no report yet
Exterior lighting: headlights
NewRisk. Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
2019 Tesla Model 3Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 624 owner complaints about the 2019 Tesla Model 3, most often about the forward collision avoidance. It is covered by 22 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-235 the manufacturer reports only 78% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 4, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2019 Tesla Model 3 has problems
624 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
171Forward collision avoidance12 crash/fire/injury
94Electrical system7 crash/fire/injury
89Air bags12 crash/fire/injury
83Suspension8 crash/fire/injury
71Vehicle speed control21 crash/fire/injury
70Lane departure4 crash/fire/injury
61Service brakes9 crash/fire/injury
58Seat belts
54Steering
17218 other systems26 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 171 | 12 |
| Electrical system | 94 | 7 |
| Air bags | 89 | 12 |
| Suspension | 83 | 8 |
| Vehicle speed control | 71 | 21 |
| Lane departure | 70 | 4 |
| Service brakes | 61 | 9 |
| Seat belts | 58 | 0 |
| Steering | 54 | 6 |
| 18 other systems | 172 | 26 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
22 recalls
2019 Tesla Model 3 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2026 Q2
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Risk. Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2026 Q2
Front: warning light/devices
Risk. A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
repaired · 2026 Q1
Electrical system: software
Risk. Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
Show 18 more recalls
repaired · 2025 Q4
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Risk. Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2025 Q4
Driver monitoring: software
Risk. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as…
repaired · 2025 Q4
Suspension: critical fasteners
Risk. A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2025 Q1
Steering: automated/adaptive steering
Risk. FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a…
repaired · 2024 Q3
Rear/other: anchorage
Risk. An incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchor can impair the performance of the seat belt during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2024 Q4
Visibility: power window devices and controls
Risk. A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2024 Q1
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Risk. The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2024 Q1
Electrical system: software
Risk. Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2022 Q3
Back over prevention: display function
Risk. A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
no report yet
Electrical system: software
Risk. Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2024 Q1
Electrical system: software
Risk. The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
repaired · 2022 Q2
Steering: automated/adaptive steering
Risk. Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2024 Q4
Sensing system: camera
Risk. A rearview camera that does not function reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2021 Q4
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking
Risk. Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2024 Q1
Suspension: critical fasteners
Risk. A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2023 Q2
Seat belts
Risk. An improperly attached fastener may prevent the seat belt system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2023 Q2
Service brakes, hydraulic: critical fasteners
Risk. Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2021 Q4
Other: labels
Risk. Failure to provide the air bag warning information increases the risk of injury.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Tesla.
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
34 owners mentioned a cost$1,315median
Middle half: $925 – $1,798
Suspension
11 owners mentioned a cost$1,259median
Middle half: $550 – $1,851
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2019 vs. every other Model 3 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Model 3 median. How we score
'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2019 Tesla Model 3 safety ratings
2019 Tesla Model 3 4 DR RWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 5 stars (6.6% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard
- Lane departure warning: Standard
14 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2019 Tesla Model 3, and the recalls they led to.
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting RequirementsOpen
- Sudden Unintended AccelerationNo recall
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
- Defect Petition Interlock RequestNo recall
- Sudden Unintended AccelerationOpen
- Autopilot System Driver ControlsLed to recall 23V-085
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility ConditionsOpen
- Autopilot & First Responder ScenesNo recall
- Tesla Passenger PlayNo recall
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility ConditionsNo recall
- Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.No recall
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engagedOpen
- Lower Lateral Link detachmentOpen
- Recall 23V838 Remedy EffectivenessOpen
In owners' words
What Model 3 owners report
Recent forward collision avoidance complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Every time I press, my horn and error pops up that my cameras are unavailable, and that features may be restored on the next drive also it sends an error that my regenerative brakes are also out and will be restored on the next drive. It does this consistently every day which causes a safety hazard…
On September 12, 2026, at approximately 2:05 PM, while operating on Full Self-Driving (FSD v14.1 Lite) on Hardware 3 (HW3), the vehicle experienced a critical, unprompted loss of path control. While traveling on the highway, the vehicle sharply veered off the left side of the roadway, caught air,…
Tesla rolled out FSD 14 Lite to hardware, including to my vehicle and it’s become extremely unsafe.The past several days the vehicle will suddenly slow down/break causing people to almost crash into me, make sudden and indecisive lane changes, and constantly rocking the steering wheel left and…
Own a 2019 Model 3?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.