What 982 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model 3 (all Variants)

Dear NHTSA Representative, I am writing to express my deep concerns and seek resolution regarding the latest version of autopilot enforced in the recent Tesla recall, identified under Campaign ID #23V-838. I am a Tesla owner that’s deeply invested in the safety and functionality of my vehicle. Recent reports indicate that the mandated autopilot update has rendered the car unsafe and nearly undrivable with autopilot engaged. Disturbingly, users have reported false warnings, causing drivers to divert their attention from the road and react to incorrect information. This poses a significant safety risk to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. I wish to bring to your attention that the autopilot feature in my vehicle is currently usable, and I am hesitant to compromise its functionality based on the reported issues with the mandated update. It is disconcerting that a safety recall mandated by the NHTSA could potentially make my vehicle less safe for me and my family. I urge the NHTSA to conduct a thorough investigation into the safety implications of the autopilot update and to consider the concerns raised by Tesla owners seriously. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to a swift resolution that prioritizes the safety and satisfaction of Tesla owners. Sincerely, A Tesla Owner

NHTSA ODI 11561746

I received the recall update for recall #23V-838 and am currently running version 2023.44.30.5.1 with the added Autosteer alerts. I am finding the alerts to be too frequent when I am just looking forward at the road. I have used this system for five years and never have I had so many alerts that I feel like the car is making me take my eyes off the road just to see what it is complaining about. Then it just says keeps eyes on the road. Well, I already was so now I'm being distracted by these added notifications. This NHTSA recall has created a safety problem as the new alerts are very distracting.

NHTSA ODI 11561748

Since NHTSA forced Tesla to update their driver attention monitoring, I can no longer change the radio station without the car screaming at me. This is jarring and unsafe as it surprises me when there is no danger present! NHTSA’s requirement for Tesla change this behavior for “safety” is unsafe! Allow Tesla to roll back this change now!

NHTSA ODI 11561708

Seat belt sensor went off. Took vehicle to Tesla and was charged for a replacement of the seat buckle that you place the seat belt in. This should be a safety hazard and should not be a charge to replace a safety seat buckle. I have an invoice of the work done and what I paid to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11561712

Low coolant alert while in the hidden service mode only. Happens to all my 3 cars. Went to service to fill up the coolant and the warning didn’t go off. They said is a sensor gone bad and it’s $1000 to repair. What are the chances that all my 3 cars have that issue and all not actually having low coolant

NHTSA ODI 11561117

Recently I noticed that the automatic windshield wipers are completely non-functional on my vehicle. Windshield wipers can still be turned on manually and work normally as expected in all speeds in manual control mode. But in auto control mode, they simply don't turn on at all, even in very heavy rain. This is critical because when driving the vehicle in Autopilot mode or Full-Self-Driving mode, the vehicle automatically puts the windshield wipers in auto control mode and the driver cannot change them to manual mode. So when driving using Autopilot in the rain, the windshield wipers just stay completely off all the time, even when Autopilot is displaying warning messages about severe weather. I contacted Tesla support about this and Tesla support immediately responded that this is a known issue and should be corrected via over-the-air update soon, but no ETA available.

NHTSA ODI 11561120

The only cabin heating and defrosting mechanism in early model 3s, a PTC heater, is prone to failure leaving the vehicle without the ability to maintain clear vision through the front and side windows. This occurred on my model 3 in November of 2023 and Tesla was unable to source parts for several weeks, with a cost of $900. This failure is extremely common among model 3 in cold weather environments and is well documented online.

NHTSA ODI 11561206

I had a seat weight sensor error. Took into repair and the replaced sensor and then informed me they need to replace airbag because it’s not compatible with the new sensor. Then was told that it would cost $1100 more than estimate to replace an airbag that is in working condition. Tesla purposely replaced sensor that was not compatible with the way they built the car and expect consumer to pay for it.

NHTSA ODI 11560787

During the middle of a low speed turn i heard a loud thump and a metallic sound like a coin hitting the pavement. After completing the turn another strange noise followed by a dramatic change to steering of the vehicle - i would steel center but the car wanted to go left into oncoming traffic. I was able to steer hard right into the shoulder before any cars caused a collision and stop the vehicle. Upon inspection it was clear there was a major failure - the lower control arm for the left front wheel was on the asphalt and one of the bolts was missing, the other completely detached from the vehicle but still in the arm. The wheel had shifted considerably from its normal spot. If this had been at any higher speed or on a freeway this could have been a critical issue causing a life threatening accident and at this time my 5 year old daughter was in the car with me. I took photos and had the vehicle towed to the Tesla (maker) service center in Austin for evaluation. I noted later that there was a recall for this exact issue and this model year however they did not apply it to this vin, only a few hundred cars. I suspect there are many other vehicles with the same issue as the tow truck driver stated that he sees this problem all the time, several in the past few weeks which was troubling. I strongly urge a deeper look into this issue that causes the unexpected and sudden failure of the steering system and loss of control of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11560491

Car issued a message on screen: "Front left safety restraint system fault. Service is required". From what we found online, others are experiencing this same problem with this make/model and have also received this message recently. Appears that there is a bad connector under the seat. This sure seems to be a safety issue so wanted to make you aware. At this point, it is reported that Tesla has been charging people to fix the safety issue. We plan to make a service appointment to get this fault addressed and hope that they will fix it at no cost to us.

