Steering Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 2

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while in reverse (r) and backing up at approximately 5 mph down a slight incline, the vehicle accelerated inadvertently. The contact stated that she turned the steering wheel to the right to get on the road. The contact had taken her foot off the accelerator pedal when the vehicle gained momentum and drove backwards about 50 feet and crashed into a tree with the rear end. The contact stated that the passenger side rear bumper and an aftermarket trailer hitch were dented, crumpled, and bent. The contact stated that the rear windshield was cracked on the driver's side. The contact stated that the regenerative braking feature never engaged. The contact also stated the steering had locked, and she was unable to turn the steering wheel. The contact stated that there were no warning lights. The tree had stopped the vehicle, and the contact stated that she was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated her left eye had a bruise, and there were no other injuries. The police were called, but advised that since there were no serious injuries or other vehicles involved, there was no need to send an officer to the scene. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The failure mileage was 9,840.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Subject: urgent complaint regarding power steering failure in 2019 Tesla Model 3 hello NHTSA, I am writing to file a complaint regarding a very dangerous situation I recently experienced with my 2019 Tesla Model 3. While driving on the freeway at approximately 65 mph, the power steering failed unexpectedly. I struggled significantly to change lanes in order to exit the freeway, and it felt as though my vehicle was going to collide with other cars. After managing to get off the freeway, I nearly hit the guardrail while attempting to turn onto a side street, creating a hazardous situation. I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences; for instance, what if I had struck a pedestrian, or if the car had collided with another vehicle at high speed? I live on a winding mountain road, where I could have easily driven off a cliff. Turning the car off and back on temporarily resolved the issue. However, there are numerous complaints regarding steering rack failures with Tesla vehicles. Tesla has quoted me $2,700. 00 to fix what appears to be a known manufacturing defect. They are aware of this potentially hazardous situation but are not taking responsibility for the repairs. This is a serious safety issue, and I urge Tesla to accept responsibility and cover the repair costs before someone is seriously injured or killed—if such an incident has not already occurred. Please let me know what further actions I can take to facilitate Tesla's resolution of this dangerous problem. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely,.

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Subject: safety hazard – turn signal button placement on Tesla Model 3/y (newer models) hi there, I am reaching because the newer Tesla models have eliminated the turn signal stalks and instead incorporated the turn signal controls as buttons directly on the steering wheel. This became a critical safety hazard multiple times when taking a turn and had to give the turn indication. The issue happened because the turn signal buttons are not fixed and they rotate along with the rotation of the steering wheel. It makes us look for the turn signal buttons every time the steering wheel is turned and becomes a safety hazard when in motion. Also, it is very challenging when we have to make a right/left turn while on the ramp to take an exit because the buttons are not fixes unlike the turn signal stalks. There were times when we were unable to give the turn signals. It is not only dangerous for the Tesla drivers but also for the other drivers on the road to effectively communicate. Please, I request you to re-assess this configuration. Thank you!.

While driving to work on a local road, I approached a red light where there were no vehicles immediately ahead. However, my vehicle unexpectedly steered off the road in front of a construction sign, entering a ditch. Despite my attempts to regain control of the steering and braking systems, I was unsuccessful. The vehicle subsequently stopped automatically on an incline. Fortunately, I avoided a collision with a gas station and intersecting roadway, but sustained damage to my car’s front bumper. Law enforcement and a towing service were contacted to remove the vehicle. I tried calling the dealership almost half day without an answer, then I went to the dealership where they told me that the hardware is fine but they can’t do anything about the possible software issues which leaves me in a situation where I’m nervous to drive the car. I reached out to the company about the accident and didn’t hear back yet from them. I request a thorough investigation into this incident to determine the cause of the unexpected, highly dangerous, autopilot behavior. I am disturbed mentally and emotionally due to the accident. I also require confirmation of the vehicle's roadworthiness and assurance that it is safe to operate before resuming driving.

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The vehicle’s front suspension began making loud squeaking noises and felt unstable while driving, especially when turning or going over uneven surfaces. At times, the vehicle does not make a proper turn and almost feels like it loses grip, which is extremely unsafe. I brought the vehicle to a Tesla service center. After inspection, Tesla provided a service estimate and documentation confirming the failure of the front lower lateral links — the exact part and condition described in NHTSA safety recalls 21v835000 and 23v235000, which cover defective front suspension lateral link fasteners on this vehicle make, model, and year. Despite the clear match, Tesla did not recognize the repair as recall-related and categorized it as a customer-pay service. This raises concern that some affected vehicles are being excluded from proper recall coverage, despite experiencing the same safety defects. There were no warning lights or alerts prior to the failure. The issue was confirmed by Tesla and the part is available for inspection upon request.

