What 434 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Tesla Model 3 Bev

The car broke down completely saying that "Electrical system failure". It is immobile. This is dangerous as I was driving on the freeway and it suddenly started showing lot of warnings. Warning included "12v power system failure", "Electrical system failure". "Brakes might not work". Somehow I got in to the garage and the car is now immobile. It does not even lock. It is in the same condition as I parked. Cannot open other doors. This could have been life threatening if it had stopped on the freeway. With the price and safety rating, I never expected Tesla to have total failure.

NHTSA ODI 11491766

The 12 volt battery on my T2020 Tesla Model 3 failed without warning last week when I entered the driver's side and closed the door. There was a very brief warning on the control screen that the "12 volt battery should be replaced soon." Then the screen went blank and all controls to the car were rendered inoperable. I could not open the door. I had to go on line on my mobile phone to the Tesla website to get the manual to remind myself how to use the mechanical latch on the door. I then exited the car, and could not re-enter the car. My biggest concern is that if a child or an animal were in the back seat there would be NO WAY to get them out without breaking a window. The Tesla technician came the next day to change the 12 volt battery. To do this on a Tesla Model 3, he first had to use an external 12 volt battery to open the "frunk", which he did. However, the car's 12 volt battery was so dead that he could not jump it. He then had to "break in to the car" by inserting a pneumatic pillow into the driver's side window so that he could insert a coat hangar he made himself (he told me Tesla does not supply them!). It took him about an hour of fumbling before he was able to open the mechanical latch on the driver's door; this allowed him to disconnect the main battery unit below the rear seat so he would not be electrocuted when he changed the 12 volt battery in the frunk. So even if I had had a set of jumper cables and an eternal battery at the time the car's 12 volt battery failed, I would have had to break a window to get into the car to rescue a child or animal who might have been trapped in the car. This is clearly a design flaw that should be corrected to improve the safety of a car that I otherwise like very much. I should mention that the Tesla technician said he was seeing a lot of these 12 volt battery failures; he had 4 more to address that very day. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11491050

The contact's husband owned a 2020 Tesla Model 3. According to a police report, while traveling at 70 MPH, the vehicle veered across three lanes of traffic and hit a light pole. The contact was wearing a seatbelt and the air bags deployed upon impact. The paramedics arrived at the scene; her husband was intubated and taken to the hospital. Her husband was pronounced brain dead due to injuries suffered in the accident and passed away two weeks later. According to the police report, witnesses stated that no effort was made by her husband to avoid or slow down prior to the collision. The contact disputes this claim and stated that her husband was not a reckless driver and would not have intentionally hit a light pole. The contact believed that the cause of the accident may have been related to a mechanical failure and would like an additional investigation conducted about the accident. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard and destroyed. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11473666

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle. There was a warning message to take control of the vehicle displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V063000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance). The approximate failure mileage was 9,800.

NHTSA ODI 11465978

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while her granddaughter was reversing, the rearview camera failed to turn on, causing the rear end of the vehicle to crash into a cement post. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla-certified autobody mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 400. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11462762

Need to ship vehicle to Hawaii however the remedy for the active recall is currently unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11457747

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rear camera would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact had previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) but stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11454079

Car will brake without any warning and with not reason to brake. Many complaints I’ve read online call this phantom braking. It has happened over ten times now and can be extremely dangerous as it will brake the car almost instantly and I have almost been rear ended because of it. Only matter of time before this happens and it results in a wreck.

NHTSA ODI 11451351

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on the right side of the road at 35-45 MPH, on autopilot mode with a passenger in the front passenger seat, the vehicle drove off the road independently and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's face hit the steering wheel. The contact sustained a black eye with laceration, bruised ribs, head, neck and back pain, sprained left ankle, bruises on her thigh, may have sustained nerve damage on the right side of the face that hit the steering wheel and sciatic nerve damage on the right side of her body. The occupant of the front passenger seat sustained neck, back and clavicle injuries. The contact sought medical assistance the next day. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, then it was towed to a Tesla certified specialist body shop. A police report was filed. The contact has not been able to get a hold of the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11449119

The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 60 MPH on autopilot, she lost control of the vehicle due to an unknown reason. Once his wife lost control of the vehicle, she had run the vehicle into a fence. The airbags deployed upon impact. The contact's wife did not suffer any injuries and did not seek any medical attention. A police report was filed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact filled out a form online to recover the data from the vehicle but was later informed that only California residence could have access to that information. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

NHTSA ODI 11439769

While turning into a parking spot in a covered parking garage the car seemed to speed up and lurch. It hit the cement wall and pushed the car back with such force the air bags deployed. Thank God it was just a wall. The car is now at the repair garage and have not heard back regarding how much damage and if the car is going to be "totaled". When I mentioned this at a party we were at, a friend of mine said she had the same problem. There were no collision warnings. It happened in a split second. The parking garage was at my Doctors office so I was able to have my wrist x-ryed right then. No serious injury. Just a little leary of driving this model car if not any electric vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11438921

THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE BETA RELEASE AUTOPILOT. A RANDOM MODEL 3 VIN HAS BEEN USED TO BE ABLE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THIS COMPLAINT APPLIES TO ALL MODELS OF TESLA. HERE IS A VIDEO OF A PROUD BETA TESTER. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=PQ-RGY1V8UG THIS OWNER HAS A MISPLACED TRUST IN THE SAFETY OF THE AUTOPILOT. HE IS USING IT IN HIGH RAFFIC AREAS WITH PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS HE IS ALSO USING IT AT EXCESSIVE SPEED ON NARROW ROADS ONLY INCHES AWAY FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC. RATHER THAN HAVING HIS HANDS HOLDING THE WHEEL IN THE CORRECT WAY HE ONLY HAS HIS FINGERS TOUCHING THE WHEEL WITH THE PALMS FACING THE WRONG WAY. IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG HE WILL NOT BE ABLE GRAB THE WHEEL PROPERLY IN TIME TO PREVENT A COLLISION. FINGERTIP DRIVING IS UNSAFE AT THE BEST OF TIMES. IF AUTOPILOT HAS A GLITCH OR A SPASM THE DRIVER WOULD BE UNABLE TO QUICKLY REGAIN CONTROL. DESPITE THE CLAIMS OF ELON MUSK SUCH DRIVER BEHAVIOR DOES NOT LEAD TO THE BEAT RELEASE AUTOPILOT BEING REVOKED. THIS EXPERIMENT IS DEADLY. PLEASE GET IT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU KEEF.

NHTSA ODI 11402970

FROM THE MOMENT I DROVE MY BRAND NEW TESLA OFF THE LOT - THE SCREEN - THE ONLY WAY TO CONTROL ANYTHING ABOUT THE VEHICLE - WOULD FREEZE; BLACK OUT; AND TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES TO RESET ITSELF. WHILE IN THIS COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE STATE: THE AUDIO SYSTEM WOULD EMIT A HIGH PITCH NOISE; ANY ABILITY TO TELL SPEED; TURNING SIGNAL STATUS; ANYTHING WAS COMPLETELY IMPAIRED; THE CLIMATE CONTROL BLASTS ON HIGH FAN A TORRENT OF COLD AIR. AT 2000 MILES; THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES - ON AVERAGE ONCE EVERY 10 MILES DRIVEN; THOUGH SOMETIMES TWICE WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS (BOOTS UP ONLY TO RESET AGAIN) AND SOMETIMES IT CAN GO AS FAR AS 30 MINUTES WITHOUT FREEZE; BLACK; RESET. THIS IS EASILY THE MOST EXPENSIVE CAR I'VE EVER PURCHASED; AND HAD NEARLY 0 MILES UPON PICKUP - IT IS EASILY THE MOST FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD WITH A CAR. TO NOT BE IN CONTROL OR HAVE ANY VISIBILITY TO THE MACHINE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN EVERYTHING GOES COMPLETELY BLACK AND THE COMPUTER TAKES MINUTES TO RESET. THE REPAIR FACILITY HAS ESTIMATED $2400 WHICH THEY'RE ATTEMPTING TO CHARGE ME.

NHTSA ODI 11376292

CHARGING PORT, PLASTIC TIP OF ONE OF THE CHARGING PINS BROKE OFF AND WAS STILL INSIDE THE PORT. IT WAS OBSTRUCTING THE CHARGING HANDLE, NOT ALLOWING IT TO FULLY SEAT. THE CAR WAS SHOWING AN ERROR MESSAGE SAYING THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHARGING CABLE. I FOUND THE OBSTRUCTION AND REMOVED IT WITH A TOOTHPICK. THE ERROR MESSAGE WENT AWAY HOWEVER ONE CHARGING PIN IS NOW MISSING ITS PLASTIC TIP. THE ONE I REMOVED FROM THE PORT WAS BROKEN AND UNUSABLE. CAR HAS ONLY 5000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE NOTED IN ANOTHER SERVICE BULLETIN THAT SAYS IT ONLY AFFECTS 2018 VEHICLES. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT TRUE. THIS CAR IS A 2020 AND IT IS STILL HAPPENING.

NHTSA ODI 11354604

WHILE NAVIGATING ON AUTOPILOT ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR TOOK THE INTENDED EXIT RAMP, HOWEVER NEVER SLOWED DOWN UNTIL I HAD TO INTERVENE. REMINISCENT OF THE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH LED TO THE RECENT FATAL CRASH REPORTED OVER THE LAST WEEK.

NHTSA ODI 11297817