What 650 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Bev

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while using a self-driving mode at 50 mph, it would not stay in the lane and drive slowly into the next lane. The contact stated on April 9, 2023, while using a self-driving mode at 15 mph, a pedestrian walked into the lane and the vehicle did not detect the person and hit the pedestrian. No air bags deployed. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The pedestrian sustained an unknown fractured leg and a fractured arm and sought medical attention for his injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla collision shop and had the front windshield replaced. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer but was informed no failure was detected. The vehicle was not repaired and continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,570.

NHTSA ODI 11533171

1:Brake fail when trying to stop the car after the accident. The car is available for inspection at Arrow towing service Oklahoma City. 2: After the car accident the car keep going can't stop got Tee boned and my passenger broke his legs and ankles, elbow. 3: No, the problem has not be discussed with the dealer or manufacturer yet. 4: No one, including police, insurance have been inspect it. 5: No warning lamp or any kind of warning.

NHTSA ODI 11527815

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH as he was exiting a highway and slowing for a traffic signal at the bottom of the off-ramp his brakes failed to engage. The contact stated the brake pedal was stiff and he had attempted to use full leg force to depress the brake pedal. The contact's vehicle ran the traffic signal and the contact stated he hit the right front end of a vehicle that was across traffic from him. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the crash stopped his vehicle and the other vehicle. The contact said that the air bags had been deployed and that the left front end of his vehicle was crushed into the left wheel well. The contact stated that the other vehicle received only light damage to the right end of the bumper due to it being higher than his vehicle. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and filed a report. The other vehicle was able to drive away, and the contact's vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact stated that his insurance provider declared the contact's vehicle a total loss. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that prior to the crash he had attempted to engage his cruise control while on the highway and it would not work. The contact stated that when he engaged the cruise control the windshield wipers would activate and he stopped attempting to use cruise control. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 11522497

i am slowly coming into the driveway. All of a sudden the car accelrated while i was applying brake. the air bags didn't come on either. it hit the car in front which then got pushed into the garage

NHTSA ODI 11507658

Autopilot failed. Driver had head, neck injuries , and the passenger had head, neck, and knee injuries. CRASH REPORT: Date - 1/14/23; Time - 10:30 am. NCIC Number - 9565; Officer's Name: Garduno #22857

NHTSA ODI 11502891

Trip from Piedmont, California to Salt Lake City, Utah, I experienced three (x3) phantom breaking incidents at over 80 mph on interstate 1-80. The car without warning dramatically de-accelerated from approximately 85mph to 65mph or 60mph without warning and suddenly. Dog was riding in back and thrown into front dashboard on one occasion. Visited Tesla dealership on State St in Salt Lake City Utah upon destination arrival and manager/head at front desk laughed indicents off saying, "we've heard of such incidents just wait for the software update." Horrible. Beyond dangerous. I can report that in all three incidents there were no cars in front or behind me and the phenonenon occurred totally unexpectedly. Reported it also to Tesla repair shop in Berkeley, California, and intake group had zero sympathy and said, "it's a known software glitch."

NHTSA ODI 11501524

The steering system malfunctioned. Yes it is available for inspection. The car turned across oncoming traffic turning the vehicle 180 degrees leaving me facing oncoming traffic during rush hour. I could have died in a horrific accident. The service center for the vehicle sulfate they will not evaluate vehicle until body damage to vehicle are repaired. The vehicle had no notifications or warnings prior to the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11483586

I was driving SB on N Gate Rd in Vacaville, approaching the gate for Travis AFB. There was traffic backed up at the gate and I put the car into Autopilot to negotiate the stop and go traffic. I had been in Autopilot for maybe 50 yards when the car suddenly accelerated on it's own and veered to the right. The brakes would not work to stop the car and the steering wheel would physically turn but it wasn't changing the direction of the car. The car veered off the road to the right and into a utility pole.

