34 recalls covering model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
The low-beam headlights on these cars put out more light than federal rules allow. The extra brightness is not a problem for you — it is a problem for everyone coming the other way. Drivers facing your car can be dazzled and may not see the road clearly, which could lead to a crash. Tesla has not finished working out a fix yet, and letters to owners are not expected until October 2026.
These cars were originally built for sale in another country and never set up to meet U.S. safety rules. They do not have knee airbags, may be missing some interior protection features, and their bumpers were not tested to U.S. impact standards. That means people inside may be less protected in a crash. Because the missing equipment cannot simply be added at a service center, Tesla is buying these vehicles back from owners rather than repairing them.
When you shift into reverse, the picture from the backup camera may take too long to appear on the screen. During those moments you cannot see what is behind the car — a child, a pet, a post — so you could back into something you never saw. This is a software problem on one particular software version, not a broken camera, and it means the car does not meet the federal rear visibility rule. Tesla is sending a free update.
A small circuit board that runs the power steering can be pushed past its limits and quit. When it does, the power help that makes the wheel easy to turn goes away. You would notice it most when you come to a stop and then start moving again, and at low speeds, where the wheel gets much heavier to turn. Tesla fixes this with a free software update sent to the car over the air.
A circuit board in the car's computer can short out. When it does, the backup camera image no longer appears on the screen when you shift into reverse. Federal rules require that rear view, so the car does not meet the standard. Tesla has already sent a free over-the-air software update, and it is also finding cars whose computer has failed or is under strain and replacing that computer at no cost.
Your vehicle watches tire pressure and turns on a dashboard light when a tire is low. On these vehicles, that light may not stay on the next time you start the car, even though the tire is still low. You could keep driving on a soft tire without knowing it, and a poorly inflated tire handles badly and is more likely to fail. Tesla has already released a free software update that is sent to the car over the internet.
After the hood has been opened, the latch may not notice that the hood is still unlatched, so the car does not warn you. If you drive off that way, the hood can swing all the way open and block your view of the road. Tesla fixed this with a free over-the-air software update sent to the car, so there is nothing to schedule. Check that your car has taken the update, and always make sure the hood is shut.
On these Teslas, the reminder that tells you to buckle up may not work. If the driver is not wearing a seat belt, the warning light on the screen and the chime may fail to come on. The recall covers only the warning system, not the belts themselves. The problem is that the car may not remind you, so an unbelted driver could pull away without noticing. Tesla fixes this with a software update sent to the car.
One 2024 Tesla Model 3 was built with a small part missing inside the side airbag in the driver's seat. That piece is meant to aim the gas that inflates the bag, so the airbag fills the right way at the right moment during a crash. Without it, the airbag can inflate improperly and may not protect the driver the way it should. Only a single vehicle is affected, and Tesla already repaired it in April 2024.
Electric cars are quiet, so they are required to make a sound at low speeds to warn people walking nearby. On these Teslas, doing a factory reset turned that warning sound off. With no sound, someone crossing the street or walking through a parking lot may not hear your car coming. Tesla fixed this with a free over-the-air software update, version 2023.44.30.14, that your car downloads and installs on its own.
The Brake, Park, and Antilock Braking System warning lights on the dashboard display are printed in a font that is too small. The lights still work, but the small size can make these important warnings hard to read while you are driving, and it does not meet federal safety rules. Tesla has been sending a free over-the-air software update to the car to correct the size, so the fix can install without a trip to the shop.
Certain Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y vehicles have Autosteer, a feature that helps steer the car but still requires the driver to stay in charge. Tesla says the on-screen controls and warnings for Autosteer are not clear or strong enough to keep drivers from misusing it, and a driver may not notice when Autosteer has shut off or was never turned on. Tesla fixes this with a free software update sent over the internet.
These cars have a small explosive-powered switch that is supposed to cut off the high-voltage battery after a crash or when the car detects a fault. On some vehicles that switch may be defective and may not shut the power down when it should. If it fails, the battery could stay live after a crash, and anyone touching the wrong parts could get an electric shock and be injured. Tesla will replace the switch free of charge.
The bolts that hold a front suspension arm to the frame can work themselves loose on these cars. If the arm comes apart from the frame, that wheel can point the wrong way, and the car can get unsteady and hard to control while you're driving. Tesla Service will tighten the bolts, or replace them if they're damaged. This recall covers more cars than an earlier one for the same problem.
Certain Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y vehicles running Full Self-Driving Beta software, or waiting for it to be installed, may behave unsafely at intersections. The car may drive straight through an intersection from a turn-only lane, roll through a stop sign without fully stopping, or enter an intersection on a steady yellow light without slowing. It may also handle speed limit changes poorly. Tesla sends a free software update over the internet.
On some Model 3 and Model Y cars, one or both taillights can stop lighting up now and then. Working taillights are how drivers behind you see your car, especially at night, in rain, or when you slow down. If they go dark, another driver may not spot you in time. Tesla has already sent out a free software update that fixes this over the internet, so no dealer visit is needed.
On some Model 3 cars, the left rear seat belt buckle and the middle rear seat belt anchor may have been put back together incorrectly during earlier service work. The anchor is the point where the belt is bolted to the car body. If it was not reassembled properly, that belt may not hold a passenger the way it should in a crash, so someone riding in the back seat could be injured more badly. Tesla will inspect and fix them free.
Tesla found that the automatic reversal feature on the power windows may not react correctly. Normally, a window that hits your hand or arm while closing should stop and go back down. On these cars it may not respond the right way, so the window can press harder than it should before it reverses. This does not meet the federal safety rule for power windows. Tesla fixes it with a software update sent to the car over the air, so no dealer visit is needed.
