Electrical System Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 1

I am reporting a serious safety incident involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. On March 29 at approximately 5:00 pm, while driving on the freeway at about 65 mph, the right-side passenger door suddenly opened while the vehicle was in motion. The door had been fully closed and latched prior to driving. There was no impact, obstruction, or warning indicating that the door was not secure. The opening occurred unexpectedly during normal driving conditions, creating a significant safety risk. After the incident, Tesla was contacted and indicated that a diagnostic inspection would require a fee, and they suggested the possibility of prior modification or tampering but did not provide a confirmed cause. The vehicle was purchased from a used car dealership, and the incident raises concerns about a potential mechanical or electronic failure of the door latch system and the safety of the vehicle as sold. This issue poses a serious risk to occupants and other road users, particularly at highway speeds. I am requesting that this incident be reviewed as a potential safety defect.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Door cannot be opened during power loss / emergency. I am a Tesla Model 3 owner in California. I discovered that the rear doors do not have a mechanical emergency release. Tesla service confirmed that my vehicle does not include any manual rear emergency door release system. This raises a serious safety concern because, in the event of a crash, fire, or 12v power failure, rear passengers—especially children or elderly occupants—may be unable to exit the vehicle. I request NHTSA to investigate whether the absence of a mechanical rear emergency release complies with fmvss 206 and whether Tesla’s design poses a safety risk during emergency egress.

The rear doors intermittently will not unlock. Even after hitting the unlock button from menu or short or long press of the driver unlock button or from the app unlock button. The driver only unlock feature is disabled. I have video that would not upload. Snapshots of video included.

My Tesla Model 3 was brought to Tesla princeton service center on February 27, 2025 for a 12v battery replacement. During the service visit, Tesla also replaced the rear glass, citing the rear defroster as the root cause of the battery drain — a repair that was added without prior discussion and increased the total invoice from an original estimate of $180 to a final charge of $1,730. Upon picking up the vehicle, the rear backup camera, blind spot cameras, navigation system, sentry mode, and windshield wiper sensor were all non-functional. None of these systems showed any malfunction prior to the service visit. Tesla princeton’s service advisor denied responsibility without performing diagnostics, and in a subsequent message admitted he could not determine the cause with certainty without diagnostics — which have still not been performed. The vehicle was discharged from a licensed Tesla service center in a condition non-compliant with fmvss 111. I have escalated this matter to Tesla executive leadership in writing and am filing this NHTSA complaint to create a federal record of this safety violation.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

An incident that occurred while full self-driving (fsd) was engaged. During the drive, the vehicle unexpectedly steered toward the curb while making a right turn. I was actively monitoring the vehicle and immediately took control of the steering, but the vehicle still made contact with the curb. After the incident, the vehicle developed steering misalignment, vibration while driving, and abnormal noise, which suggests possible suspension or wheel damage. Since fsd was engaged at the time, I would appreciate it if Tesla could review the vehicle logs and investigate whether there was any system malfunction or unexpected behavior from the fsd system.

My 2022 Tesla Model 3 experienced a heat pump compressor failure at approximately 89,457 miles. Tesla service center diagnosed an internal failure in the heat pump system. The heat pump system controls cabin heating, windshield defrosting, and thermal management for the vehicle. When the system failed, the vehicle lost heating and proper defrost capability. This can impair windshield visibility during cold or foggy conditions, creating a potential safety hazard while driving. Tesla quoted approximately $3,000 to repair the compressor and declined warranty assistance despite the system being critical to safe vehicle operation.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The vehicle is undriveable due to a high?voltage enable safety lockout triggered by ecu identity/mac mismatch after a software/update window; local service instructed me to ‘safely disregard’ active safety alerts contrary to vehicle telemetry, creating a safety risk. Chronology (key timestamps) • Jan 28, 2026 — low?voltage undervoltage precondition recorded (dif_a018). • Feb 2nd, 2026 — low?voltage undervoltage precondition recorded (dif_a018). • Feb 03, 2026 08:46 — identity/mac invalidation alerts (cp_a089 / cp_a077); hv?enable blocked cascade. • Feb 24, 2026 — service app: estimate approval prompt; supervisor instruction to ‘safely disregard’ active hv alerts captured via screenshot. • Feb 27, 2026 — persistent handshake stall (cp_a066, state b1) despite ‘successful’ software job and new firmware update to patch the 2026. 2 tree branch software. Vehicle remains grounded. Safety concern vehicle telemetry states hv contactors are blocked to protect the vehicle; service staff advised to disregard active alerts. Inconsistent guidance risks unsafe operation. I grounded the vehicle pending engineering review. Troubleshooting and a/b tests my home evses successfully charge a different Tesla (model y). The subject VIN charges at DC fast charging (supercharger) and once on a third?party evse, but fails on my two home evses thereafter. This localizes the issue to vehicle?side ac charge path/charge?port logic rather than the evse. Request oem to provide cp waveform under load + toolbox logs. Please log this safety?related defect; aggregate with similar complaints, and, if appropriate, open an investigation into identity/integrity faults causing hv?enable lockouts and conflicting service guidance.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

