What 980 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Right front upper control arm began making noise and was replaced under warranty at 42k miles in Sept 2019. Left front upper control arm failed around 50k miles and caused a wreck resulting in $8,365 in damages in April 2021. When fixing one side it is standard to replace the other and Tesla was negligent. Upon fixing the left side suspension at Blue Ash Auto Body in 2021, the brake caliper came loose while driving on the highway while on a vacation. This caused an additional $1500 or so in charges. Both of these incidents put my life and my son's life in danger. About a week or two after the caliper problem, Tesla issued a recall for that part stating that it is now single use only.

NHTSA ODI 11643968

Tesla Model 3 autopilot engaged. The car steered itself off the road and into a tree as it was accelerating on a residential street from 8 mph to approx. 30 mph.

NHTSA ODI 11583340

THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT SUSPENSION FAILURES IN TESLAS. THERE HAS BEEN A CRASH IN ITALY WHICH IS ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSED BY A BROKEN SUSPENSION. THE VIN OF A JUNKYARD TESLA HAS BEEN USED TO COMPLETE THIS ONLINE SUBMISSION SINCE THE VIN OF THE CAR IS UNKNOWN. THE CRASH INJURED 2 PEOPLE. HTTPS://LADIGE.IT/TERRITORI/RIVA-ARCO/2021/04/11/RIVA-LA-LUSSUOSA-TESLA-SI-SCHIANTA-IN-GALLERIA-FERITI-UN-RAGAZZO-DI-PINZOLO-E-UNA-RAGAZZA-DI-TORBOLE-1.2884987#2 THE CRASH SCENE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW A TESLA WITH 3 WHEELS. THE BACK WHEEL HAS FALLEN OFF. SKID MARKS ON THE ROAD SHOW ONLY 3 TIRE MARKS. THESE SKID MARKS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE DRIVER INTENTIONALLY SWERVING AND BRAKING PLEASE INCLUDE THIS CRASH IN YOUR INVESTIGATION INTO TESLA SUSPENSION FAILURES. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11408001

SORRY TO TROUBLE YOU AGAIN ...BUT.. HERE IS A MODEL 3 IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/37236422?ROWNUMBER=9 THE SUSPENSION FELL OFF AND IT'S LYING ON THE GROUND. HAVE A LOOK PLEASE. THIS IS NOT GOOD. NOT GOOD AT ALL. THANK YOU. KEEF

NHTSA ODI 11351734

DRIVING ON THE 101 FREEWAY IN SANTA BARBARA. ROAD WAS WET AFTER A LIGHT RAIN AT AROUND 6:30AM. WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE, VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC, ON A WIDE CURVE. WAS NOT SPEEDING, ACCELERATING, BRAKING OR STEERING. WAS NOT USING AUTOPILOT. TIRES HAD 11,000 MILES AND TREAD WAS STILL GOOD. CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN SPUN OUT OF CONTROL, TURNING 180 DEGREES AND CRASHED AGAINST A CONCRETE CENTER DIVIDER. I HAVE A VIDEO SAVED FROM THE CAR'S CAMERAS OF THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT. YOU CAN SEE A CAR PRECEDING ME IN THE SAME LANE AT A SIMILAR SPEED, WAS NOT AFFECTED. WHEN DRIVING THE TESLA ON OTHER RAINING DAYS DURING THE YEAR I HAD THE SENSATION THAT THE CAR DID NOT HANDLE WELL ON WET ROADS, SLIPPING WHEN ACCELERATING. THE INSURANCE NOW OWNS THE CAR SO I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE BLACK BOX BUT I KNOW THAT TESLA HAS THE DATA FROM THE CRASH WHICH THEY ARE NOT SHARING WITH ME. THE CALLED ME 10 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH NOTING THAT I HAD CRASHED AND ASKED ME IF I WAS OK. A SHORT VIDEO OF THE CRASH IS AVAILABLE HERE: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/GYQYXGEOT94 I HAVE VIDEO FROM THE OTHER CAMERAS TOO, AS WELL AS VIDEO FOOTAGE BEFORE THIS SEGMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11297537

ON 11/28/19 AT AROUND 5:30-6:00AM, WHILE DRIVING ON THE 5 SOUTH FREEWAY NEAR THE ATLANTIC AVE OFF RAMP, THE CAR SWERVED TO THE RIGHT ON ITS OWN. I COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR'IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RESPOND TO ME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I DON'T KNOW IF THE SIDE CAMERA THOUGHT THE SUV WAS VEERING INTO MY LANE BECAUSE THE RAIN DISTORTED ITS VIEW OR WHAT BUT IT WAS VERY SCARY. IT WAS AS IF THE CAR WAS DRIVING ITSELF EVEN THOUGH AUTOPILOT WAS NOT ON. I COULD NOT RIGHT THE CAR AFTER THE INITIAL SWERVE, IT KEPT ON GOING, HEADING TOWARDS THE EXIT BUT ENDED UP GOING OVER AN EMBANKMENT, HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A TREE BEFORE TURNING AND SIDESWIPING IT AND COMING TO A STOP. THANK GOODNESS NO ONE WAS HURT. IT WAS STILL DARK AND IT WAS RAINING BUT NOT POURING. THE FREEWAY WAS EMPTY. I WAS IN THE 3RD LANE AND THERE WAS A BLACK SUV RIGHT NEXT TO ME IN THE LANE #2. I DID NOT SEE IT VEER INTO ME; WE WERE BOTH GOING ABOUT 70MPH IN OUR OWN LANES. I HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL, NO MUSIC WAS PLAYING AND AUTOPILOT WAS NOT ON'THOUGH NAVIGATION ON AUTOPILOT WAS ACTIVATED. I CONTACTED TESLA RIGHT AWAY AND THEY TEXTED THAT THE INCIDENT TEAM AND ENGINEERING TEAM WERE LOOKING INTO IT, DOWNLOADING THE DATA (I DID NOT HAVE A USB SO I DON'T HAVE ANY RECORDING OF ANYTHING). SO FAR, I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THESE TESLA TEAMS AND MY CAR STILL HAS COLLISION DAMAGE AS THE TESLA REP I SPOKE WITH ADVISED ME TO WAIT ON THE FINDINGS AND NOT TO CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY IN CASE THEY FIND TESLA'S AT FAULT. TESLA SERVICE CENTER DID CHECK OUT MY CAR ON 12/2/19 AND RELEASED IT TO ME, DEEMING THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR IN THE RAIN WHILE IT'S DARK SINCE. I'VE JUST RECENTLY REALIZED THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATES THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS AND THOUGHT I SHOULD REACH OUT.

NHTSA ODI 11297507