What 592 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Tesla Model 3 (all Variants)

The Tesla was hit on the passenger side by a Honda civic that ran a red light traveling more than 25 mph The Tesla spun 180 degrees after impact. No airbags deployed. Immediately after impact the Tesla turned on hazard lights. However the vehicle would not come to a stop after pressing on the brakes. After impact the vehicle was coasting backwards at probably less than 5-6 mph. It would not respond to brake presses. Oddly the vehicle had regen braking enabled which should have brought it to a stop, but it didn’t. The vehicle kept coasting backwards as if it was in neutral for about 20 meters until it hit a curb and stopped. BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK!!!

NHTSA ODI 11734115

Brakes failed to stop the car. The car sat at Tesla service center for one month with no action from Tesla.My wife rear ended another car. The air bags deployed. No one was injuryed and the other was not damaged. Both people could have been seriously hurt or killed. Car was finally towed to Classic Collision November 24 by State Farm Insurance for repair. Estimate to be repaired January 8, 2026.

NHTSA ODI 11706446

The NHTSA is forcing Tesla and other self-driving cars to come to a complete 0 mph stop at stop signs and according to Elon, only 0.5% of all drivers in their fleet actually do this and that seems inline with the general public also doesn't come to a 100% stop at every stop sign and as a result I got rear-ended because in a completely wide-open intersection the driver behind me thought I was going to do a rolling stop but didn't. The point of the NHTSA is to keep drivers safe and driving like a safe driver and not a robot that follows 100% of all road rules makes an unpredictable driver therefore an unsafe driver. The NHTSA has allowed car manufacturers like Volvo set max cruise control to 125 mph!!!! That breaks the speed limit on 99.999% of all roads in America but you've allowed it for years because everyone goes above the speed limit and that's ok with the NHTSA. Letting self driving cars slow to 1 or 2 mph before proceeding in an intersection where no other cars or people are present aligns with what over 99% of all drivers do so that would make them a predictable driver and therefore a safe driver. Not saying allow them to blow through intersections at 3+ mph but not come to a 100% stop, seriously no one does that!!

NHTSA ODI 11541458

Multiple extreme braking so much where today actually hurt my neck it stopped so abruptly up a hill miscalculating that a walker was about to be hit by my car, the man was nowhere near being hit and the auto braking skid to a halt whipping my head forward and my sweatshirt choked my Adams Apple area. It was extremely abrupt, scared me, the walker and nearly caused a rear end collision with the car behind me. This has happened a lot in the past 3 months yet I’ve had the car for over 4 years so I am assuming something is wrong with the software updates - it’s super scary not to have control of your own car. Also, I can opt out of auto braking on my car yet that’s not what I’m reporting, I’m reporting the fact that it’s phantom braking miscalculating street situations and causing dangers to me, my passengers and others like I’ve described above. Also noticed recently, when I hit the gas, it’s often the car doesn’t “go” it pauses and then may go with similar miscalculation of street situations like pedestrians on a adjacent sidewalk or motorcycles in between cars yet literally the Tesla won’t let me move…this isn’t safe.

NHTSA ODI 11524916

On 10/17/2021 my son was killed along with his passenger in this Tesla. The car was thought to be going over 100 miles an hour on a city road Coconut Point Road in Estero Florida. The car was thought to have hit a tree with the rear tire and was sent flying through the air and hit another tree and split in half. My son knew this road well as it was close to his home and drove it on his way home from work. I feel strongly that this was an acceleration issue!! He has driven this car for 2 years, so knew the car well.

NHTSA ODI 11524321

My wife was dropping my kid in the school drop off line. The speed was probably about 5 mph. The Tesla suddenly went into a sudden spontaneous acceleration. When my wife tried to brake, the brakes did not work. There was no forward collision warning beeping sound that went off, which is supposed to. It hit the vehicle in front and finally hit a fence. so, both the accelerator and brake malfunctioned. The car will go to a body shop tomorrow. Since it was a school drop off zone, safety of a lot of people were put at risk. It was very hard to get Tesla on the phone. so, we went into a Tesla service center and a complaint was filed. They will be reviewing the data but I dont know how long it will take. A software update had been applied a week back. 2 hours after the accident, a software update screen popped up

NHTSA ODI 11522124

I, DEPUTY A. SABRSULA #5090 WITH TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HIGHWAY ENFORCEMENT UNIT RESPONDED TO A COLLISION ON LAGUNA CLIFF RD. A FEMALE BACKED OUT OF HER DRIVEWAY, AND UPON PLACING HER VEHICLE IN "DRIVE" MODE, THE TESLA "TOOK OFF OUT OF NO WHERE" AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE THROUGH A NEIGHBORS FRONT GATE/FENCE CLUSTER AND THROUGH THEIR YARD. THE VEHICLE THEN WENT THROUGH ANOTHER SECTION OF FENCE AND CAME TO A FINAL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD. I NOTED THERE WAS ZERO EVIDENCE OF ANY TYPE OF BRAKES BEING APPLIED (SKID MARKS, GRASS RUTS, ETC). THE FEMALE STATED SHE ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO APPLY THE BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD. I ATTEMPTED TO LOAD MY PHOTOS FROM THE CRASH BUT THE FILES ARE TOO LARGE.

NHTSA ODI 11375795

I TURNED INTO A PERPENDICULAR PARKING SPACE IN A HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT. I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR AS THE CAR INCHED CLOSER TO THE CURB. AS I BEGAN TO PRESS THE BRAKE TO BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD, JUMPED THE CURB, CROSSED THE GRASS MEDIAN AND COME TO REST ON THE HOOD OF ANOTHER CAR. I KNOW MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME AND CONTEND THAT THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A VEHICLE MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA ODI 11278152

MY TESLA MODEL 3 JUST SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS I WAS TURNING RIGHT TRYING TO THE LOT TO PARK THE CAR. MY CAR HIT THE WALL AND THEN THE HAZARD LIGHT CAME ON.

NHTSA ODI 11231846