AI Damage2018 Tesla Model 3: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 filed 1,032 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and suspension. The maker issued 94 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 1,032
- involving a crash
- 103
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 94
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 20% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 8% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 203 complaints (20% of all), 26 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 190 complaints (18% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Electrical system: 168 complaints (16% of all), 14 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Air bags: 143 complaints (14% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Seat belts: 104 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 1,032 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 | 203 | 26 | 0 |
| Suspension | 190 | 11 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 168 | 14 | 10 |
| Air bags | 143 | 15 | 9 |
| Seat belts | 104 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 91 | 31 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 88 | 19 | 2 |
| Steering | 81 | 6 | 1 |
| Seats | 74 | 0 | 5 |
| Visibility | 61 | 1 | 1 |
| Structure | 60 | 16 | 8 |
| Lane departure | 51 | 9 | 1 |
| Powertrain | 29 | 5 | 2 |
| Wheels | 25 | 2 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own and began operating without my control. Despite my attempts to steer away from surrounding traffic, the vehicle continued to self‑propel, crossed the median, and entered oncoming lanes, resulting in a head‑on collision with another car.
Adaptive cruise control was on, i was driving on the highway, traffic was speeding up and slowing down, and the tesla was braking accordingly. I was paying attention to the road and noticed, all of a sudden, that the tesla was not braking as traffic in front of us slowed.
The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy as intended. Medical attention was needed after the contact sustained lower back, left shoulder, neck, tailbone, and internal bleeding injuries were sustained. A police report was filed.
Tesla 3 was self parking backwards and failed to stop when the car in the adjacent parking spot started moving. The result was a small scratch, but this is definitely a bug in Tesla self-parking software: it had to stop when another car moves into the stop Tesal selected for self-parking.
After the inital contact, my car sort of bounced off of his hitch then slowly lurched forward before it stopped. After that, it was immobile, leaving me stuck in traffic until it was towed away.
The screen of my Tesla model 3 stated "airbag deployed;" however, no airbags deployed. The Tesla immediately became inoperable and did not let me drive the car to the side of the road out of traffic.
One second before impact, the forward collision warning turns on, followed by the ABS and the slamming of the brakes, but by then it's too late for a distracted driver.
The car all of a sudden accelerated by itself, went over the exit curb and hit the central median of the blvd. Fortunately, no vehicles on the blvd wer crossing when this happened.
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 29 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Model 3 has 422 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 1,032, above average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
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
- Certain Model 3 high voltage batteries may not have a sufficient quantity of bolts for the contactor DC…
Certain Model 3 high voltage batteries may not have a sufficient quantity of bolts for the contactor DC link busbars, which may prevent the vehicle from charging or powering properly.
- On certain Model 3 vehicles, the rear drive unit HV header bolts and the positive contactor bolt within…
On certain Model 3 vehicles, the rear drive unit HV header bolts and the positive contactor bolt within the High Voltage (HV) battery ancillary bay were insufficiently torqued to internal specifications during…
- On certain Model 3 vehicles, the positive busbar nut under the power conversion system and additional…
On certain Model 3 vehicles, the positive busbar nut under the power conversion system and additional bolts within the High Voltage (HV) battery ancillary bay were insufficiently torqued during manufacturing.
- 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.
NHTSA lists 94 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, suspension, electrical system. Total complaints: 1,032. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: infotainment or screen glitches (12%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (7%), warning lights, check engine (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
NHTSA lists 94 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 2018 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 2018 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.