AutoUtility currently tracks 213 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2024 Tesla Model 3. Driver Assistance & Safety Tech issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 66 complaints (31% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 23 filings cite a crash, 12 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 213 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (66 reports • 31% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (43), Steering System (36)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 23 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 12 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2024 Tesla Model 3
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #25V002000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Electrical System
Steering System
Exterior Lighting
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #24V284000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:THORAX
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2024 Tesla Model 3
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Unexpected / Phantom Automatic Braking
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2024 Tesla Model 3
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Muffled or significantly quieter horn during rain. Users on Reddit generally agree that the sound typically returns to normal once the area dries out. Why This Happens: Speaker Design: Newer models (such as recent Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y versions) utilize electronic pedestrian warning..."
"On June 16, 2026, while operating the "Autopilot" self-driving system, my vehicle autonomously activated the right turn signal to enter a parking space. Subsequently, the vehicle experienced an unexpected acceleration. Despite my immediate application of the brakes, the vehicle collided with a..."
"Tesla’s replacement of physical steering column turn signal stalks with capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel face creates an active safety hazard. First, the capacitive sensors frequently become entirely unresponsive. If a driver rests a finger near the buttons, the system triggers a..."
"Date: XXX, Time: 5.09.2026 State: [XXX] Location: [XXX] We were on Full Self Service Driving Mode A [XXX] came and hit my car in the passenger side behind the front wheel and front buffer. We were on left/fast moving lane and two semi-trucks were in the right lanes slight ahead of us (one had..."
"I have been driving Tesla using FSD from [XXX] to [XXX] and passing [XXX] (XXX around 5 pm). We took an exit for rest room break near Gas Station. As soon as Car took exit using FSD, the car completely stopped suddenly in the middle of the road without any reason and warning. There was not any..."
Complaint History for Tesla Model 3
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2017–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Tesla Model 3 | 26 | 1 | 16 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Tesla Model 3 | 1007 | 101 | 19 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Tesla Model 3 | 608 | 58 | 22 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Tesla Model 3 | 447 | 53 | 21 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Tesla Model 3 | 656 | 45 | 22 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Tesla Model 3 | 759 | 53 | 18 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Tesla Model 3 | 416 | 71 | 12 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Tesla Model 3 Current Page | 213 | 23 | 5 | Current |
| 2025 Tesla Model 3 | 113 | 24 | 3 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Tesla Model 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2024 Tesla Model 3
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 63 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 49 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 18 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| STEERING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,WHEELS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (7)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the systemâs ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time to respond. ODI will evaluate the performance...
Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traï¬c safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automation system requiring a fully attentive driver who...
Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (âTeslaâ) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the âSGOâ), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a report to be submitted within one or five days of...
Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a Recall Query to assess the remedy adequacy of Recall 23V838. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system, which Tesla described as an SAE Level 2 (L2) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Autopilot is the simultaneous engagement of Teslaâs Traffic-Aware Cruise...
Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.
On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private property. ODI analyzed complaint data provided by Tesla...
FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
On October 17, 2024, NHTSAâs Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24031) of Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) to assess: the ability of the FSD system to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions; whether any other FSD crashes had occurred under degraded roadway visibility conditions that are similar in nature to the four SG...
Unexpected Brake Activation
On February 16, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22002) to investigate reports of unexpected deceleration while driving with the adaptive cruise control system engaged in Model Year (MY) 2021 â 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured by Tesla. The subject systems include Autopilot (all versions), Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC). These complaints have been c...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.