NHTSA ODI 11560069

Unknown

NHTSA ODI 11559604

The issue I am having is already documented in this TSB: [XXX] I feel this should be a recall, not just a TSB as it is a safety issue which can cause the seatbelt pre-tensioners to fail. If may fail at the time of a collision with no previous notice and cause the pre-tensioner to not work in the event of a collision. This should be repaired free of cost by Tesla. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11559264

The front suspension lateral link fasteners on the driver side wheel came loose and fell off the car in my driveway when I was backing up the car. There is an active recall for this issue - 23V235000, but my VIN wasn't included in that recall.

NHTSA ODI 11557934

Driver side compliance link bushing and lateral link bushing were both torn and required replacement of entire lateral and compliance links. Major suspension components failing when the vehicle has only 27k miles is unacceptable and unsafe, potentially effecting drivability. Obviously poor quality parts were used during manufacturing and replacements should be covered by recall or goodwill regardless of whether the vehicle is under warranty or not. I found several online articles describing this problem and it is a known issue. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] The Tesla service manager admitted the problem, stating he sees a lot of control arm and bushing problems. Yet Tesla refused to stand behind their product, and charged nearly $1500 for the repairs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11557793

First Occurrence (5 Oct 2023): On 5 Oct 2023, as I was backing my 2018 Tesla Model 3 into a parking spot, I heard a loud metallic sound as I turned the wheels. I stopped the car to investigate and found a large bolt (about four inches long) under the front end of the car. Further inspection revealed that a similar bolt was partially backed out of the steering linkage. I also noticed the left front wheel was no longer aligned with the right front wheel. I determined the car was not drivable and I had it flat-bedded to the nearest Tesla Service Center. The service center diagnosed that the bolt had fallen out of the left lateral link and the other bolt had partially backed out. Inspection of the bolt that was recovered under the car showed no sign of wear and tear with the threads being in good condition. After the repair was completed, I asked for this bolt back for the record, but the Service Center said they no longer had the bolt. Before the repair was performed, I asked the Tesla service manager to try to determine why this bolt may have fallen out and the other bolt partially backing out. He inspected the car as well as investigating past Tesla service history and there was no evidence of damage or a repair that would have caused this issue. Second Occurrence (20 Oct 2023): On 20 Oct 2023, just 9 days after the repaired car was returned, I heard the same loud mechanical sound and scrapping noises while parking the car. I looked under the car and found the bolts on the right lateral link had started to back out. I returned the car to the service center on 21 Oct 2023 for a second repair. I voiced concern that this was a continued safety issue as bolts on critical steering and alignment components should not just back out. Fortunately, the bolts fell or backed out in a parking lot and not while travelling at 70 mph ---- potentially resulting in a serious accident and injury. NHTSA Recall 23V-235 should be expanded to more VINs.

NHTSA ODI 11557065

The Power conversion system (PCS) failed during driving, disabling the rear motor and regenerative braking. This severely affected the driving characteristics of the vehicle, including top speed, braking profile and handling.

NHTSA ODI 11556810

Intermittently over the past two months, the vehicle has been showing error code RCM_a056 with the accompanying message: Front passenger safety restraint system fault Service is required I reached out to Tesla and the service estimate was nearly $1500 to replace the Airbag "to maintain compatibility with Front Passenger Seat" for $942 and $414 to replace the Occupant Classification System (OCS) of Front Passenger Seat plus taxes. Basically, they want to replace the airbag and the seat sensor system. Many people on the forums have reported the same issue, which is sometimes fixed by replacing both components, just the sensor, or reseating the sensor cable. This is clearly a safety issue caused by a defect and these critical components should not fail this catastrophically in just 5+ years.

NHTSA ODI 11556336

"Self-Driving System" turned into a one-way road, going the wrong way when the road was well labeled. I have had similar problems every time I have activated self-driving over the past 6 years. It is easy to reproduce the issue at any time.

NHTSA ODI 11556338

I kept getting notifications indicating that there was a Front passenger safety restraint system fault - RCM_a056. On reaching out to Tesla service, I received an estimate for more than $2000 to fix and they appear to be replacing the seat, occupant classification system or sensor, and also Front passenger airbag. I found many instances of this issue on online forums(with different error codes) and I am worried that this may be a widespread safety issue related to the seat belts or corresponding components which may prevent them from detecting occupants or failing to prevent injury in case of a crash.

NHTSA ODI 11556372

The adaptive cruise control (Autopilot) suddenly applied the brakes while I was traveling about 70 MPH on a major interstate highway. There was no reason for the sudden and rapid braking. No obstacles of any kind. I suspect the Autopilot was confused with the shade of the road from asphalt to concrete as I approached a small bridge. Software version on the vehicle is 2023.38.6.

NHTSA ODI 11555893

The steering wheel assistance reduced. Couldn’t turn steering wheel while driving. Happened two times. Last time happened today 11/18/2023 at about 1:30pm

NHTSA ODI 11555835

I have been receiving an error message that there is a safety restraint system failure. I reached out for service and have been advised it will cost $195 minimum just for them to tell me if my safety is at risk. I don’t understand how if there is a safety issue regardless of being out of warranty why I should be responsible for their systems failing in a 5 year old car

NHTSA ODI 11555665

Vehicle displays alert "Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault." Tesla repaired my vehicle last year for this same alert and now it has returned. Tesla claims the Occupant Classification System and passenger airbag must now be replaced. These critical safety components should not fail only 5 years after I purchased this vehicle. Many other Tesla owners report this same issue indicating it is a safety-related defect.

NHTSA ODI 11555169

I lose all steering assist while driving, have no power assist

NHTSA ODI 11554795

Front left tire control arm completely separated from suspension with no obvious warning. Fortunately happened while backing out of driveway otherwise could have been catastrophic on street/freeway.

NHTSA ODI 11554716