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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - abs, automatic emergency braking, traction control, stability control failed while braking using the regenerative braking. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - while coming to a stop using the regenerative braking, the regenerative braking immedietely ceased to work, and the driver had to immediately apply the hydraulic brakes to avoid a rear end collision has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - no were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - no, they appeared while braking. This issue is not new to this vehicle and has happened in the past, however the errors cleared themselves out.

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The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 65 mph, and was driving on the exit ramp, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact's daughter stated that the brake pedal felt hard. The contact's daughter used the emergency brake but failed to function as intended. In addition, the steering wheel locked. The contact's daughter, to avoid hitting the vehicle in front, was able to pull over to the side of the road using excessive force on the steering wheel, and hit a tree, where it came to a stop. The driver-side air bags and side curtain air bags deployed. Three of the contact’s daughters were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The contact's daughter suffered three fractures in her left eye, three fingers on her left hand were fractured, and the seat belt left a burn on her neck. The contact's three other daughters were passengers inside the vehicle. The daughter who sat in the front passenger seat suffered hematomas on the abdomen and had bruises on her face, legs, and arms. The daughter who sat behind the driver in the back suffered injuries, scratches on the legs, the glass debris from the window caused cuts on the head, and had bruises on her chest and back. The daughter who sat in the front passenger seat was not seriously injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the towing yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company was notified. The contact filed a claim, and it was denied. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance. The failure mileage was 13,816.

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Steering rack failed.

I took my car to Tesla service to have 3 tires changed. On the drive home for the service, the car automatically pulled the to right several times with the final time pulling so hard, the car jumped the curb and damaged the car. Speaking with the Tesla service associate after the accident, they admitted that they did not complete alignment of the tires and that the automatic lane correction mechanism uses the alignment to gauge if it should correct or not. Tesla service will not take responsibility for causing the issue.

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Vehicle must have thought a shadow line in the road from a bridge indicated a wall I was about to hit, as it slammed on the breaks in the middle of the freeway. Car behind had to swerve to avoid. On the same trip, several nags of 'keep eyes on the road' were incorrect, as my eyes were directly on the road, but phone was in hand functioning as a microphone taking voice memos. Car proceeded to shut itself down while in the middle of the freeway, causing me to go slower than traffic and put me in danger as cars behind me had to swerve or lane change to avoid me as I tried to pull off to the shoulder. These forced shutdowns from incorrect 'nag fails' are causing safety issues. Nag failures should not forcibly shut the car down. Not sure if this is being enforced by NHTSA, or why Tesla is choosing to disable their auto steer or fsd when drivers are detected to be failing nags - nags should be there to help drivers, and potentially the nag data/cab video can be used after the fact should a user failing nags be involved in an accident for insurance dispute resolution, but shutting the cars down themselves is causing issues.

Car is disengaging full self driving because of steering becoming difficult at slow speeds in a turn. Fsd disengages and the car drive straight instead of staying in the turn, crash could be likely.

2025 Tesla Model 3 the follow distance is too close to front vehicle (only 1 to 2 car lengths) while in full self driving mode and there is no way to adjust it like in cruise control mode. Also, while in auto cruise control or full self driving the forward collision warning has too many false alarms from overhead tree branches to nothing in front of car for more than 500 feet. Finally, the car takes turns too late and at unsafe speeds when autosteer and cruise control are both activated. This also happens during full self driving.

During operation steering wheel becomes heavy and difficult to turn and becomes notchy. Very difficult to stay in ones own lane.

