- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. The headlight low beams may be too bright and exceed the maximum light output. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- The risk
- Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla Service will replace the headlights, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were be mailed October 3, 2026. Another notice will be sent once the repair becomes available. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-003.
Vehicle safety record
2023 Tesla Model 3 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 431 complaints about the 2023 Tesla Model 3 with NHTSA, most often about the driver assistance (199) and the steering (91). Those complaints describe 73 crashes, 1 fire, 50 injuries and 1 death. It is covered by 12 recalls, the latest in August 2026 for the headlights. For comparison, the 2022 has 774 and the 2024 has 224.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Model 3 year, for its age
#6 most complained-about 2023 vehicle
- Complaints
- 431
- Recalls
- 12
- Crashes
- 73
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 50
- Deaths
- 1
Most common 2023 Tesla Model 3 problems
Share of all 431 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2023 Tesla Model 3 recalls 12
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017, 2021-2023 Model 3, 2020-2023 Model Y, 2021-2023 Model S, and Model X vehicles operating software version 2026.8.6. The rearview camera image may be delayed when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- The risk
- A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-00-001.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating software prior to 2023.38.4. The printed circuit board for the electronic power steering assist may experience an overstress condition, causing a loss of power steering assist when the vehicle reaches a stop and then accelerates again.
- The risk
- A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-00-004.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
- The risk
- Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles. The hood latch assembly may fail to detect an unlatched hood condition after the hood has been opened.
- The risk
- An unlatched hood can fully open, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-012.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- The risk
- A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- The risk
- Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
- The risk
- In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The pyrotechnic battery disconnect may be defective.
- The risk
- A defective battery disconnect may not isolate the vehicle's high voltage battery after a crash or fault detection, increasing the risk of electrical shock and injury.
- The fix
- Tesla Service will replace the pyrotechnic battery disconnect, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-16-005.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
- The risk
- FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. One or both taillights may intermittently fail to illuminate.
- The risk
- A taillight that fails to illuminate may reduce the visibility of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-016.
- The problem
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021, 2023 Model 3 vehicles. The left and/or right side curtain air bag may have been improperly secured to the roof rail, which could result in a twisted air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 214, "Side Impact Protection" and 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
- The risk
- A twisted side curtain air bag may improperly deploy, increasing the risk of injury or occupant ejection during a crash.
- The fix
- Tesla Service will inspect and realign the left and right side curtain air bag as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-20-006.
What owners say
6 people checked this vehicle in the last 30 days. Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
431 complaints about the 2023 Tesla Model 3
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 18.
SUPPLEMENTAL SAFETY FILING FOR EXISTING NHTSA TRACKING #11776730 Updating my initial November 9, 2026 report with Tesla's November 9 service invoice, post-repair red steering wheel failure, and daily Service Mode overheating DTC logs starting on delivery day (November 1)."
1. Full Self Driving computer complete system failure. Happens everyday. 8 days still has same problem. 2. Problem showed itself 30 minutes after taking possession of the car. Gave me a panic attack because the car was driving itself and then "TAKE CONTROL IMMEDIATELY!!" was on the monitor. This caused me to jerk the wheel while in heavy traffic on [[redacted]] and I hit the brakes and almost caused an accident because I thought the car was going to crash. 3. Problem has happened everyday/3-5 times a day since...
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taking ownership [[redacted]]. I checked the fault logs on [[redacted]] and there are over 100 incidents of the Full Self Driving computer overheating with system errors. 4.Car is currently as of [[redacted]] at the Norfolk VA Tesla dealership. And I am in a loaner. 5.There were no pre warning lamps or messages when I got the car. The problem appeared 30 minutes into my ride back to Hampton VA. It started with loud alerts and saying "TAKE CONTROL IMMEDIATELY". The photos attached are just a sample of how many times this problem has occured. The last photo is a log of faults. I was able to reach this data [[redacted]] and the faults happen frequent like this every day I have had the car. There are about 100 faults as of [[redacted]]. Tesla Norfolk Service Department has the car as of [[redacted]]. I feel they sold me a car with a DEFECTIVE CRITICAL SAFETY DEVICE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The steering wheel makes a grinding noise when it automatically adjusts (when the car starts). It also makes the same grinding noise when I adjust it
Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model 3 RWD, VIN 5YJ3E1EA3PF556059. Since the FSD software update from V12 to V14.1 (Supervised v14.1 Lite) in early August 2026, the vehicle repeatedly issues false 'apply steering wheel force' warnings while my hands are on the wheel, followed by sudden disengagement of Full Self-Driving without apparent cause. This has happened multiple times, including at highway speeds, which I consider a safety hazard. The Tesla service center in Miami Gardens has been unable to fix the problem after...
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multiple visits. I emailed Tesla's North America service team on September 23, 2026 (with a photo of the in-car warning) and sent a follow-up on September 30, 2026; I have received no response.
Tesla has done away with a set maximum speed control when on FSD and uses speed profiles. These profiles can have the car speed at huge differences from the actual speed limit. Tesla previously gave the driver the option to control the maximum speed but eliminated it with version 14 FSD software.
On September 23 2026 at night I was driving my car under FSD and am in full control of vehicle my car is on speed of 54-55mph and in the middle of the road without any obstacle present on the road the car did the super ghost breaking and my car stopped 100% with the screen turning red with a warning of collision w am thankful to god that no one is coming from behind otherwise it might be loss of lid or serious medical emergency . We are aware and keeping on checking the surroundings but it's very hard or nearly impossible to go to 50 mph from 0 mph in 0 seconds.
On September 20, 2026, at approximately 10:26 AM EDT, I was driving my Tesla on ON I-76 E MM 332.4 with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged. It was raining, the pavement was wet, and there was heavy road spray. The vehicle's front dashcam recording, time-stamped "Sep 20, 2026, 10:26:02 AM," shows the car traveling in the right lane at about 55-56 mph with the on-screen indicator reading "Self Driving." The vehicle then steered to the right, out of its lane, toward the concrete barrier and roadside embankment....
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The "Self Driving" indicator disappears about half a second before the vehicle leaves the lane, at about 54 mph. I did not steer or brake before the vehicle left the lane. The vehicle then lost stability, spun across the roadway, and slowed from about 53 mph to nearly a stop, facing against the direction of traffic. While facing oncoming traffic, it was struck by an oncoming white sedan, which sustained front-end damage my car had been declared a total loss. I believe the Full Self-Driving system failed to keep the vehicle in its lane in rain and gave too little or no warning before handing control back to me, leaving no reasonable time to recover. I have kept the original dashcam footage and have sent Tesla a written request to preserve and release all vehicle data for this event, including FSD engagement and disengagement logs, driver-input data, and stability control data. I can provide the footage and any records Tesla releases to NHTSA on request.
Bought a 2023 Tesla model 3 from Carvawna on aug 30th drove car steering wheel was shaking at 70 mph or more; took to tire shop 3 tire were bad and unsafe,tires were worn below 3/32nds in the center, 2 tires foam was detached and broke tire sensor 4th tire was barley legal cannot believe vehical passed 150 inspection; silver rock only paid 1300,00 bill was 1714.00 left me with 396.00 out of pocket tires were very bad should never be sold Carvawna refuses to reimburse me for out of pocket completely unaccepticl from a car sales company pls help will try to send copy of repair order they would only pay for what they can buy for and were not ev rated
Steering becomes very stiff or notchy where you have to pull it out of position or correct it constantly. Doesn't want to return to center! When you stop it returns to normal feeling then as soon as you get up to speed it becomes stiff again.
Im using full self driving (fsd) and it scans the lot and chose to pull into an empty spot half way in and reverse almost smacking a car in the rear. It didnt appear it was gonna stop even though the car was showing on the screen. I do have the dash cam from where i had to step on the break for it to disengage.
I have a group of individuals that are hacking all of my accounts and trying to steal my car. They first hacked my emails then my Tesla account and now they are actually on the Teslas computer system and have been in the vehicle accessing the screen. After they hacked the system and stopped updates the car started having a bunch of safety concerns and alerts.The breaks were not working and the vehicle would freely roll when full pressure was applied. The collision system in the car was not working properly....
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Thinking it was possibly going to be hit by another car it would avoid nothing and jerk me out of the lane and nothing was around at all potentially causing an accident. Then the collision system stopped working all together. The steering system would not communicate properly with the system and kept requesting to be reconfigured with the system. The power train system kept throwing alerts. The tire pressure sensors stopped working and will not retrain now. They keep stopping the software updates now and have an IT admin portal device management program on the system and have complete control of the car's system. Recently they were checking into enrolling in to fleet developer API to interact with the vehicle at code level. I have tried everything to get them off the account and they live at my apartment building. They are using illegal hacking tools and devices to gain access spyware and malware on all my devices.Tesla has done little to nothing to fix this problem and reports have been made. This is a major safety concern.
I am filing an official safety complaint regarding a severe, premature failure of the front lower suspension system on my 2023 Tesla Model 3. While operating the vehicle, the front lower compliance links (Part numbers: 2188359-10-B, 2188354-10-B) and the lower lateral links (Part number: 1044341-00-G) suffered critical mechanical bushing degradation and structural wear, rendering the front suspension unsafe and compromised.This mechanical breakdown occurred at only 63,584 miles on a three-year-old vehicle under...
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completely normal, standard highway and suburban driving conditions. There has been absolutely no external impact, wheel strike, curb strike, or collision to explain a simultaneous, symmetrical breakdown of multiple heavy suspension components on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. My tires show zero sidewall damage and the wheels have no structural bends, proving the issue is an inherent component lifecycle defect rather than a road hazard.This issue directly correlates with NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE26006, which investigates nearly 1.2 million Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles for front lower lateral and compliance link failures. When seeking service, Tesla Service Center personnel attempted to classify this wear due to structural degradation but deny warranty or goodwill coverage. This component vulnerability represents an acute safety risk, as a total failure or detachment of these specific lower links while traveling at high speeds could cause a catastrophic, immediate loss of steering control. I request that the NHTSA include this vehicle in its ongoing investigation to push for a mandatory safety recall.
OKC Tesla Service Center replaced the steering wheel due to delamination over the weekend. The car was dropped off on Friday the 4th of September 2026. I picked the car up on Monday the 7th. On Wednesday the 9th after getting on the highway and getting up to speed the steering wheel came out of the steering column and was physically disconnected from the car. I was able to temporarily get it back into place enough to get the car to a save location to be towed.
I was driving with plenty of distance between me and the car in front of me. The car in front of me had stopped and the Automatic Emergency Braking System on my car went on. Thankfully, there was no car behind me, otherwise, I would have been hit. The sudden stopping has caused me significant lower back pain.
On [redacted] at around 3:30 PM EST, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model 3 on [[redacted]] about 10 miles outside of [[redacted]]. I had the adaptive cruise control set at 75 mph. I was driving in the right lane of the two available lanes of travel in that direction. I noticed an unattended car on the right shoulder about a 1/4 mile up the road and continued my drive as normal. The car was at least 5' to 6' off the highway. As i got about 30 yards from the car, my car suddenly slammed on the brakes...
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automatically, which forced me to react in a corrective manner. Thankfully there was nobody behind me or the severity of the braking would have likely caused a rear end collision. To my understanding, this phantom braking is a known issue with Teslas, so I wanted to document my experience to add to the record. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On 8/24/2026 at approximately 12:02pm, my 2023 Model 3 was parked in my assigned space in a covered apartment carport, with a concrete support pillar approximately one to two feet from the passenger side. I entered a destination and activated FSD (Supervised) from Park, a Tesla-designed feature. Vehicle telemetry recorded in the dashcam clips shows FSD shifted into Drive, activated the right turn signal, turned the steering wheel to near full right lock, and accelerated to 3 mph, contacting the pillar with the...
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passenger mirror and front door approximately 1.5 seconds after first movement. No accelerator or brake input was recorded from me before the collision. I applied the brake within one second of the impact beginning, and FSD disengaged. The pillar was within view of the vehicle's side cameras throughout. No warning was given. Damage to the passenger door; no injuries. Dashcam video with telemetry overlay and photos available.
I am writing to report several safety incidents that occurred while using Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode on my 2023 Model 3. Below are the details of the specific behaviors observed: - Right turn on red almost crashed into an oncoming car from the left - Hard emergency brake due to a bird that was in the opposite lane - Additional emergency brake around 10 seconds later for no reason - Running a red light by more than a second
Two separate incidents occurred on July 10th and July 12th 2026 involving adaptive cruise control. While adaptive cruise control was engaged my car slammed on the brakes for no reason. There was nothing in the roadway to cause abrupt braking. The second time it occurred my car was close to being rear ended by a vehicle driving behind me. I took the car which is still under warranty to Tesla who confirmed there is a known firmware issue. No time frame was provided as to when the issue will be fixed.
Whilst driving on highways which feature multiple speed limits - eg. 70 cars, 65 Trucks, 60 Buses. If full self driving more or when in adaptive cruise control - the car systems fail to recognize the restriction linked to the lower speed limits. As a result, you can be driving on Full Self Drive at 75mpm, the car sees a 65 followed by a 60 speed limit (neither applicable to cars), but the car brakes hard dropping the speed from 75 to 62 almost instantly and, on more than one occasion, a closely following car has...
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almost collided with me. Until such time as the Tesla system can recognize the 'sub text' on a speed limit - the FSD and Adaptive cruise should not be certified. I also drive a BMW i4 and this reads all signs correctly, only applying those applicable to a car to the vehicle.
The steering rack in my 2023 Tesla Model 3 is defective and I can show it for inspection. 1.5 years ago it failed and the torque sensor in the rack is showing that there is a constant demand (even when parked and my hands off the wheel) to turn the wheel to the right that you can see in the cars diagnostics menu. I took it in and showed the service advisor the raw data and took a drive with the tech who both acknowledged the data and the car wanting to drive off the road. They did an alignment on the car but the...
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issue still persists even after I told them the night I drove it home in their survey. I live on very narrow country roads with little run off room and often times less than foot between cars as they pass. Several times I would get the 'corrective steering applied' warning as the car falsely thinking I was turning to drive off the road on the right and applied steering to pull the car left. A few of these times it was right as a oncoming car was approaching almost causing me to run into other cars multiple times because you have to get close to the edge of the road to make room for other cars to pass. I took it to a independent service center who confirmed that the steering rack torque sensor is at fault. I took it back again this week, showing them that the car is turning to the right 30-45% easier than to the left and they did another alignment with the same exact outcome. The car wants to drive right off the road.
i was using FSD and my vehicle braked suddenly, with nothing in front of me, on the highway going over 50mph with a car close behind. the car to my right was swerving into my lane, so it was trying to help, but my vehicle should have veered left - not brake hard in the fast lane.
Vehicle: Tesla Model 3 Issue: Power trunk failed to detect obstruction Date of incident: July 5, 2026 Location: Surprise, AZ During normal use of the vehicle, my child pressed the "close trunk" button while I was leaning into the trunk area. The powered trunk began closing and did not stop when it made contact with my head. Instead of reversing direction, the trunk continued applying downward force until I moved out of the way. This indicates a failure of the trunk's obstruction detection system, which is...
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supposed to prevent injury by stopping or reversing when an object or person is detected. This malfunction poses a significant safety risk, especially to children who may accidentally activate the trunk or to adults loading items. A powered trunk should not be able to continue closing on a person's head. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this is a defect in the Tesla Model 3 trunk sensor system and whether similar incidents have been reported.
My 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN [[redacted]]) has a recurring safety defect in its driver-assistance system involving two unsafe behaviors. First, "phantom braking": while driving with Autopilot/FSD engaged, the vehicle decelerates suddenly and without warning when there is no obstacle or threat in its path, creating a rear-end collision risk. This was first reported within the vehicle's warranty period and has recurred. Second, on the most recent occurrence, with a Tesla service technician riding along to witness the...
