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

I was driving using beta full self driving feature, and the vehicle was involved in a collision

NHTSA ODI 11509538

You have many reports of Tesla Model 3 ball joint failures. The ball joints are failing due to lack of lubrication. If an owner complains enough Tesla will squirt some lube in and reseal with silicon goop. Owners are even DIYing with WD40. Here is a Tesla in the junkyard with upperball-joint popped apart and all other ball-joints busted. https://www.iaai.com/VehicleDetail/33393366~US Just wondering when you might get around to demanding a recall. Thanks Your friend Keef. Say Hello to Elon for me.

NHTSA ODI 11461981

HERE IS A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/53850990/PHOTOS/2019-TESLA-MODEL-3-PA-PITTSBURGH-NORTH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE IS COMPLETELY SMASHED IN. JUDGING BY THE FACT THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED AND THAT THERE IS NO BLOOD SPLATTER ON THE DASHBOARD IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS UNOCCUPIED. THIS IS VERY FORTUNATE. TURNING NOW TO THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE CRASH, THE FRONT SUSPENSION IS IN PIECES. THE STEM OF THE LOWER BALL-JOINT HAS SNAPPED AND SO HAVE MOST OF THE OTHER GIBLETS. THE TIRE HAS HAD ALL THE TREAD WORN OFF. THE TREAD ON THE OTHER TIRES IS IN GOOD CONDITION. GIVEN THE KNOWN WEAKNESSES OF TESLA BALL-JOINTS AND CASTINGS THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL IN CHINA IT IS A NEAR CERTAINTY THAT THE SUSPENSION FELL TO BITS CAUSING THE TIRE TO BE SHREDDED AND THEN THINGS WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE. WHY DON'T YOU FOLLOW THE LEAD OF CHINA AND GET THESE JUNK-HEAPS OFF THE ROADS? YOURS IN DISGUST. KEEF

NHTSA ODI 11366782

PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE USED THE VIN OF ANOTHER 2019 MODEL 3 TO SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT SINCE THE VIN OF THE BADLY MANGLED CAR WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS COMPLAINT IS INDECIPHERABLE. HERE IS MANGLED MODEL 3 IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/52448180/PHOTOS/2019-TESLA-MODEL-3-IN-INDIANAPOLIS FROM THE CONDITION OF THE WRECK AND THE BIO-HAZARD MARKINGS IT IS A CERTAINTY THAT OCCUPANTS HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINT HAS POPPED APART. THIS CAN ONLY HAPPEN IF THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR IF THE BALL HAS WORN DOWN DUE TO POOR LUBRICATION. MANY OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT SQUEAKING BALL JOINTS AND SOME HAVE RESORTED TO PUNCTURING THE RUBBER BOOT AND INJECTING SPRAY LUBRICANT. EVEN IN SUCH A SEVERE CRASH THE BALL JOINT SHOULD NOT HAVE POPPED APART LIKE THIS. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THIS BALL JOINT FAILURE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. IN THE PHOTOGRAPH BALLJOINTFATAL2 YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A FLAT SECTION WORN AWAY ON THE TIRE TREAD. TESLAS HAVE ANTI-LOCK-BRAKING SYSTEM. THE ONLY WAY FOR A WHEEL TO TOTALLY JAM UP AND SKID IS BY MEANS OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE PRIOR TO THE CRASH. IT IS DISGRACEFUL THAT YOUR ORGANISATION DOES NOT DEMAND THAT TESLA RECALL THESE DEADLY CARS. PLEASE TAKE ACTION. THANK YOU KEEF. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH I HAVE USED A SUBSTITUTE VIN THIS SUBMISSION IS ENTIRELY HONEST AND FACTUAL AND I HAVE SUPPLIED MY GENUINE CONTACT DETAILS. NUMBER OF DEATHS AND INJURIES IS AN ESTIMATE BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF CRASH DAMAGE. DATE OF CRASH AND SPEED OF VEHICLE ARE ESTIMATES. MILEAGE OF VEHICLE IS AN ESTIMATE. I DENY THE CLAIM BY ELON MUSK THAT MY COMPLAINTS ARE FRAUDULENT AND INTENDED TO DAMAGE THE TSLA SHARE VALUE.