After downloading Tesla’s update (no. 2025. 44. 25. 4) software my heater (with the window defrost functionality) in winter stopped operating. I made my update while at my nearest Tesla service compound (location verifiable per system location log) on 01/25/26 when that same day software began throwing hvac error codes with blowing cold air, when previously my heat ran well. This is not coincidental; this is system design failure.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

When cabin heat is enabled, visible vapor/smoke emits from the front trunk area under the windshield cowl and is pulled directly into the cabin through the hvac intake. The vapor has a chemical/sweet odor consistent with coolant or refrigerant. Smoke enters the passenger compartment, especially when stopped or idling. This occurs repeatedly in cold temperatures and stops immediately when hvac heat is turned off. No warning lights appear. This appears to be a heat pump or coolant system leak upstream of the cabin intake, allowing chemical fumes to enter the cabin air stream. Occupants are exposed to fumes while driving. This is a safety concern due to inhalation risk and lack of driver warning.

Screen is black and no app access. No power to accelerate.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

There is no mechanism to unlock the rear passenger doors in case of electrical failure. No emergency mechanical door opening in case of emergency. Passengers will not be able to get out of the locked vehicle during an emergency (I. E. Crash, battery fire, submerged in water, etc). This is an extremely imminent danger for small kids who are sitting in car seats, since it will take even longer to release them from their straps in order to get out. The small rear windows are useless for escape. This flaw design has already caused deaths. Changes should be made to enable emergence mechanical opening of the rear doors.

Please review attachment.

To whom it may concern, I am submitting this complaint to report a serious and potentially dangerous safety defect affecting my 2021 Tesla Model 3 performance. After exposure to heavy rain or wet conditions, the vehicle’s horn completely stops functioning. The failure occurs regardless of the activation method—neither pressing the steering wheel horn nor using the horn via the mobile app produces any sound. The horn remains nonfunctional even though the vehicle is otherwise operable. This issue has occurred after the vehicle becomes wet due to rain and appears to be related to moisture intrusion or an electrical/design flaw. Once the failure occurs, the driver fully loses the ability to use the horn for warnings or emergency signaling. This is a critical safety concern. The horn is a federally required safety device and is essential for alerting pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers to avoid collisions. Losing horn functionality significantly increases the risk of accidents, especially in urban driving, highway merging, and emergency situations where immediate warning signals are necessary. This issue is not isolated to my vehicle. Numerous Tesla owners have reported the same horn failure after rain or wet conditions on online forums and owner communities, indicating a widespread and systemic defect rather than isolated wear or misuse. Given the safety implications and the volume of similar reports, I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether a design or manufacturing defect exists and whether corrective action or a recall is warranted. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Owner – 2021 Tesla Model 3 performance.