Two of the cameras that help your Tesla see the road were plugged into the wrong spots at the factory, so the car receives their pictures swapped. With the views mixed up, the car can miss objects crossing in front of it and misread sharply curving lane lines. That means the steering assist and the automatic emergency braking, the feature that brakes for you if you do not, may not work as they should. A service visit fixes the wiring and re-aims the cameras.
The computer that runs the large center screen can overheat while the car is preparing for or using fast charging. When it gets too hot, it slows down or restarts. During that time the screen may not show the rearview camera picture, which gear the car is in, the defroster and wiper settings, or warning lights. Losing that information while driving or backing up makes a crash more likely. Tesla fixes this with a free software update sent to the car over the air.
On certain 2018-2022 Tesla Model 3 Performance cars, the speedometer may not show whether the number you see is in miles per hour or kilometers per hour while the car is in Track Mode. Without those units, you may not be sure how fast you are actually going. This also means the car does not meet a federal rule about controls and displays. Tesla fixes it with a software update sent to the car over the air, at no cost.
These vehicles have a "Boombox" feature that plays sounds through an outside speaker. The problem is that it can play while the car is moving, drowning out the quiet electric car's required warning sound that alerts people walking nearby. Someone on foot may not hear the car coming. Tesla is fixing this with a software update sent over the air, which turns Boombox off whenever the car is in drive, neutral, or reverse, including Summon.
When you shift into reverse, the picture from the backup camera may not appear on the screen right away. On these vehicles the image can be delayed instead of showing immediately, so for a moment you cannot see what is behind you. Anything low or close behind the car — a child, a pet, a post — may not be visible during that delay. The vehicles do not meet the federal rear visibility standard. Tesla fixes this with a software update sent to the car.
These vehicles have a Boombox feature that plays sounds through a speaker on the outside of the car, and it can play while the car is moving. Electric cars are required to make a warning noise at low speed so people walking nearby can hear them coming. Boombox sounds can cover up that warning noise, which is why the vehicle does not meet the federal rule. Tesla fixes this with a free software update sent to the car.
A software error can leave a valve in the heating system open when it should be closed. Refrigerant gets trapped in the wrong place, and the defroster does not clear the windshield as well as it should. With fog or ice sticking around longer, the driver cannot see clearly. Affected are certain 2021-2022 Model 3, Model S and Model X, and 2020-2022 Model Y cars. Tesla fixes this with a free over-the-air update.
When you start one of these Teslas and the driver's seat belt is not buckled, the chime that should sound may not go off. Federal rules require that reminder, so the car does not meet the standard. This recall covers only the missing warning sound. Without it, a driver could start off unbuckled without realizing it, which matters if there is a crash. Tesla sends a free software update to the car over the air.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Beta) software had a setting called 'rolling stop.' With it turned on, the car could go through an intersection where every direction has a stop sign without ever coming to a complete stop. That is not how a stop sign works, and it can lead to a crash. Tesla sent out a free over-the-air software update — one your car downloads by itself — that turns the rolling stop feature off.
Every 2017-2020 Model 3 is included. The cable that carries the backup camera's picture runs through the trunk lid area, and opening and closing the trunk over and over can wear through or damage it. When that happens, the camera image may not appear on the screen when you back up, so you lose your view of what is behind the car. Tesla Service will check the cable, add a protective guide, and replace the harness if needed, free.
Certain Tesla Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y cars running software version 2021.36.5.2 have a communication error in the camera-based crash-avoidance system. The car may warn you about a collision that is not actually happening, or apply the automatic emergency brakes on its own when nothing is in the way. A hard, unexpected stop can catch you and the driver behind you by surprise. Tesla corrects the problem with a free over-the-air software update sent to the car.
The airbag that drops down from the roof along the side windows may not have been fastened to the roof rail correctly, which can leave it twisted. A twisted airbag may not open the way it should in a crash, so it may not cushion your head or help keep people from being thrown out of the vehicle. Tesla Service will look at the left and right curtain airbags and straighten them if needed. Owner letters went out in December 2021.
Each front wheel is held in position by suspension arms bolted to the car's frame. On these cars the bolts on one of those arms, the lateral link, can work loose over time and let the arm come away from the frame. If that happens the wheel can shift out of position, the car can feel unstable, and you may lose control. Tesla Service will tighten the bolts, or replace them if needed, at no cost to you.
The brake caliper is the clamp that squeezes the brake pads against the disc to slow each wheel. On these cars the bolts holding a caliper in place may be loose. If a caliper comes free it can rub against the wheel rim and let the tire lose air. A tire losing pressure while you drive raises the risk of a crash. Tesla will check the bolts and tighten or replace them free of charge.
The shoulder part of the front seat belt bolts to the pillar between the front and rear doors. On some cars one or both of those bolts may not have been fastened properly at the factory. A bolt that is not properly attached means the belt may not hold you the way it is designed to in a crash, so you could be hurt worse than you otherwise would be. Tesla will inspect both fasteners and fix them at no cost.
The sun visor on the driver's side is missing the printed airbag warning information that federal rules require. That label carries safety information about the airbags for anyone using the vehicle. Nothing is mechanically broken and the notice does not say the airbags themselves fail, but without the required warning people may not get safety information they are supposed to have. Tesla service centers will inspect the visor and replace it if needed, free of charge.
Complaints owners have filed with NHTSA about the Tesla Model 3. These are unverified reports; better-selling years collect more.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1015 | 102 | 4 | 44 |
| 2019 | 611 | 58 | 5 | 27 |
| 2020 | 450 | 54 | 2 | 33 |
| 2021 | 660 | 45 | 5 | 19 |
| 2022 | 764 | 53 | 4 | 45 |
| 2023 | 422 | 72 | 1 | 49 |
| 2024 | 216 | 25 | 1 | 19 |
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: