AI Damage2023 Tesla Model 3: common problems
Owners of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 filed 428 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and steering. The maker issued 76 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 428
- involving a crash
- 73
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 76
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 42% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 21% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 16% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 6 Lane departure 7% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 4% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 179 complaints (42% of all), 31 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 88 complaints (21% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Vehicle speed control: 69 complaints (16% of all), 21 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 56 complaints (13% of all), 22 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Electrical system: 51 complaints (12% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
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 428 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 | 179 | 31 | 0 |
| Steering | 88 | 15 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 69 | 21 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 56 | 22 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 51 | 9 | 6 |
| Lane departure | 28 | 7 | 0 |
| Structure | 22 | 3 | 9 |
| Suspension | 19 | 2 | 1 |
| Air bags | 18 | 13 | 2 |
| Visibility | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| Backover prevention | 9 | 4 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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…
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 not claiming the vehicle accelerated on its own. The data appears to show driver accelerator input. My concern is that while FSD Supervised was active and the vehicle was already turning, the system allowed a strong accelerator override that rapidly worsened the situation.
I believe the electronic power steering assist system malfunctioned or failed. My concern is that the power steering assist experienced an overstress condition, causing a loss of power steering assist after the vehicle almost reached a stop and then accelerated again.
We both had seatbelts on. Other than whiplash, there were no major injuries. -There were no warnings, messages or any indications that a problem was present prior to the incident. -There was no one in the parked vehicle that was struck and no other people in the garage.
No warning lights were illuminated. The front driver's side air bag deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.
The contact did not recall whether the rearview camera activated; however, the contact stated that the rearview camera pedestrian warning alert failed to engage prior to the incident. The contact stated that the garage door and the rear end of the vehicle were damaged.
I was pressing the brake pedal, but the vehicle surged forward uncontrollably, struck a fence and a tree, and caused major property damage. Both I and my wife (passenger) required urgent care treatment after the crash.
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 131 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Model 3 has 422 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 428, about average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
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…
- On certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, a defective electrical component inside the High Voltage…
On certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, a defective electrical component inside the High Voltage Controller may prevent the vehicle from entering into drive mode, or may cause a graceful power-off.
- 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…
- Owner's Manual
- Owner's Manual
- On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering…
On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering wheel at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position (Figures 1 and 2). NOTE: The material separation of the steering…
- Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may require replacement of the front body controller module due to a…
- 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 76 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 2023 Tesla Model 3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, steering, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 428. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brakes on its own (phantom braking) (12%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (11%), infotainment or screen glitches (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2023 Tesla Model 3?
NHTSA lists 76 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 2023 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 2023 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.