Recurring 12v low-voltage system failure and defective rear defroster heater grid vehicle: 2022 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [xxx] ). Odometer: 114,093 miles at time of third service visit. Summary of defect: vehicle has experienced recurring low-voltage (12v) system alerts since late December 2025. The 12v battery has been replaced three times by Tesla service. After each replacement, the low-voltage alerts return within days. Tesla's diagnostic system detected a dcr (DC resistance) reading of 16. 8 milliohms against a threshold of 16 milliohms, indicating the battery's internal resistance is too high for the vehicle's electrical system to function properly. A brand-new 12v battery showed "degraded - replace" status within one week of installation. These low-voltage errors did not exist before Tesla replaced the 12v battery during the first service visit. Diagnostic findings: during the third service visit (February 2026), Tesla technician performed a resistance check on the rear defroster heater grid and described it as "out of spec but not significantly. " ground straps were also described as "out of spec but again not significantly. " the technician stated there was "no smoking gun yet" and it was "maybe a combination of all leading to the 12v warning. " Tesla proposed replacing the rear backlight glass at a cost of $1,265 to the customer. Additionally, severe rodent damage was discovered in the front wiring harness with chewed wires and nesting material. Despite this confirmed damage to the electrical system, the service manager stated the rodent damage was "not associated with the error" while the technician simultaneously stated there was no confirmed root cause. Safety concern: the recurring 12v low-voltage condition presents a safety risk. The 12v system powers critical vehicle functions including exterior lighting, hazard lights, door locks, windows, the vehicle's computer systems, and safety features. Repeated system alerts include dif_a018_hwlvsupplyuv (ha information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informatio.

The blinkers do not respond to the change in blinkers when I initiate the blinker (right or left) by using the stalk. There has been numerous times that I fully pull down or push up the blinker stall and it would not engage the blinker but today I am reporting it because now I almost changed the lane after engaging the blinker but it didn’t happen.

There's a problem with the airbags, and the steering wheel is hard to turn.

While driving, the center display intermittently goes completely black. When this occurs, I lose access to the speedometer and all driver information. The issue has been ongoing and progressively worsening. The vehicle was purchased new. The issue was reported during the warranty period and initially attributed to software updates. A recent service visit confirmed the vehicle computer is failing, and the issue immediately recurred after pickup. Loss of speed and driver information while driving creates a safety concern.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk became inoperable. The contact stated that the trunk latch failed to open when the trunk release was engaged using the mobile application, the instrument panel, or the trunk release button. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v00d000 (electrical system, visibility, back over prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed by the dealer that the cable harness was not repaired and that a zip tie was placed on the cable harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after the dealer visit, the trunk failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,125.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that there was a feature in the vehicle that allowed the front driver’s seat to automatically adjust according to the saved driver's profile. The contact stated that the driver’s seat back and forth movement to adjust to each driver's profile might have caused loose wire connection, resulting in error code: rcm_a021 (front left safety restraint system fault) being displayed. The contact stated that the error message had been displayed intermittently. Upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to the seat adjustment feature. The failure was reported to the manufacturer through the Tesla app; however, the contact had not yet received a response. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

To whom it may concern, I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a potentially dangerous defect in my 2024 Tesla Model 3. Unlike traditional vehicles that use a dedicated horn assembly, this model relies on the external speaker system as its horn. While this may function under normal conditions, during rain or heavy moisture the speaker becomes saturated with water, causing the horn’s output to become extremely quiet and ineffective. This is a serious safety concern. The horn is a primary means of warning surrounding drivers and pedestrians of danger, especially in poor weather conditions, where visibility is already compromised. Ironically, during heavy rain when a horn is most needed it becomes significantly quieter and nearly unusable. I have personally experienced this issue multiple times, and it poses a clear risk to myself and other road users. I believe this design presents a safety defect because: the horn does not function at full volume when wet. The speaker-based horn assembly is exposed to moisture and not adequately protected. Drivers may be unable to alert surrounding traffic during hazardous weather conditions. No warning is provided to the driver that the horn is impaired. I request that the NHTSA investigate whether the use of a speaker-based horn system without adequate waterproofing meets federal motor vehicle safety standards, and whether Tesla should issue a service bulletin, recall, or design modification to restore safe horn functionality regardless of weather conditions. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am willing to provide photos, videos, or further documentation if needed.

The vehicle has a manufacturing defect in the charge port body seal allowing water intrusion into the vehicle cabin and near high-voltage charging components. This has resulted in dampness and potential mold growth, posing a respiratory health hazard to occupants.

