Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2025 Tesla Model 3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I was on the freeway in the fast lane approaching a tunnel and vehicle came with warning vehicle shutting down. Code DL_a063. Vehicle stopped in fast lane would not move to shoulder. No prior warning there was any issue. State police came and had vehicle towed. Lucky the car behind me was able to stop in time.
While operating the vehicle at low speed (~35 MPH reducing to a stop) on August 1, 2026, at approximately 10:38 AM under normal road and weather conditions, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic and simultaneous loss of primary braking capability and steering responsiveness. > Detailed Description of Failure: > * Brake Failure: Upon pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to decelerate or stop adequately despite continuous application, nearly causing a collision. > * Steering Loss / Disconnection: Concurrently, while the steering wheel could physically be turned, it offered no directional control—turning the wheel had no effect on the vehicle's path, feeling as if the steering linkage or assist was entirely disconnected or disengaged. > Vehicle Warnings / Diagnostic Codes: > The vehicle's onboard display immediately registered critical active safety and chassis failures, specifically displaying: > * "ABS (anti-lock braking system) disabled - Drive with caution" > * "Automatic Emergency Braking is unavailable - Feature may be restored on next drive" > Dashcam video and system screen captures documenting the exact speed, timestamp, and error messages have been saved and are available upon request. No crash occurred, but the sudden, simultaneous failure of core braking and electronic steering systems presents an extreme safety hazard. >
While out on vacation in [XXX] on XXX at around 11 am I had just finished charging the Tesla at a supercharging station. I was headed to go eat breakfast at the intersection of [XXX] and XXX on the right lane. I stopped briefly prior to making a right onto [XXX]. Upon making the right turn the vehicle kept turning all the way right and making a sharp right turn instead of a soft right. When I noticed the sharp right turn I tried to turn the steering wheel towards the left but the steering wheel was locked and it wouldn't respond. The car drove me into a concrete barricade and caused a collision. My children were in the car and thankfully no one in my vehicle was seriously injured nor were there any pedestrians on the sidewalk near the barricade. I contacted Tesla for the repair and investigation into why the steering wheel locked. Tesla has not provided a loaner vehicle in the meantime despite my frequent requests. This incident is a serious and critical safety issue that may have caused deaths had I been traveling at a higher rate of speed or been on the highway heading back to [XXX]. The strange thing is that this vehicle is still under warranty with Tesla and had been working just fine without any issues since I got the vehicle in XXX. No warning messages, or symptoms to indicate any malfunction. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
After disengaging Full Self-Driving (FSD), a mandatory questionnaire pop-up now stays on screen until manually answered, instead of auto-dismissing after a few seconds as it previously did. This forces the driver to interact with the touchscreen immediately after taking back manual control — a moment when full attention should be on the road, not a pop-up. The prompt blocks part of the instrument/display screen until it is tapped, and in some cases requires a minimum 5-second voice response to dismiss (a previous workaround allowing a near-instant voice note to clear it was removed). The pop-up has also been observed persisting even after the vehicle is shifted into Park. This creates a distraction risk during an already safety-critical moment (immediately following a system disengagement, which by definition means FSD failed to handle the driving task). This behavior has persisted across at least 3 software updates. Multiple attempts to raise this with Tesla directly have not resulted in a fix or response. Other FSD users have reported the same complaint. No collision has occurred as a result of this specific issue, to my knowledge, but the design creates a foreseeable distraction hazard during takeover events, which are often already high-risk moments.
Since leasing this car in April of 2025, it has been services 8 times totaling over 30 days of down time. The issues occured in order from oldest to newest/current: May of 2025 - Headliner trim falling down, unsuccessfully repaired by mobile technician June of 2025 - Windows stopped working. Center console door stopped shutting. Headliner still falling down. July of 2025 - Front wiring harness melted and took out the AC - the car didn't provide a single warning. The AC just stopped working. Passenger seat replaced for cosmetic defect August of 2025 - Continued issues with AC and turn signal buttons December of 2025 - Steering Wheel Rattle and Clunking, Suspension noises June of 2025 - Suspension still rough and making grinding noises, turn signal buttons still not functioning consistently, front passenger fold down mirror shattered because the passenger seat calibration allows it to slide into the mirror. Tesla has shown zero empathy towards any of these issues. A buyback was requested, but the offer would have left us without a car and with a huge pay off. We asked for help moving into another car, and we are ghosted.
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions with Full Self-Driving (FSD) Mode engaged, the vehicle stopped abruptly while approaching a yellow traffic light, nearly causing the head of the driver to strike the windshield on one occasion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to gradually come to a stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,100.