NHTSA ODI 11364724

HERE IS A 2019 MODEL 3 IN THE JUNKYARD HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/37069661?ROWNUMBER=1 IT HAS BEEN IN A MAJOR CRASH. THE TREAD ON THE FRONT RH TIRE HAS BEEN RUBBED COMPLETELY AWAY. THE TOP BALL-JOINT HAS POPPED APART. IT IS UNUSUAL FOR GOOD QUALITY BALL-JOINTS TO POP APART EVEN AFTER AN IMPACT. BEARING IN MIND THAT THE TOP WISHBONE ON A MODEL 3 IS MADE FROM PLASTIC IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT A LARGE FORCE WAS TRANSMITTED TO THE BALL JOINT. IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS LIKE THIS. A SUSPENSION PART FAILED WHILST THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AND THIS CAUSED THE TIRE TO RUB AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL UNTIL THE TIRE FINALLY BURST. THEN THE CAR CRASHED. THAT'S IT. WOULD YOU PLEASE ISSUE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET KILLED. THANK YOU. KEEF PLEASE NOTE THAT DATE OF INCIDENT AND DETAILS OF INJURIES ARE JUST ESTIMATES.

NHTSA ODI 11348712

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FULL VIN OF THE CAR I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT IS UNKNOWN AND THEREFORE I HAVE USED THE VIN OF ANOTHER WRECKED 2019 MODEL 3 TO SUBMIT THIS REPORT. HERE IS A DAMAGED TESLA IN A SALVAGE AUCTION IN GERMANY. HTTPS://WWW.COPART.DE/LOT/50047705/PHOTOS NO AIRBAGS HAVE DEPLOYED AND THE CAR IS ALMOST UNDAMAGED EXCEPT THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS FALLEN TO BITS. THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THAT THE BALL JOINT OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAS SNAPPED. ALSO THE BALL JOINT THAT ATTACHES THE STEERING ARM HAS SNAPPED OFF WHICH IS EXTREMELY ALARMING. PART OF THE CAST ALUMINIUM LOWER ARM HAS SNAPPED OFF. THE MANUFACTURING STANDARDS AND QUALITY CONTROL OF TESLA SUSPENSION COMPONENTS IS APPALLING. RATHER THAN REPORTING THESE DEFECTS BACK TO THE FACTORY AND TO THE NHTSA THESE FAILURES ARE BEING SYSTEMATICALLY COVERED UP. QUITE OBVIOUSLY THE GERMAN OWNER OF THIS CAR WILL NOT BE REPORTING THIS TO NHTSA SO I AM DOING MY BEST AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. THE TESLA FAN CLUB IS NOT VERY PLEASED THAT I AM DOING THIS. SUCH IS LIFE. REGARDS KEEF

NHTSA ODI 11306419

I WISH TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT A TESLA MODEL 3 IN THE INTEREST OF HUMAN SAFETY. THIS IS CONCERNING THE ISSUE OF BATTERY FIRES. I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS SO FAR GONE UNREPORTED. HERE IS A MODEL 3 IN THE SALVAGE AUCTION YARD THAT HAS BEEN ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS?ITEMID=34394730&ROWNUMBER=2&SIMILARVEHICLEITEMID=&ISNEXT=&LOADRECENT=TRUE THE CAR IS SO BADLY BURNED THAT THE VIN IS NOT ABLE TO BE DETERMINED BUT THE AUCTION SITE WOULD HAVE THAT RECORD. I HAVE SUBSTITUTED THE VIN OF ANOTHER WRECKED MODEL 3 IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS REPORT. THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT POST ON TESLA MOTORS CLUB FORUM WHICH PROVIDES PHOTOS OF THE FIRE SCENE ON THE HIGHWAY AT VACAVILLE AND THE IMAGES MATCH THE JUNKYARD CAR. IT SEEMS THAT TESLA IS USING THE "RAN OVER A TRAILER HITCH ON THE ROADWAY" AKA "CAT ATE MY HOMEWORK" EXCUSE AGAIN BUT LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS IT SEEMS THAT A WHOMPY WHEEL IS THE MORE LIKELY CAUSE. HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/ANOTHER-TESLA-FIRE.175198/ **** DDAWSON, TODAY AT 9:51 AM VACAVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAR FIRE. I WAS TOLD THE OWNER RAN OVER A TRAILER HITCH THAT FELL OFF A TRUCK. I BELIEVE ITS A 3. NO ONE HURT AT LEAST.. **** AND *** THIS STORY ACTUALLY DID RUN ON THE 11:00 NEWS, SUNDAY NOV. 24TH, ON KPIX (OUR LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE). IT WAS REPORTED BY BRIAN HACKNEY. THE STORY WASN'T CLEAR ABOUT WHERE THE FIRE TOOK PLACE, OTHER THAN IN VACAVILLE WHERE THERE DOES HAPPEN TO BE A SUPERCHARGER. THEY SHOWED THE SAME DRAMATIC IMAGE OF THE BURNED-OUT CAR. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED HERE. THE WEIRD PART IS THAT THE KPIX WEBSITE NEVER SHOWED THE STORY. I SEARCHED AFTERWARD, AND THE OTHER STORIES REPORTED THAT NIGHT (INCLUDING THE ONE ABOUT PRIUS CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS) WERE ALL UP, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE** PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11282556