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the indicator, self-driving feature, and music sounds were inaudible. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Description of the defect: while driving with full self-driving (fsd) engaged, the vehicle's primary computer shuts down and reboots, causing a sudden loss of all safety features, including blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and the driving visualization. The cameras go black while the vehicle is in motion. The trigger: the failure is triggered by high electrical load. If the cabin heater (hvac) and seat heaters are active while fsd is fully computing, the 12v power supply to the computer drops below critical voltage, causing a "turbo a" processor lockup and system crash. Evidence of defect: service center diagnostics confirmed the specific error code aps_w169_turboa_scs_lkup (computer crash) occurred at the exact same timestamp as vcleft_a302_blowergeneralfault (hvac blower failure). This proves a common-mode voltage drop affecting multiple critical systems simultaneously. Manufacturer response: the manufacturer (Tesla) acknowledged the logs but refused to inspect the wiring harness or ground connections, instead recommending a replacement of the computer unit. However, the failure can be mitigated by unplugging external cameras to reduce load, proving the root cause is an insufficient power delivery design (wiring/grounding) rather than a component failure. The computer is running at full load with the newest fsd software and it can no longer keep up with additional loads. Safety risk: this defect causes a sudden, uncommanded loss of driver assistance and situational awareness tools (cameras/visualization) while the vehicle is maneuvering in traffic. The vehicle’s power distribution system appears insufficient to support the electrical load of the software (fsd) and the hardware (hvac) simultaneously.

I have been very cautious on charging my Tesla Model 3 and have followed all of the manufacturer's recommendations. The hv battery recently failed at 105,050 miles. South korea has noted a battery reliability issue for this year car and model, so I am reporting this to you so if a recall is needed, you can track this. I believe my battery is a panasonic nca.

Tesla remotely disabled supercharging access on my vehicle without any warning, safety errors, or mechanical problems. The vehicle charged normally for months, including recent supercharging sessions, and still operates safely. Tesla stated supercharging was disabled due to a “salvage” title and now demands a $1,900-$2,400 “inspection” to restore access, with no diagnostic evidence of any issue. This appears to be a remote software lockout of a critical charging feature without a safety justification. It limits safe operation and access to public charging infrastructure. I request NHTSA investigate this policy as an unfair and potentially unsafe manufacturer action.

All safety and driver-assistance systems on my 2022 Tesla Model 3 failed due to an internal short in the vehicle’s computer, as confirmed in writing by Tesla’s technician. All cameras (rear, side, front) are non-functional, navigation does not work, and all adas features (autopilot, lane-keeping, collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking, etc. ) are disabled. The vehicle has no visibility when reversing and no active safety protections while driving. Tesla documented the cause as an internal computer failure, not related to damage or misuse. This creates a dangerous condition on public roads since the car loses all safety systems. Tesla quoted ~$2,900 for a new computer even though the failure involves critical safety components. This may indicate a broader safety defect.

1. During summer months the wireless charger does not work and heats up the phone to hazardous levels, when I take it to service while under warranty, they are saying its a known issue and want to charge customers for replacing charging pad 2. The suspension of the car is making sounds, Tesla wants me to pay labor charges for fixing it under warranty. The suspension issue happened in almost all the Tesla cars of my friends and neighbors. It needs to be a recall.