Right turn signal works only occasionally. Tesla has no fix since April 2024
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.
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 reason that I'm currently writing you this letter is to report an incident that happened on Sep. 16th, 2025. This is the date that I was very excited because I got my first EV - Tesla Model 3 new car. Me and my wife went over to the delivery plant in Fefe, Washington. The address is 3701 20th St. E., Fife, WA 98424. We took the car and I myself drove it back home around 2:45ish (-3 :00 pm the latest). It was just two blocks away from the plant outbound to the eastward trying to get to the entry of the highway. I stopped my car on my brake, and suddenly my car went forward by itself. This unintended acceleration caused me to hit the car in front of me. We had to stop in the next parking lot on my left side as soon as we passed the traffic light. This intersection happened right at the intersection of 54th Ave. E (Northbound) and Pacific Highway E. I hit the car in front of me. My front bumper got some damage. The car is still drivable and I have put the photos and maps for your understanding.
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the turn signal buttons on the steering wheel used to activate the turn signals were designed with a flaw that might cause an accident if depressed intentionally. The contact was a retired Service Technician for over 40 years. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The Horn does not work in the rain. I reported this. they sent a technician to replace it. the issue is not resolved. this is extremely dangerous.
The car was parked in a campground for a night and several systems issues came up, including traction control disabled, steer assistant disabled, staibility control disabled, and the car was keeping accelerating even though I did not step on the accelerate pedal. The acceleration was out of control. This was happening in a remote area when we drove half way out of the campground to a city. We called the Tesla roadside help and they just told us they could not help because it was too late to find a toll provider and we were left in the middle of nowhere and no help. We searched Google and found a few very similar issues on Tesla cars that had been reported. We don't know what happened but those issues just disappeared themselves in the next morning and we have not get the chance to send it a service center for further investigation. We are certain that this is very serious safety issue and the car was basically out of control.
On [XXX], at just 9,526 miles, my brand-new 2025 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ) suffered a front motor/inverter failure. The vehicle displayed the warning “Front Motor Disabled.” Tesla Vallejo Service confirmed this and replaced the front drive inverter (3DU). A catastrophic drivetrain failure at under 10,000 miles is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about reliability and safety. It still doesn't not accelerate as before. In addition, since delivery on [XXX], this vehicle has had persistent rattling and vibration issues in the cabin. I have returned to Tesla Vallejo multiple times (April, June, July, and August 2025). Each time, the service manager, Steve McNerney, dismissed or minimized my concerns, blaming “seatbelt rattling” or claiming the issue could not be replicated. After July, I even sent three separate videos clearly documenting the noise, yet the most recent service invoice still instructed me to “provide a video,” showing Tesla ignored or failed to record my evidence. This ongoing defect has been reproduced and confirmed at Tesla service but remains unresolved. Tesla’s dismissive handling and failure to fix the defects create both safety risks and loss of confidence in the vehicle. A front motor failure while driving could result in loss of power, reduced acceleration, or unsafe driving conditions. Tesla has failed to provide a reliable or safe resolution despite repeated repair attempts and clear evidence. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving with the Autopilot and Full Self-Driving and attempting to parallel park into a parking space when it made a sudden left turn and crashed into a curb. The contact took over manually and depressed the brake pedal in order to avoid the entire vehicle driving over the curb. The contact mentioned that the Full Self-Driving software was the most updated version and it did not detect the curb causing the crash. The front passenger side bumper was damaged and scratches underneath the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. No air bags deployed. A police report was not filed. The Tesla Software did not detect the crash. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The failure mileage was 19,000.
Turn indicator not working. I was in a highway and when I pressed turn indicator button, nothing happened. Multiple presses with varying pressure had no effect
Turn signal buttons on steering wheel intermittently fail to work.
The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 30 MPH at night with Full Self-Driving(FSD) Supervised mode engaged, the vehicle suddenly made a left turn. The contact stated that the vehicle drove over a curb and onto the grass, and the vehicle drove into a residence's driveway, where the front of the vehicle crashed into the rear passenger's side of three unoccupied vehicles that were parked in the driveway. The front passenger's side and driver's side air bags deployed. The exterior hazard lights were illuminated. The contact's daughter did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed but the contact did not have the police report information available. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was waiting to be picked up by a certified Tesla autobody repair shop. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 219.
Hi, my car computer completly stop(complete blackout) on the highway, no power, all doors and window blooked, reduce brake and steering wheel capacity. I changed line and went to the side of the road, but in an intersection or other road type, that could have been so much worst results. No hard reset nothing put back the power of the car.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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