2024 Tesla Model 3
The Verdict
The 2024 Tesla Model 3 has 198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (125 complaints) and electrical (62 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 55/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Tesla Model 3, consider the 2017 model year which has 87% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2017 has 87% fewer complaints
View the 2017 Tesla Model 3 dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 2
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling one 2024 Model 3 vehicle. The driver seat side air bag module was assembled without a deflector that directs gas flow during deployment.
Risk
Without a deflector, the air bag may deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Tesla service replaced the side air bag, free of charge. The affected vehicle was repaired April 12, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this re...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera ima...
Risk
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Tesla will also identify any vehicles that experienced a circuit board failure, or stress that may lead to a circuit board fail...
Reported Jul 1, 2025
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
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Complaints
On two separate occasions, June 4 at approximately 5:35pm and July 2 at approximately 3:40pm, the vehicle backed into a carport pole at my home while a Tesla driver assistance feature was engaged. I reported both incidents to Tesla and filed complaints with NHTSA.
While turning right, I slowed down and put on my turn lights. The vehicle accelerated all of a sudden and did a sharp right. There was a vehicle in front of me in the opposite direction and my car turned very sharply to avoid it. The accelerator pedal was fully pressed down and for that fraction of a second, it didn’t allow me to control the speed.
On June 7, 2026 an accident occurred on Overlook Parkway, Riverside southbound (near chabot ct intersection) involving my 2024 model 3 that was in FSD mode (Full self driving). The car be veered from the street and hit a light pole as the road was curving to the left. Airbags were deployed, and the car was a total loss, but nobody was hurt. The carhad automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance and despite this in FSD Full self driving mode managed to hit the lightpole and the accident occured. Can you investigate if this is a defect in the safety features of the car, or Tesla's FSD software or Automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance software? Thank you.
I am reporting a recurring safety defect regarding the exterior door handle assembly on my 2024 Tesla Model 3. On 6/15/26, the exterior door handle of caused a finger entrapment incident, resulting in an avulsion of a gel nail and significant trauma to the nail bed. The artificial nail remains trapped within the door assembly. Despite seeking service at the local Tesla Service Center, technicians failed to retrieve the object or address the entrapment hazard. This design creates a severe pinch-point hazard that poses an ongoing risk of injury to all users Despite bringing the vehicle in for service on 6/18/26 to have the hazardous object removed, the service center performed only a cursory visual inspection and refused to disassemble the handle, leaving the entrapment hazard in place. The design of the door handle creates a clear pinch-point/entrapment zone that poses a safety risk to all occupants. I am reporting this to document both the design defect and the failure of the manufacturer to address the resulting safety hazard upon request.
Speed profiles do not allow safe operation of the vehicle. Changes in speed profiles result in unsafe behavior. Standard speed profile regularly results in speed up to 73+ in a 55mph zone being selected by the vehicle. Chill mode results in speeds of 58 when traffic is traveling at 65mph. Switching profiles from standard to chill results in a rapid deceleration within the lane leading to problems with traffic behind the vehicle. In active school zones, system regularly does not acknowledge school zone speed limit and proceeds at 25-30mph in a 15 mph school zone even on Sloth profile. European FSD has a max speed setting that allows these problems to be prevented, but it is missing as a critical safety feature in the US version of FSD 14.
Rear passenger door electronic release did not work. Technician indicated rear door harness corroded making the door inoperable.
- Tesla FSD - My son was driving on FSD on state highway, while on FSD, the car suddenly turned left and hit the concrete barrier and spun out of control. All the air-bags were deployed and car front crashed completely. The car is near totaled, My son was able to get out the car with a bruise on right hand. -No -No -No warning was on, the car was on full FSD and suddenly turned left and drove into the concrete barrier and crashed and spun , I had no time to react/take over.
I was using actual smart summon to get my vehicle out of my garage. While standing behind the vehicle, it indicated that the car was in drive with no reversing lights on. The vehicle then rapidly lurches backwards, striking me and a freezer. After reviewing the dashcam footage the vehicle stated it was in drive and never once activated its reverse lights, even when they was objects and a human behind the car, still reversed at a high rate of speed.
