AutoUtility currently tracks 113 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2025 Tesla Model 3. Driver Assistance & Safety Tech issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 44 complaints (38.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 24 filings cite a crash, 6 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 113 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (44 reports • 38.9% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Steering System (25), Electrical System (20)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 24 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
113
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
24
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
0
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
6
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2025 Tesla Model 3

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 38.9% of complaints

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

44 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 15 crash reports 🩹 4 injury report entries
#2 Problem Area 22.1% of complaints

Steering System

25 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 6 crash reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#3 Problem Area 17.7% of complaints

Electrical System

20 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 6 crash reports
#4 Problem Area 10.6% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

12 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 6 crash reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#5 Problem Area 5.3% of complaints

Body & Structure

6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🩹 2 injury report entries
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2025 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.

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech 2.7% of complaints

Unintended / Sudden Acceleration

3 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2025 Tesla Model 3

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA ODI ID: #11755831
Filed: 08/10/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 08/08/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11754149
Filed: 08/01/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 08/01/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
Suspension NHTSA ODI ID: #11753275
Filed: 07/28/2026

"A front wheel of this vehicle and/or its suspension is undergoing extremely dangerous vibrations at highway speeds (65-70+ mph). It is enough to shake the entire vehicle multiple times per second. The local service center, without looking at the vehicle, stated it "would be fine to drive on until..."

Incident Date: 07/27/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SUSPENSION,WHEELS
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech NHTSA ODI ID: #11751612
Filed: 07/20/2026

"I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a severe braking and stability control failure that resulted in unpredictable, highly dangerous vehicle behavior. While driving, the vehicle displayed a cascade of critical system failures, throwing error codes APP_w009 (AEB disabled), DI_a222..."

Incident Date: 07/20/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11751359
Crash Cited Filed: 07/19/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 07/16/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

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 3 213 23 5 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Tesla Model 3 Current Page 113 24 3 Current
2026 Tesla Model 3 0 0 1 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2025 Tesla Model 3

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 54 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 21 0 0 1 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 3 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 2 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 5 1 0 1 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 5 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 1 0 0 0
STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE 2 2 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 2 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 2 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 1 0 1 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 1 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 1 0 1 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 2 0
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 1 0 0 0
SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 0 1 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (113). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)

3 OPEN 1 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA26002
Opened: 2026-03-18 • Currently Active

FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions

Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time to respond. ODI will evaluate the performance...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
OPEN Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE25012
Opened: 2025-10-07 • Currently Active

Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged

Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS

The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traffic 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...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
OPEN Audit Query (AQ) ODI Action #AQ25002
Opened: 2025-08-20 • Currently Active

Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements

Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS

The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the “SGO”), 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...

Active federal investigation. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE24033
Opened: 2025-01-06 • Closed: 2026-04-03

Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.

Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING

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...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

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.