2026 Tesla Model 3 Problems

When using Tesla's Full Self Driving (supervised) speed control is erratic and not subject to the driver's control, such as it would be when using adaptive cruise control. As a result, the available speed modes (sloth, chill, standard, hurry and Mad Max) can cause the vehicle to dangerously exceed speed limits and at times to drive well below the posted speed limit, causing confusion and frustration to following drivers. There is no reason why the software cannot be changed to a safer method that would permit the driver to select the speed at which the car will travel, i.e. the speed limit, similar to adaptive cruise control found in most modern vehicles. When the operator of a vehicle is not in charge of the vehicle's speed, this is inherently dangerous.

My Tesla was operating under FSD at 9pm on a dark country road. I was traveling at 45mph and vehicle randomly applied hard emergency braking and I had to take over. It appeared that the vehicle may have been responding to a dark oil stain or possibly a mailbox. Had another vehicle been closely behind me, there would’ve been a collision.

I was using the self driving feature and all of a sudden the steering wheel went haywire and was spinning. the car was swerving very aggressively in between lanes. putting my foot on the brake and hands on the wheel did not do anything.

On August 26, 2026, at approximately 8:56 AM, I entered a public parking garage in Washington, DC. Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged and controlling the vehicle during a reversing maneuver. I remained attentive to the vehicle's surroundings, including pedestrians and surrounding traffic. While reversing under FSD (Supervised), the vehicle's right rear corner collided with the corner of a stationary structural pillar in the parking garage. I did not command the vehicle to steer into the pillar. Upon becoming aware of the impact, I immediately applied the brake. There were no injuries. The collision resulted in damage to the right rear area of the vehicle. After the incident, I photographed and recorded the scene and vehicle damage and saved the available Tesla Dashcam footage. I also requested the vehicle data from Tesla. I am reporting this incident because the vehicle collided with a stationary structure while FSD (Supervised) was engaged and controlling the reversing maneuver. I do not know the specific technical cause of the incident. The vehicle and available recorded data can be made available for inspection upon request.

While the vehicle was parked outdoors and the powered rear trunk lid was fully open, I leaned/bent forward into the trunk to retrieve an item. The edge of the trunk lid near the taillight assembly made contact with my scalp, causing a laceration. The wound bled significantly。The trunk lid’s fully-open position, combined with the geometry/edge of the liftgate near the taillight, creates a head-strike hazard for an average-height adult bending into the cargo area. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the powered trunk lid’s open-position geometry presents an unreasonable risk of head injury to vehicle occupants/owners during normal use.

The vehicle's FSD system malfunctioned and initiated an unintended reverse toward a closing garage door. To prevent a total-loss event (the door crushing the glass roof and trunk), I was forced to perform an emergency manual takeover. Due to the vehicle's position caused by the malfunction, I had to maneuver through a confined space, resulting in the side-scrape. I am filing this as a malfunction claim because the damage was a direct consequence of the car's autonomous failure

I purchased my car on 3/23/26. Since delivery I have noticed that the car bounces at low speeds 20-30mph and the steering wheel vibrates at highway speeds 65 - 80mph. I have had the car to tesla service center 6 times since march. They have replaced all 4 tires, found and replaced a bent wheel (rim) on the passenger side. Then this last visit they replaced the passenger right wheel hub. They claim that when comparing it to the 1 other car available to road test my car was the same even though it still has the wheel vibration at highway speeds. they claim it falls within specs and is safe. I do not feel this is acceptable because they dont know what else to do. Now if I want them to check the car they say I must pay for any diagnosis and repairs if needed because they say they fixed the car. I do not feel safe driving at highway speeds as I am not sure what may happen which could endanger myself or passengers

Air Suspension Failure - Damping Control Disabled (Code TAS_a313)" Description: "Vehicle is 2 days old. Suspension control module lost communication with CAN bus. Vehicle is in 'fail-safe' mode. Tesla Service Center has refused to assist. Safety risk due to loss of adaptive ride control." Manufacturer Response: "No response / Ignored."

I was involved in a rear-end collision while stopped at an intersection. The impact was significant. During the crash, the front airbags did not deploy. More importantly, the seat belts in both front seats (driver and front passenger) failed to function as expected. Instead of tightening during impact, the seat belts appeared to loosen, allowing excessive forward movement of the occupants. As a result, I was thrown forward and struck the steering wheel. The lack of seat belt pretensioning raises serious concerns about a potential failure of the vehicle’s restraint system. This incident suggests that the seat belt pretensioners and/or related crash detection systems may not have activated properly under a significant collision event. I am concerned that this represents a safety defect that could increase the risk of injury in a crash. I request that this incident be investigated as a possible failure of the restraint system, including seat belt pretensioners and crash sensing mechanisms.

The front windshield camera for FSD gets hazed and obstructs the front camera. Tesla say it’s from the gases that come from the interior from the vehicle being hot temperatures. My problem why did they not design the cameras like they did in the side puller protecting it from the interior gases. Now Tesla says they’ll clean it for 65.00. I just bought the car in March

Complaint Title: Defective Horn System on 2026 Tesla Model 3 - Ineffective in Rain or Highway Conditions Description: The horn on my 2026 Tesla Model 3 Highland is dangerously inadequate. It uses a single pedestrian warning speaker instead of a proper horn, which is easily overpowered by road noise, tire noise from large trucks, and especially rain. I cannot reliably alert other drivers, including 18-wheelers, when they are drifting into my lane or failing to yield. This creates a serious safety risk in wet conditions and highway driving. Traditional horns have been effective for decades — this design fails basic safety expectations. I am requesting immediate investigation and a fix.

I purchased my car on 3/23/26. Since delivery I have noticed that the car bounces at low speeds 20-30mph and the steering wheel vibrates at highway speeds 65 - 80mph. I have had the car to tesla service center 6 times since march. They have replaced all 4 tires, found and replaced a bent wheel (rim) on the passenger side. Then this last visit they replaced the passenger right wheel hub. They claim that when comparing it to the 1 other car available to road test my car was the same even though it still has the wheel vibration at highway speeds. they claim it falls within specs and is safe. I do not feel this is acceptable because they dont know what else to do. Now if I want them to check the car they say I must pay for any diagnosis and repairs if needed because they say they fixed the car. I do not feel safe driving at highway speeds as I am not sure what may happen which could endanger myself or passengers

I was involved in a rear-end collision while stopped at an intersection. The impact was significant. During the crash, the front airbags did not deploy. More importantly, the seat belts in both front seats (driver and front passenger) failed to function as expected. Instead of tightening during impact, the seat belts appeared to loosen, allowing excessive forward movement of the occupants. As a result, I was thrown forward and struck the steering wheel. The lack of seat belt pretensioning raises serious concerns about a potential failure of the vehicle’s restraint system. This incident suggests that the seat belt pretensioners and/or related crash detection systems may not have activated properly under a significant collision event. I am concerned that this represents a safety defect that could increase the risk of injury in a crash. I request that this incident be investigated as a possible failure of the restraint system, including seat belt pretensioners and crash sensing mechanisms.