Attached is a photo of the lower driver-side knee bolster/under-dash panel after it detached while I was driving. The panel dropped directly into the pedal area and interfered with normal foot access to the brake and accelerator pedals. Given that no broken attachment points or damaged clips were reportedly identified, I am requesting a formal review of both the safety concern and the handling of this issue.
The steering wheel turn signal buttons on my Tesla Model 3 intermittently becoming unresponsive or getting stuck signaling left or right. This prevents me from reliably signaling lane changes or turns. This is a safety risk because I may be unable to properly signal maneuvers as required under Maryland Vehicle Law §21-604, potentially confusing nearby drivers and increasing the risk of an accident. As this is a moving violation, I can be fined and or points on my driving record The issue has occurred multiple times during normal driving but has not yet been formally confirmed by a service center.
This car was designed without steering wheel stalks for control of the directionals. In their place it uses push buttons on the steering wheel. It becomes difficult to start the directionals when the steering wheel is turned because the buttons are no longer in a standard position and aren't easily located. This is especially difficult in traffic circles or when making rapid turns where directionals are needed. In addition if your fingers are kept rested on the buttons the system alarms and tells you they have been in place too long and the buttons stop working. I believe Tesla should offer an after market replacement returning to a much safer and standard steering column stalk which is and has been used on almost all cars for at least 75 years.
On March 21, 2026, the vehicle’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), suffered a severe "phantom braking" failure. While driving, the vehicle engaged in a violent, full-force emergency brake application without any external hazard or driver input. This unprompted deceleration caused the seatbelt to exert extreme pressure and trauma on my abdomen. As I was [XXX] pregnant, this abrupt stop was medically treated as a high-force accident. The trauma caused pregnancy abnormalities, requiring a 20-hour hospital admission for observation and fetal monitoring. I contacted Tesla customer service multiple times. Initially, I was told a service check was necessary, but the Service Center stated they could not provide assistance for "automatic behavior" issues. A corporate representative (Angel) admitted the vehicle should have been flagged for a formal medical claim and instructed me not to visit the service center. Despite this, I took the vehicle to the Service Center on April 15, 2026. Technicians confirmed they had no findings or solutions regarding the phantom braking event. No warning lamps, audible alerts, or system messages appeared prior to the failure. Upon requesting the vehicle data logs for the date of the incident, I noticed that the specific timeframe of the event was "missing" from the record. The manufacturer cited a VIN-matching error as the cause for the data gap. On April 20, 2026, Tesla corporate denied that a claim had ever been filed and stated they would not take responsibility for injuries related to pregnancy or a fetus, claiming these do not meet their internal threshold for medical injury. The vehicle remains available for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2024 Tesla model 3 driving on the turnpike heading south of NJ right between exit 5-6 when my vehicle suddenly and spontaneously spun out into the guardrail, while at the same time the automatic emergency brake was disabled. Weather conditions were slightly rainy, there was no signs of traction issues or alerts regarding any concerns. Luckily no other vehicles were hit. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other of the above questioned. No such warning signs, lamps, or symptoms prior to this failure. I do have the dash cam footage that shows the incident.
The vehicle's horn becomes completely inaudible during heavy rain, particularly during downpours. This is a serious safety concern as the horn is a critical safety device for alerting other drivers and pedestrians. The issue has occurred repeatedly since the vehicle had approximately 7,060 miles on it and continues at the current mileage of 28,617 miles.\n\nThe issue was first reported to the manufacturer's service center on February 20, 2025, at 7,060 miles. The service center documented the concern as the horn not working after rain. A Low Voltage Circuit Integrity Check and miscellaneous labor were performed (Invoice #3000S0012397168). However, the manufacturer's service center stated the horn was \"working as designed\" at the time of inspection and advised the owner to monitor the issue and record video. The problem was not resolved.\n\nThe issue has been reported to the manufacturer's service center on multiple subsequent occasions, but they have been unable to reproduce it because the horn functions normally in dry conditions. The defect only manifests during rain and downpours, making it difficult to demonstrate on demand at a service center.\n\nThis is a significant safety hazard. During heavy rain, when visibility is already reduced and driving conditions are more dangerous, the horn -- which is one of the most basic and essential safety devices on any vehicle -- is rendered completely nonfunctional. The owner feels powerless in dangerous situations when the horn cannot be heard. The horn is required safety equipment under FMVSS 571.108, and a horn that fails during adverse weather conditions represents a serious defect.