I am reporting a major safety defect that began immediately after Tesla installed the full self-driving (fsd) hardware upgrade on my vehicle. After paying $2,000 for fsd and receiving the hardware retrofit, the car now instantly veers left toward oncoming traffic whenever fsd is engaged. This began immediately after Tesla’s installation. Before this service, my vehicle operated safely. I have contacted Tesla cherry hill service center in new jersey multiple times. The advisors there repeatedly told me to “just recalibrate the cameras from the touchscreen. ” I’ve done this numerous times, following every instruction carefully, but the issue persists. When I called the service center, I was told that “everything looks fine remotely,” even though the problem continues and is clearly dangerous. I was also told they could take it for a test drive, but that if they couldn’t find anything, I would have to “wait for a future update” to make fsd usable. This is unacceptable and unsafe. Tesla delivered this car to me in a dangerous condition that could easily cause a serious crash. A car that steers itself into oncoming traffic under fsd control should never have been returned to a customer — especially one new to using fsd. I should not be responsible for any repairs, recalibrations, or diagnostics related to a defect introduced by Tesla. This issue appears to be the direct result of improper installation, misalignment, or faulty calibration following the fsd hardware upgrade performed by Tesla cherry hill. This poses a severe risk of collision and injury, and Tesla’s refusal to take responsibility or correct it under warranty demonstrates clear negligence and disregard for safety. Tesla cherry hill is also known for poor customer service and repeated dismissal of safety complaints from other owners, which further concerns me.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The bolt/fastner holding the control arms almost backed all the way out. I was driving and heard metal sound it got worse on the drive home. I also noticed the alignment to get worse and when I got home I looked and the bolt/ fastner almost came out. There is a Tesla recall for only a small percent for my year with that issue. Tesla wants 4k to replace it. It is a huge safety issue. I have a family and it could have been serious if it detached not only to me and my family but other vehicles other pedestrians.

While making a wide right turn at an intersection I heard three warning beeps before the steering wheel locked. I was unable to correct the steering. When I realized it wasn’t allowing the steering to correct, I began to brake, causing me to drive over a curb, ultimately stopped by a fence and cactus in someone’s yard. This is a huge safety concern, as children could’ve been playing in the yard, or farther up the road where a curve has a 30 foot embankment I could have rolled into. I have scheduled a service appointment with Tesla to have it looked at. I have had this issue occur multiple times before and am sure it can be reproduced.

Automatic emergency braking and steering is unavailable along with a few other features. Service center and car manufacturer not doing anything about it.

The volume control buttons and vehicle setting buttons on my car’s steering wheel are made of metal. In high atmospheric temperatures the interior of the car heats up. The buttons also heat up and can cause burns if touching the button for an extended (more than 30 seconds) amount of time. This is very distracting while driving while also causing a mild burn.

I have continuous issues with my steering wheel with the turn signals failing to work. Because the buttons aren't physical buttons, more times than not, they are failing for me to be able to use the turn signal. This causes a major safety concern. I have mentioned it with a service ticket with Tesla, but they state there is no fix for this as of today.

Wy wife and I drove our Tesla Model 3 from palo alto, CA to san francisco downtown, to meet friends. I was the driver, and my wife sat on the passenger seat. The weather was clear, and the pavement was dry. I did not engage auto-pilot features during the entire trip. The car condition was normal with no signs of error or warning. I made a right turn onto [xxx] from [xxx] shortly after I completed the turn, the car unexpectedly lost control. Without any prior warnings, it suddenly veered into the center divider, snapped a tree, dashed towards oncoming traffic on the other side of [xxx] , and finally stopped on [xxx] , labelled as location a on the attached drawing. Everything happened so quickly: I could not control the steering wheel, and I applied the brakes in vain. The vehicle seized control, no matter how hard I tried to stop it. I regained control of the vehicle at the intersection of [xxx] and [xxx] , and was able to park the car at location a. We were very fortunate and blessed that we did not hit people at the bus stop, that there were no cars in front of us, that the opposite traffic on [xxx] was stopped by a red light, and that the traffic was light on [xxx] without such luck, my wife and I, and probably others, would have been seriously injured, if not worse. Because [xxx] is one-way, we decided to move the vehicle to [xxx] , and parked at location b in the drawing. I called 911 and spoke to a female dispatcher. She asked us to remain at location b and wait for police officers to arrive. We waited there for almost 3 hours, but no police arrived. The dashboard display indicated that we had a flat tire(s). We called mobile tire services. After their inspection, most of our tires were alright, except the rim of the front-left wheel was badly bent, as you can see in the attached photo. The mobile tire service staff was skilled enough to carefully patch the damage and said it should be ok to drive back to palo alto. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 5.

While traveling over 230 miles from home on a road trip, my 2021 Tesla Model 3 suffered a complete and catastrophic failure. While in north carolina, the vehicle became entirely unresponsive—doors would not unlock, windows couldn’t be operated, and I was completely unable to access the charging port, trunk, or frunk. The vehicle was effectively bricked without warning. This wasn’t a minor inconvenience—it was a serious safety issue. I was stranded out of state from Saturday to Tuesday, completely dependent on others for transportation while waiting for the vehicle to be towed 58 miles to a service center. I was eventually informed of the cause, auxiliary battery failure, but the fact remains: this happened without warning, in the middle of a long-distance trip, and could have left me in an extremely dangerous or isolated situation. Tesla's systems failed without notice; an apparent design flaw left me with no way to access or secure the vehicle. The inability to open the doors or charge the car poses obvious and unacceptable safety risks. The windows were secured with plastic to prevent rain from coming in. This incident is deeply concerning and should be taken seriously. I am urging NHTSA to investigate this issue and hold Tesla accountable to ensure this does not happen to other drivers under even more hazardous circumstances.