NHTSA ODI 11482981

This is a complaint about the unacceptable fire risk that affects all Teslas due to the dangerous battery chemistry and the vulnerability to impact damage that can trigger an instantaneous fire . The VIN of a random Tesla has been used. This problem affects every Tesla. Here is a video of a test conducted by a European testing authority which shows the Tesla igniting almost immediately after a deliberate crash that only caused a minor strike to the underside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRDCKfCdh90 When NHTSA and many other testing authorities perform crash tests on Teslas they should do so with a fully charge battery that is warm from charging or from having being driven. This is a much more realistic scenario than using cold depleted batteries that are less prone to instant ignition. By comparison with a Tesla the Pinto was just a damp squib. And yet it was recalled and grounded. Please do the right thing before even more people get burned alive. Thank you

NHTSA ODI 11481466

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle from her residence at 3 mph and attempting to turn to the left, but failed to turn. The contact stated the vehicle continued to go straight and ran into a chain link fence. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention but she was frightened. The contact attempted to straighten the vehicle by turning left again and drove into a railing. The contact stated the instrument cluster screen when blank after the second crash. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact towed the vehicle to local dealer and was being serviced at the moment of the call. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,297

NHTSA ODI 11475766

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 8 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated and jumped the curb. The contact depressed the brakes pedal to the floorboard; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a wall where the vehicle came to a stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The seat belt was on and the driver's air bag deployed, however, the contact head hit the windshield, and it shattered. The air bag was not covering the contacts face completely. The police arrived on the scene and filed a report. There were injuries to the contact's left wrist, neck, hip, and back, and a fracture to the right foot. The contact started receiving medical treatment the same day. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The damage was to the front of the vehicle. The contact stated her personal phone was connected to Tesla, and an inoperative alert message illuminated. The manufacturer notified the contact at the time of the accident. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.

NHTSA ODI 11474990

The contact's son owned a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that his son was involved in a fatal collision while driving at an undisclosed speed with the autopilot activated. The contact was informed by his son's friend, who was a passenger in the vehicle, that the autopilot malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to inadvertently drive off the road, hit a tree, and then catch fire. An unknown bright orange light was seen on the windshield right before the failure occurred. The contact's son's friend was able to exit the vehicle, but the contact's son was unconscious and was not able to exit the vehicle. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact's son's friend received medical attention for burns and bruises on his legs. The contact's son's autopsy report stated that his son died as a result of intense thermal heat and smoke inhalation. The vehicle was towed and remained with the Highway Patrol. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11466262

My Tesla 3 accelerated out of control when parking at my place of work which is a daycare center. I could have killed children, others and myself. My foot was fully pressed on the brake. Tesla is claiming it is driver error. That is false my foot was pressed fully on the brake. Scared to go back in the car. I don’t want that car on the road. I hit the curb went airborne missing a car, sign, brick wall, trees onto an embankment. I have a wittiness too.

NHTSA ODI 11454270

The car was on FSD jerked right toward a semi truck then jerked left toward the posts in the median as it was accelerating and FSD would not turn off. Was trying to control the car but it kept pushing and accelerating causing us to crash in to the median posts. Normally FSD would turn off if it was unsure but this day it would not. Plus other times it would phantom brake if we were on 2 lane road and met on oncoming large truck. We also had other times of phantom braking going over a hill. We have reported this to Tesla but no response yet. We owned this car 11 days when our wreck happened.

NHTSA ODI 11453025

Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking system failed/malfunctioned. The car is in a Tesla authorized body shop for inspection. The airbag deployed and prevented any injury but the accident did put my life and others at risk. The car was inspected by Tesla's authorized body shop. There was no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The car was brand new, and I believe a possible explanation is Tesla taking out the radar and replacing it with Tesla vision. I tried to contact Tesla for an investigation but no response. I received a 30k bill to fix the car, and Tesla did not take any responsibility. Here is the footage: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sat1w5i0gl6bwsr/2021-12-20_10-56-45-front.mp4?dl=0

NHTSA ODI 11451247

Phantom braking for no apparent reason. Worst occurrence was this morning driving home from work on cruise control, max speed cruise 73mph, suddenly my car braked on its own down to 59mph in 2 seconds. Very scary. My wrist hurts from that incident & my forehead almost hit the steering. Nothing in front & thank God no tailgating car behind me. This is not safe. It happens to me all the time but this was the scariest of all.