I continue to experience phantom "forward collision avoidance" warnings. Tesla has looked at this several times, even once charging me $60 to clean the cameras (should be under warranty in my opinion). Latest response to problem: known issue, no known hardware cause. In other words live with it. They even suggested buying FSD package at $1200/yr as a solution! One more than one occasion the TACC and Autosteer disengaged with traffic behind me. Very scary.
The Michelin tires used for this particular model have a foam issue. This foam is put by Michelin to reduce road Noice and they are coming apart thus creating a rattle in the car making it a hazard while driving on the highway. Tesla replaced one of my tires on May 27, 2025 free of charge and told me it was a known issue. Today 2/25/26 I have the same issue and they're quoting me almost $400. I told them about the tire issue and why there's no recall and they told me to contact NHTSA. They just want to change them one at a time until warranty expires so they don't have to replace all defective tires. I guess they're waiting for somebody to have an accident and sue them to fix the problem.
Screen is black and no app access. No power to accelerate.
I purchased a 2024 Tesla Model 3 a little over a year ago. Recently, and after an update, myself, and other drivers in my life, noticed the self-driving feature was malfunctioning - to the point I used the audio reporting feature to report this problem twice to Tesla. The car would veer off the road when flasing lights appeared and would jerk suddenly for no reason when it thought there was a obstruction in the road (sticks, plastic bags, etc.). Last month this malfunction has caused an accident, and my car has been totaled, my insurance will not cover it, and I have been advised by two separate attorneys to sue. This has been litigated in court with lawsuits against Tesla (See Benavides v. Tesla; see also IN RE: TESLA ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS LITIGATION). I had notified Telsa twice of this issue, the car left the lane and did not notice a concrete barrier on the left side going north on I-95 in or around Broward County. To my knowledge no one has inspected the car. I was not warned that this car would cause an accident, the problem first appeared when I reported the issue using the voice reporting feature around November 2025. It is currently located at a tow facility in Broward County, FL and can be inspected there.
on Jan 4th 2026 my car popped a waring RCM2_a700 Front Right Safety Restraint System Issue - I took it in Jan 5th 2026 they said they could not replicate the warning and it was a GLITCH. On Jan 10th 2026 the warning popped up again
Incident Description (in my own words): This incident occurred in the parking lot of the [XXX] in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. It was evening after sunset. The parking lot was dark but illuminated by overhead parking lights. My Tesla Model 3 headlights and vehicle lights were fully on. I was reversing slowly out of a tight parking space, traveling approximately 2–3 miles per hour. I was intentionally moving cautiously. My attention at the time was focused on the front right corner of the vehicle, as clearance there was tight. While reversing, the rear of my vehicle struck a parked truck behind me. The truck was relatively high (its headlights were positioned high on the vehicle). Neither I nor my passenger heard any rear collision warning, cross-traffic warning, or parking alert prior to impact. The vehicle also did not apply automatic braking. The contact occurred at very low speed and resulted in only minor cosmetic damage (a small dimple/deformation), but I was surprised that no warning or braking intervention occurred. Based on prior experience driving this vehicle, the collision and parking warning systems are typically configured to warn early, and I had confidence that a warning or automatic braking would activate in this scenario. Following the incident, I conducted a simple test by placing cones in front of the vehicle to see whether forward collision warnings would activate. They did not. While I understand cones may not trigger frontal collision alerts, this further contributed to my concern about object detection reliability in low-speed scenarios. The vehicle’s cameras were clean and unobstructed. I regularly clean the camera lenses. I am filing this complaint because my confidence in the vehicle’s collision warning and automatic braking systems has been shaken. I recently submitted a similar complaint regarding a collision involving our Tesla Model Y, and these two incidents—on two different Tesla vehicles—raise concerns for me INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
198 total