Steering assist reduced, traction control disabled, stability control disabled. When trying to drive steering heavy and car coasts unless holding brake pedal, which is unusual for a Tesla at it normally auto holds. Traction control and stability control also disabled, unsafe to drive.

When driving vehicle over the past month, vehicle turn signals on the steering wheel fail to respond to commands and feel almost as if the controls are locked out by a steering wheel software fault. Upon further inspection, checking service mode, found the sccm service alert to correlate with the exact moment of turn signal unpressability directly. No debris or liquid has ever entered the area, and this issue has gotten so bad that it happens 3-4 times over a 45min drive I cannot activate the turn signals at all when the failure occurs. There is no alternative way to activate them. The steering wheel is the only way to activate the turn signals and the fault does not permit me to use either turn signal when attempting to change lanes on the highway. Tesla reports that it's a normal software bug and to "deal with it" because there's nothing they can do to fix it. This is directly indicative of a known defective part, and this is a safety-critical defect where a recall must be issued to resolve. Numerous units are impacted through research of same failures. I cant use my turn signals when attempting to change lanes, and Tesla does not want to fix/refuses to address this issue. Even through a phone call from paul from the service center in orchard lake, mi, reported that the condition is a "known defect with interal documents" that confirm it, but he cannot share the doc with me, and "that the idea the issue of getting pulled over for not being able to use your turn signal is an imaginative concern. " this, is inaccurate, as the inability to actuate turn signals is a safety-critical failure. The service center replaced my steering when and sccm module, however the issue persisted after the visit, and the service manager of the west bloomfield, mi service center called me 12 hours before my appointment to deter me from dropping the vehicle off, and then told me this would be a customer pay diagnostic for a warrantable safety failure.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? steering wheel. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? single vehicle accident. Driver suffered injury. No other person or vehicle was involved. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? don't know. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? in progress. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no indications were visible.

Upon entering my vehicle, which was in my garage, I put it into reverse. I found the steering wheel extremely difficult to turn and upon viewing the screen I saw a message stating "steering assist reduced. Steering may require increased effort". I backed up about 10 feet and still was unable to turn the steering wheel. I noticed another message advising "lane departure avoidance features unavailable. Features may be restored on next drive". I pulled back into the garage and rebooted the car to no avail. I let the car sit for several hours before trying again. This time the steering was fine. I am scheduled to have the manufacturer inspect the car on Tuesday April 29, 2025.

My dad was driving to work in the morning in the Tesla in the left lane of the freeway. Then the car started swerving on its own. He tried to regain control with the steering wheel but he couldn’t control it. The car wouldn’t turn when using the steering wheel and he was not using autopilot or lane assistance. He said it felt like the steering wheel and the car were not talking to each other. And the brakes weren’t stopping the car at all and because he couldn’t control the car it turned left into the divider and hit the divider and the car turn again to the right and automatically stopped in the middle of the second lane. The airbags deployed for the driver side. Thankfully there weren’t any other cars on the road at the time so there aren’t any injuries. But this crash could’ve caused serious injuries to him or other people. There were no warning signs, alerts, or noises before this happened. He has filed a claim with the insurance company. And a crash report was filed by the police.

The front upper control arms on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 have failed multiple times, producing loud clunking, popping, and binding noises during steering. The issue has worsened and poses a serious risk of loss of control while driving. Tesla replaced these parts under goodwill in the past, but the failures have returned. The most recent incident occurred around 03/05/2025 at approximately 106,867 miles. The failure has been confirmed and documented by Tesla service centers, and I have multiple invoices showing repeated replacements of the same components. The problem directly affects steering and suspension safety.

I was driving over an overpass on to the free way. It was about 11am. The steering wheel locked in a turning position, driving the car off the overpass. I was able to yank the wheel and get it back straight. The auto pilot was not on, the cruise control was not on. I drove it straight to the service center, I though I should call so I put the car in curise control to pull out my phone but decided against it and turned it off at 11:15. Now the service center says they can not duplicate it they are telling me nothing is wrong. This has never happened before. I have never had any issues with my car.

