2021 Tesla Model 3 problems
Owners have filed 1,257 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Tesla Model 3. Forward collision avoidance is the most reported problem area, at 48% of complaints. After that come brakes (10%) and cruise control (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,257 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Forward collision avoidance 48% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 86 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 41 and 14
- Typical mileage
- 9,000 miles 62 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 46 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 5 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 62 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 9,000 miles. For forward collision avoidance specifically, the median reported mileage is about 12,000 miles (18 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 86 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 41 injuries reported; 14 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2021 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Tesla Model 3 with enough data (1,257 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 22 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact's son owned a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that his son was involved in a fatal collision while driving at an undisclosed speed with the autopilot activated. The contact was informed by his son's friend, who was a passenger in the vehicle, that the autopilot malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to inadvertently drive off the road, hit a tree, and then catch fire. An unknown bright orange light was seen on the windshield right before the failure occurred.
Please note that the VIN I have used is not the VIN of the actual vehicle which is the subject of this complaint. There has been a fatal crash in San Diego. Here is a video of the aftermath. [XXX] I have taken stills from that video that show the Tesla wheel lying on the roadway well before the crash site and marks on the road that show the car slewed sideways after the wheel fell off and then crashed and burned incinerating the young driver. Photos are attached.
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while using a self-driving mode at 50 mph, it would not stay in the lane and drive slowly into the next lane. The contact stated on April 9, 2023, while using a self-driving mode at 15 mph, a pedestrian walked into the lane and the vehicle did not detect the person and hit the pedestrian. No air bags deployed. The contact did not sustain any injuries.
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle from her residence at 3 mph and attempting to turn to the left, but failed to turn. The contact stated the vehicle continued to go straight and ran into a chain link fence. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention but she was frightened. The contact attempted to straighten the vehicle by turning left again and drove into a railing.