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issue, Full Self Driving (Supervised) failed to proceed safely through the intersection of [[redacted]] and [[redacted]]. The vehicle stopped mid-turn while another vehicle approached from the opposite direction. I had to take manual control to complete the turn and avoid a hazard. The Tesla technician witnessed this directly, and the service summary states FSD "did not proceed through the intersection properly." The vehicle has been to a Tesla service center twice for this defect. It has not been resolved. The behavior occurs without warning and is unpredictable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving today in California, to TopGolf. I had to cross a railway crossing around [[redacted]] I think, or [[redacted]] - one of those 2, between [[redacted]] and [[redacted]] pm.. I was using Tesla's FSD driving to go on a local road. I was not distracted or occupied - the vehicle was going at a fairly high speed like maybe 35 or so, and in a couple of seconds, it broke the red and white safety gate at a railway crossing, inspite of it being down and the train being on the tracks - I WAS IN SHOCK. The car...
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completely missed the red and white gate, and just blew past it, damaging my windshield completely to smithereens and throwing glass all over the car. I was in such SHOCK and TRAUMA that I literaly wanted to exit the car and sit down somewhere, but i gathered my composure and drove quickly to the nearest safest place I could stop, and got into some office parking garage. I then called the cops and reported it. This was such a shock, and thank the Almighty God that I wasnt hurt and that the train didn't just hit me. This HAS to be recalled, and there is no way this should be allowed on the roads. I used FSD a Lot and i will never use it again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
A fatal crash occurred involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle departed the roadway, impacted a guardrail, struck a utility pole on the driver's side, rolled down an embankment, and came to rest upright. The crash resulted in catastrophic intrusion into the driver's compartment and a fatal injury to the driver. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the crashworthiness and occupant protection performance of this vehicle, including the structural integrity of the occupant compartment, airbag deployment and...
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effectiveness, and the performance of any advanced driver assistance systems, including collision warnings and automatic emergency braking. I am also requesting review and preservation of all available vehicle data, including Event Data Recorder (EDR) information, vehicle telemetry, driver assistance system status, warning notifications, braking data, steering data, and any other information recorded before and during the crash. At this time, I do not know whether a vehicle defect or system malfunction occurred. My concern is whether the vehicle's safety systems and occupant protection systems functioned as intended and whether additional vehicle data may help determine if any safety-related issues contributed to the severity of the crash.
Tesla Model 3: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 1 | 0 | A |
| 2026 | 18 | 1 | A |
| 2025 | 0 | 3 | A |
| 2024 | 224 | 5 | C |
| 2023 | 431 | 12 | D |
| 2022 | 774 | 18 | D |
| 2021 | 677 | 22 | D |
| 2020 | 455 | 21 | C |
| 2019 | 623 | 22 | C |
2023 Tesla Model 3 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Tesla Model 3 | 431 | 12 | D | |
| 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 | 473 | 14 | F | Compare |
| 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 389 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2023 Kia EV6 | 140 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2023 Chevrolet Bolt Euv | 119 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2023 Rivian R1S | 76 | 10 | C | Compare |
| 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV | 63 | 3 | D | Compare |
| 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 56 | 5 | C | Compare |
| 2023 Nissan Ariya | 49 | 4 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2023 Tesla Model 3
Does the 2023 Tesla Model 3 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 12 recalls for the 2023 Tesla Model 3: headlights (August 2026); software (May 2026); electric power assist system (February 2025); pressure monitoring and regulating systems (December 2024) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2023 Tesla Model 3?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the driver assistance (199), steering (91), acceleration & cruise control (69).
How many complaints has the 2023 Tesla Model 3 had?
431 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on November 12, 2022 and the latest on November 12, 2026. Of these, 73 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 50 injuries and 1 death.
Is the 2023 Tesla Model 3 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 33 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Tesla Model 3 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Tesla Model 3 years have the most complaints?
2018 (1,039), 2022 (774), 2021 (677). See every Tesla Model 3 year compared.
What should I do if my 2023 Tesla Model 3 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data