Central computer (motherboard), cameras (front/rear/side), autopilot/auto steer system. Error code: aps_w132. Description of problem: on or around [xxx], Tesla pushed a mandatory over-the-air software update to my vehicle. Immediately after, multiple safety-critical systems failed: all cameras (including backup) became intermittent or non-functional, auto steer/autopilot stopped working, and the car emitted constant distracting beeping alerts due to a critical motherboard failure. This made driving hazardous—impaired visibility for parking/reversing, loss of collision avoidance features, and constant audio distractions that could lead to accidents. I had to drive in this unsafe condition for weeks while waiting for service. Tesla attempted a remote fix but it failed. I scheduled service on November 19 for December 3 (19-day delay). Diagnostics confirmed the update induced the hardware failure, a known issue reported by other 2021 Model 3 owners on forums like reddit (e. G. , software bricking motherboards post-update). Despite this, Tesla refused warranty/goodwill coverage, quoting $2,576. 83 for repairs. Service advisors josh and andy were unprofessional: josh was rude/condescending; andy was aggressive, sarcastic, and retaliatory. After I mentioned filing complaints with the az attorney general and news channel 3, andy threatened $100/day storage fees with an impossible deadline (called at 4 pm Friday, close at 5 pm, demanded pickup by morning, then noon). He closed my ticket without authorization, delaying fixes and forcing me to contact another location—prolonging my exposure to the unsafe vehicle. This defect poses serious safety risks: sudden loss of cameras/autopilot could cause crashes. Tesla's awareness (from prior reports) and poor handling (intimidation delaying repairs) exacerbates the danger. No crash/injury yet, but potential is high. Please investigate this update-induced failure as a widespread defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while coming to a stop at a traffic light, the vehicle’s autopilot system became inoperable, and the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated up to approximately 13 mph without any warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to regain control of the steering; however, due to the failure, the vehicle collided with another vehicle, resulting in severe damage to the driver’s side rear quarter panel, wheel, and tire. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy during the incident. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The contact expressed concern that the vehicle may present a potential safety hazard, as the failure had recurred on multiple occasions when attempting to drive the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,300.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Tesla suddenly lost power without any warning or a chance to move to safer area. Had to call 911. Incident around 5pm oct 23rd 2025 at intersection of e pennsylvania Ave and wallace rd, dowingtown, PA.

On October 17, 2025, while full self-driving (supervised) was engaged, the vehicle made an abrupt, uncommanded steering input to the right, causing a collision with a tunnel wall. This crash appears to be the result of a critical vehicle hardware failure. In the 24 hours prior to the crash, the vehicle logged multiple critical steering errors, including epas3p_a086_dasmia, which indicates the electric power assisted steering system was "missing in action" and not communicating. Furthermore, the vehicle has logged daily, recurring hardware faults for the steering column control module (sccm_a016_hardwareerror) since it was purchased. The uncommanded steering action created an extremely dangerous safety condition resulting in a collision. All stability and traction control faults appeared at the exact moment of impact, not before, indicating the steering system failure was the root cause. The problem has been confirmed by the vehicle's own internal diagnostic logs. The vehicle is available for inspection.

Vehicle self drove took quick into an off ramp and took flight on cattle guard into a pole. The vehicle never attempted to make a emergency stop and no air bags deployed.

The center display (vehicle pad) on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 went completely blank while driving. This eliminated access to all vital driving information including the speedometer, gear selection, and safety indicators. Safety concern: without visible speed data and wipers the vehicle cannot be operated safely or legally. I attempted to reboot the system and power cycle the vehicle but the screen still failed.

Safety restraint defect.

My Model 3 was t-boned in an intersection, hitting both the front and rear doors, as a result of a vehicle running a red light. The driver that hit us was speeding and didn’t hit brakes. The impact pushed the Tesla almost in a complete 360 on an adjacent street where the driver side of the car jumped a curb and stopped after hitting a pole slightly on the driver side. Red light etc all substantiated by police report. Airbags deployed on the passenger side from the seat and upper panels. Front airbags failed on both sides. There was also a delayed airbag deployment from the back of the driver seat that only ripped the seat but never deployed fully. The smell of fire / burning and debris was all that happened from the driver seat. I requested a crash report from Tesla which outlines the speed and airbag deployment. The report says that knee level airbags deployed but they never did. I crossed referenced crash test speed data and various complaints about Tesla airbags. The data reviewed seems to indicate that I experienced failed equipment which is currently under review. I’ve also reviewed various sources of information about 7 2024 Model 3 driver side airbag known issues, where Tesla only recalled one vehicle. I’ve been told that other recalls for this issue are u see evaluation and to keep checking my VIN for details. I share this because serious injuries can be caused by this failure, especially when hit by an SUV. The vehicle was totaled, not drivable and towed from the scene. Please be cautious if you have a 2024 Model 3 and demand that Tesla look into the airbag manufacturing issues promptly and issue relative recalls. The collision alert also failed.