matches numerous existing complaints in this database describing the same Hardware 3 computer failure and camera loss after a software update, one of which reports a resulting collision. Tesla has declined to repair it at no charge despite the failure being caused by its own update, approximately 3,000 miles out of warranty. I am requesting NHTSA open a defect investigation into Hardware 3 Autopilot-computer failures that disable the rearview camera and automatic emergency braking.

both pillar cameras and the front-main camera, proper voltage to the cameras, no short to body, and no change after testing a known-good camera. Tesla concluded that the affected cameras share a deserializer path internal to the HW3 car computer and diagnosed an internal car-computer failure requiring complete computer replacement and camera calibration. The safety concern is loss of the rear-view camera and multiple camera-based driver-assistance functions, reducing rear visibility and eliminating features that rely on those cameras. Tesla did not identify the root cause of the internal HW3 failure or establish that the preceding software event could be excluded as a cause, trigger, or contributing factor. Tesla has separately acknowledged in NHTSA Recall 26V283 that software on certain HW3-equipped Model 3 vehicles can prevent camera streams from reaching the MCU and result in loss of the rear-view camera image. I am not claiming that recall necessarily applies to this specific failure; I am reporting the similar sequence so NHTSA can determine whether there may be a broader defect pattern. The vehicle remains unrepaired and is available for inspection upon request.

Officer [[redacted]], badge # [redacted], refused due to there was no collision and no accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Drive, Schedule Service." The battery has been confirmed by a Tesla Service Center as having an internal fault. The only remedy offered by Tesla is full battery replacement at a cost of approximately $9,000 to $14,000 depending on the option selected. This failure poses a safety risk as the severely limited range can result in the vehicle becoming stranded unexpectedly, particularly during highway driving or in areas without nearby charging infrastructure. The failure occurred approximately 6 months after the battery warranty expired with no prior indication of degradation, suggesting a potential defect in the battery unit. The vehicle has been inspected by a Tesla Service Center and the fault has been confirmed. The component is available for inspection upon request.

warranty. Tesla has declined to cover the most recent failure citing warranty expiration, despite this being a documented recurring defect that originated well within the warranty period. The vehicle is currently inoperable due to high voltage battery failure. I was around 40 days outside of warranty with this last failure.

service request with first appointment available in 10 days (still awaiting review). Attempted to try charging again while at home and this time, coincidentally after my service request, it is now charging. I lowered to 20A to trickle in for now...and currently up to 32%. March/April 2025 my ECU went out after 3 12V battery replacements within 2 months. Car has been driving well but without any camera systems (traffic awareness) or entertainment system.

CP_a077); HV-enable blocked cascade. • Feb 24, 2026 - Service app: estimate approval prompt; supervisor instruction to 'safely disregard' active HV alerts captured via screenshot. • Feb 27, 2026 - Persistent handshake stall (CP_a066, State B1) despite 'successful' software job and new firmware update to patch the 2026.2 tree branch software. Vehicle remains grounded. Safety Concern Vehicle telemetry states HV contactors are blocked to protect the vehicle; service staff advised to disregard active alerts. Inconsistent guidance risks unsafe operation. I grounded the vehicle pending engineering review. Troubleshooting and A/B Tests My home EVSEs successfully charge a different Tesla (Model Y). The subject VIN charges at DC fast charging (Supercharger) and once on a third-party EVSE, but fails on my two home EVSEs thereafter. This localizes the issue to vehicle-side AC charge path/charge-port logic rather than the EVSE. Request OEM to provide CP waveform under load + Toolbox logs. Please log this safety-related defect; aggregate with similar complaints, and, if appropriate, open an investigation into identity/integrity faults causing HV-enable lockouts and conflicting service guidance

after the vehicle becomes wet due to rain and appears to be related to moisture intrusion or an electrical/design flaw. Once the failure occurs, the driver fully loses the ability to use the horn for warnings or emergency signaling. This is a critical safety concern. The horn is a federally required safety device and is essential for alerting pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers to avoid collisions. Losing horn functionality significantly increases the risk of accidents, especially in urban driving, highway merging, and emergency situations where immediate warning signals are necessary. This issue is not isolated to my vehicle. Numerous Tesla owners have reported the same horn failure after rain or wet conditions on online forums and owner communities, indicating a widespread and systemic defect rather than isolated wear or misuse. Given the safety implications and the volume of similar reports, I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether a design or manufacturing defect exists and whether corrective action or a recall is warranted. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Owner - 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance

the vehicle did NOT issue a warning at the time of the steering event. A "Take Control Immediately" message appeared several minutes AFTER the incident, not before or during, indicating a delayed or failed system response. This defect began immediately after a High-Voltage Battery replacement performed by Tesla Service in May 2024 and has occurred multiple times since. The incident presents a serious safety risk, including loss of vehicle control, roadway departure, or head-on collision. In addition to the steering defect, the vehicle began exhibiting multiple electronic and control anomalies immediately after the High-Voltage Battery replacement. These include navigation/map screen failures, windows adjusting themselves while driving, random "cannot shift into drive" warnings, system failure messages, camera malfunctions, and unexpected screen reboots. These issues did not exist prior to the battery replacement and support the presence of an underlying electrical or control system instability related to the steering defect.

hazardous - impaired visibility for parking/reversing, loss of collision avoidance features, and constant audio distractions that could lead to accidents. I had to drive in this unsafe condition for weeks while waiting for service. Tesla attempted a remote fix but it failed. I scheduled service on November 19 for December 3 (19-day delay). Diagnostics confirmed the update induced the hardware failure, a known issue reported by other 2021 Model 3 owners on forums like Reddit (e.g., software bricking motherboards post-update). Despite this, Tesla refused warranty/goodwill coverage, quoting $2,576.83 for repairs. Service advisors Josh and Andy were unprofessional: Josh was rude/condescending; Andy was aggressive, sarcastic, and retaliatory. After I mentioned filing complaints with the AZ Attorney General and News Channel 3, Andy threatened $100/day storage fees with an impossible deadline (called at 4 PM Friday, close at 5 PM, demanded pickup by morning, then noon). He closed my ticket without authorization, delaying fixes and forcing me to contact another location - prolonging my exposure to the unsafe vehicle. This defect poses serious safety risks: sudden loss of cameras/autopilot could cause crashes. Tesla's awareness (from prior reports) and poor handling (intimidation delaying repairs) exacerbates the danger. No crash/injury yet, but potential is high. Please investigate this update-induced failure as a widespread defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

cleared memory, updated firmware, and said no further diagnosis was needed. However, no root cause was provided, and I am concerned that this issue could reoccur. This kind of unexpected shutdown while driving is a serious safety concern. I was lucky to avoid a collision, but if this had happened on a freeway or near traffic, the outcome could have been worse. I am filing this report in hopes that NHTSA will investigate whether this is an isolated issue or part of a broader safety defect related to Tesla's onboard software or power management systems.

(Latches/Locks/Linkages, Electrical System) however, while attempting to update the vehicle software, the vehicle failed to complete the software update. The vehicle was drivable and was taken to the place of residence; the contact attempted to get in contact with Tesla Roadside Assistance however, once the contact reached the "confirm pickup spot" screen, the screen froze and would not confirm the request. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to notify the manufacturer however, the contact received no response in return. The failure mileage was unknown.

automatically, and I was unable to open any of them. Despite multiple attempts to unlock the car using both my iPhone and key fob, the vehicle remained locked. My dog was trapped inside the car, and I became increasingly panicked, especially considering the extreme summer heat in Florida. I immediately contacted Tesla customer service, but after a 15-minute conversation, they were unable to unlock the car remotely. I was forced to call 911, and the fire department had to break the passenger side window to retrieve my dog. Even after the window was broken, the doors still wouldn't unlock, and I had to pull my dog out through the shattered glass. Additional Details: The car was charged to 80% just a couple of days before this incident. After this incident, the car is completely dead. It is non-functional, and I cannot power it on or access any of its systems. The day before this incident, I completed a software update on my Model 3, which I believe may have caused or contributed to the malfunction. There is CCTV evidence of the entire incident, which I can provide upon request. My dog was severely traumatized by this experience and is now fearful of being in the car, even when it is parked in the garage. I was also extremely distressed during the incident, and the situation could have resulted in a much worse outcome. Please advise on the next steps for an investigation, and let me know if you require any further information or evidence. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

this kind. It is not clear what component malfunctioned, probably some electric/electronic device in charge of acceleration. It was obviously a very dangerous event that could have jeopardized my safety and/or some others.