Right front upper control arm began making noise and was replaced under warranty at 42k miles in sept 2019. Left front upper control arm failed around 50k miles and caused a wreck resulting in $8,365 in damages in April 2021. When fixing one side it is standard to replace the other and Tesla was negligent. Upon fixing the left side suspension at blue ash auto body in 2021, the brake caliper came loose while driving on the highway while on a vacation. This caused an additional $1500 or so in charges. Both of these incidents put my life and my son's life in danger. About a week or two after the caliper problem, Tesla issued a recall for that part stating that it is now single use only.

Complaint: I took delivery of my new Tesla Model 3 on [xxx], and noticed it pulls hard to the right from day one. The steering shakes constantly, feels unstable, and loses traction—sliding sideways and lurching above 40 mph. It’s dangerous on highways; I’ve nearly lost control multiple times. Service wait times delayed my first visit over a month. Service history: Tesla service, dedham, MA, three visits: [xxx]: techs confirmed pulling, performed alignment—issue unchanged. [xxx]: pulling replicated, alignment redone—no fix. [xxx]: supervisor test-drove, claimed no issues, said “normal operation,” and refused further action. Third-party input: on [xxx], electrified garage (amesbury, MA), a Tesla/ev specialist, replicated the pulling, shaking, and instability. They suspect a suspension or steering defect (e. G. , rack/control arm) and urged Tesla review, citing warranty coverage and parts limits. They called it a safety risk. Current state: the car’s unusable—shaking intensifies above 40 mph, slides unpredictably, and steering resists. I’ve stopped highway driving after near-misses. Tesla’s “normal” ignores this danger. Available for inspection on request. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle was functioning normally prior to this event. Around 17:30 on 02/10/25 I arrived at airport terminal to pick someone up. I exited vehicle, opened trunk then went back inside vehicle. Upon putting the vehicle in drive I noticed problem with power steering. I had to use excessive force to turn the wheel. I drove forward 100 feet, then pulled over and called Tesla support. After describing the issue to the agent, she instructed me to put vehicle in park and press and hold both scroll wheels on steering wheel to perform system reset. After 2 attempts the issue persisted. I then exited the vehicle, locked it manually from the app. After 5 seconds I opened the vehicle, put it in drive and steering worked properly. Dry conditions - outside temperature about 30f I noticed that NHTSA is already investigating this issue for certain Tesla Model 3 and model y where power steering stopped working. While my issue happened while vehicle was stopped, I am concerned about it happening again while driving on highway.

Turn signal capacitive buttons are incredibly hazardous for safe driving. They are failing to register inputs for me regularly as resting your finger on one as is natural in a normal driving position, locks the signal out for a period of time. I had to look down trying to work out why the signal button was not registering my intent to change lanes on a freeway causing significant distraction at a critical time. Manufacturer refuses to do anything as they say it is just normal for the vehicle.

- component or system failed or malfunctioned - front subframe structure (part number 1044521-00-j) - the part failed with my car at approximately 55,000 miles. When it failed, the car didn't alert any problem and continue to drive the full-self-driving mode. I only noticed that it was very dangerous the next day when I tried to take my car out of the garage. - the problem was diagnosed by Tesla service center which I had to toll my car to them because it was unsafe to drive. - the vehicle or component was not inspected by police or insurance, because there was no accident. - there was no warning lamps or indication other than noise.

While regularly driving I experienced a gradual squeaking sounds from the front suspension. A few moments later I noticed that my steering wheel was acting as if it didn’t have power steering. I’m lead to believe that due to the poor design of my Model 3, that the outside elements were easily able to make its way to my universal power steering shaft leading Tesla to remove and replace my steering shaft and my upper control arms as well. The rust on the u shaft was incredible, I’ve only driven in the snow one time and immediately the noises starting happening. I paid everything out of my own pocket due to the undeliverable conditions my steering wheels was in.

The indicator buttons randomly disable and also disable if the user rests their finger lightly on an indicator button for some number of seconds. The car is available for inspection on request. Tesla looked at it and said it's "normal" and "expected" for the buttons to disable if you simply rest your finger on the button for too long prior to clicking it in. When this occurs, both indicator buttons will be disabled for upwards of 12 seconds. Neither button will physically click, and the indicators themselves will not activate no matter how many times you try pressing the button. This put the safety of others (and myself) at risk three times in my one month of owning the car. Tesla did nothing the first time I tried to get it fixed and said it's "normal", and wanted me to leave the service center with nothing done. I refused, so they replaced the entire steering wheel for me. The new steering wheel exhibited this same behaviour this morning - nearly resulting in a car smash as I was trying to navigate around an existing car smash on the highway. No warnings, messages or anything. I've only owned the car for a month.