AI Damage2017 Tesla Model 3: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Tesla Model 3 filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and air bags. The maker issued 89 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 27
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 89
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 30% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 26% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 22% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 22% of all complaints
- 5 Lane departure 15% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 15% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 15% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 8 complaints (30% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 7 complaints (26% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Seats: 6 complaints (22% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (22% of all).
- Lane departure: 4 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 27 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| Seats | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 23 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My 2017 Tesla Model 3 Long Range (RWD) makes a knocking/thumping noise from the front driver-side suspension when turning the steering wheel at very low speed (under 5 mph) while the vehicle is pitched on an incline or decline — for example, entering or exiting a parking lot via its ramp.
Because this issue involves the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and occupant classification systems, I am concerned the passenger restraint system may not function properly during a collision.
As a direct result of this failure, my vehicle's display screen does not function for the first several minutes of every drive. This prevents me from accessing my speedometer, turn signals, and other legally required safety features, rendering the vehicle non-compliant with federal and state motor vehicle safety…
En primer lugar decir que el VIN utilizado es completamente aleatorio. Esta notificación está dirigida para todos los fabricantes de vehículos eléctricos y fabricantes de baterías.
I dealt with this warning light for 2-3 years because Tesla wants to charge >$1,000 for the replacement of these parts. I’m definitely not the only one. There are plenty of complaints online and most people never get it fixed if the vehicle is out of warranty.
An alert appears on the screen which says, "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault/Service is Required." I had the car serviced four times by Tesla under warranty. It has now appeared a fifth time and Tesla says the airbags need to be replaced for over $1,600.
Lane departure avoidance warning was not working. I did a hard reset twice - (foot on the brake while pressing the two steering wheel 'wheels') and began driving the 10-15 minute home.
Within a week of posting a complaint here about phantom braking while in autopilot, my autopilot was disabled. Does the NHTSA share VIN numbers with the manufacturer? Because that sure felt like retaliation by Tesla
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,125 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 46% least complained about).
On average one model year of the Model 3 has 422 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 27, below average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- On certain Model 3 vehicles, brake lines may be corroded beyond acceptable limits, which may result in…
On certain Model 3 vehicles, brake lines may be corroded beyond acceptable limits, which may result in loss of brake fluid. Loss of brake fluid will result in a customer facing alert if the fluid reaches the…
- A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel…
A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel alignment over time. This feature detects changes in wheel alignment that may be related to incorrect tire pressures…
- Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies
Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on…
- Certain Standard Range Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that received the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) HV…
Certain Standard Range Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that received the Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) HV Battery Retrofit did not receive the 2nd row floor reinforcement plate, which provides additional protection for the…
- Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies
Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on…
- When certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles receive a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) in…
When certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles receive a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) in their front passenger seats during vehicle servicing, they may require safety vent type front passenger airbags to…
- Owner's Manual
- Owner's Manual
- On certain Model 3 vehicles, the one-time use bolts that attach the high voltage controller to the…
On certain Model 3 vehicles, the one-time use bolts that attach the high voltage controller to the ancillary cover were not torqued to Tesla?s internal specification.
- On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by…
On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat electrical harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the…
- Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed…
Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.
- On some Model 3 vehicles, water may have leaked inside the trunk area through the trunk lid
NHTSA lists 89 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Tesla Model 3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, air bags, seats. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (22%), brakes on its own (phantom braking) (11%), infotainment or screen glitches (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Tesla Model 3?
NHTSA lists 89 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2017 Tesla Model 3 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2017 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.