Free safety data straight from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Recalls, consumer complaints, and crash test ratings — everything you need before you buy.
No NCAP safety rating data available from NHTSA for this vehicle. Ratings are typically available for passenger cars and light trucks.
The following safety recalls have been issued by NHTSA for the Tesla Model 3. If you own this vehicle, check your VIN at our VIN lookup tool or NHTSA.gov to see if your vehicle is affected.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Risk: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
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."
Risk: A twisted side curtain air bag may improperly deploy, increasing the risk of injury or occupant ejection during a crash.
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.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.
Risk: A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-31-003.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Model 3 and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles. The brake caliper bolts may be loose, allowing the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim.
Risk: Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and tighten, or replace the caliper bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-33-002.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Risk: Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A software error may cause a valve in the heat pump to open unintentionally and trap the refrigerant inside the evaporator, resulting in decreased defrosting performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Risk: Decreased defrosting performance may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-18-002.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V-235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance vehicles. The unit of speed (mph or km/h) may fail to display on the speedometer while in Track Mode. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Risk: The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-008.
Showing 10 of 21 recalls for 2021. Visit NHTSA.gov for the full list.
Real complaints filed with NHTSA by Tesla Model 3 owners. These reports help identify common issues and potential safety concerns.
| Component | Complaints |
|---|---|
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 199 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 57 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 53 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 41 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 33 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 21 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 12 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 11 |
| STRUCTURE | 10 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 10 |
I am reporting a safety concern regarding the glovebox fascia on my Tesla Model 3. The material on the glovebox trim is peeling and separating, which appears to be caused by prolonged exposure to heat inside the vehicle. The peeling fascia creates concerns about the durability and integrity of the interior component, as the material may continue to deteriorate over…
Component: Lane Support System — Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) Part of standard Autopilot safety suite (not FSD) activated without valid lane detection data and pushed the vehicle into the oncoming lane of traffic on Ohio State Route [XXX]. The system then aborted mid-intervention (LSS_STATE_ABORT), leaving the driver in the oncoming lane. The resulting head-on collision killed both drivers — the…
Front Seatbelt On March 13, 2026, at approximately 7:51 PM EST (23:51 UTC), the driver of a 2021 Tesla Model 3 was killed in a head-on collision on SR 741 in Warren County, Ohio. Two people died in this crash — the Tesla driver and the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Tesla's own telematics data (provided to the family post-crash)…
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