NHTSA ODI 11450308

Hello, Driving on a snowy road around 20 MPH. Attempted to slow down in a straight line, used the brakes to try and slow vehicle to go into a driveway. Vehicle would not respond to any inputs. The brake pedal seemed frozen, coming off and back on the brake pedal did not change anything. There sounded like an ABS pulsing but it was not working. Post accident pictures showed it looked like the car was dragging one axle like it was locked in the snow. Car ending up grazing a mailbox post and afterword said 'take control'. I believe the car tried to do an automated braking maneuver which did not work. The road was covered in 1-2" of snow and the mailbox would have been a reference point in the distance. When turning the steering wheel away from the object that was hit, the car continued to go straight like the wheels were not attached. The car never veered left or right during this whole event even though i tried to turn.

NHTSA ODI 11449562

On 1/3/21, approximately 2pm. Driving south on I-77 in the city of Broadview Heights. In center lane of highway with Autopilot (speed and steering only) on. A Hummer in my left lane drifts into my lane and hits my car (I have video). No alarms or alerts went off to warn me. No automatic steering occurred. My car continued in lane and at speed (about 64mph), until my driver mirror broke off and adjusted my position to the left. Broadview Height police report # [XXX]. I have a service request into Tesla. I am awaiting the at-fault party insurance to contact me to begin repair process. To above questions: -I am suspicious about the ultrasonic sensors and/or camera and it failure to warn me I was about to be hit. -I was hit on my driver's side by a car that was not detected by my Tesla -I have a service request made to Tesla, awaiting response -No inspections or diagnostics have been performed yet by Tesla -No warning occurred. I am very familiar with the warning my car can produce: things like drifting out of my lane; someone in front of me braking hard; or Autopilot applying brakes when it thinks a car is in front of me (when it's actually on a curved road). INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11446146

I want to report an issue I have with Tesla concerning the damage that occurred to my vehicle as a result of a failure of Tesla FSD version 10.3 firmware release 2021.36.5.2 recalled by Tesla on 10/29/21 NHTSA recall number 21V-846. At noon on 10-24-21, I was testing the latest release of FSD as part of the beta program. My Tesla was in self-driving mode on a city street at 35 mph. This was the same route it had already successfully done earlier in the day, when suddenly the car jumped over the curb, causing damage to the bumper, to the wheel and a flat tire. This appeared to have been caused by a discolored patch in the road that gave the FSD a false perception of an obstacle which it tried to avoid. Immediately after the accident, the car was towed to the service center. The repair was finished on 10/27/21 at which time I was asked to pay $2,332.37 to take possession of the car. I explained that the damage was caused by the recalled version of FSD NHTSA recall number 21V-846 and that Tesla should be liable for the damages. I was advised that the engineering team would conduct an investigation and based on the results the money would be reimbursed. However, I did not agree to pay hoping that after the investigation Tesla would honor the recall. After two months of waiting, there is still no communication on the results of the investigation even though the case is quite simple. The car was going straight at a very low speed in self-driving mode. There is nothing except the recalled version of FSD that could have changed its trajectory. Therefore, it is obvious that nobody looked at this issue and there is no commitment to doing so anytime soon. I communicated using the Tesla app chat that I am not willing to wait indefinitely and gave notice that I intend to file a petition with the Court. I gave e-mail notice to Tesla’s resolution team as well to make sure that my notice reaches Tesla’s legal department. I have paid the invoice on 12/22/21 to get my car back.

NHTSA ODI 11444772

I was driving on FSD Beta but when an alien landed on the road in front of me. The FSD Beta software did not detect the alien’s vehicle and almost hit her as she was stepping out. System initiated beeps and I tried to take control but it forced control away from me and tried to steer towards the alien. I had to kick the car to get control back. Very dangerous to everyone involved.

NHTSA ODI 11440180

Car accident , car failed to deploy airbags .

NHTSA ODI 11437833

I was pulling up next to a curb inside a neighborhood to park my car. I released my foot on the accelerator pedal to slow and stop my car. I slowly stepped on the brake pedal to switch the gear into reverse and my vehicle sped up very fast and hit the parked car in front of me and ran over the curb, my steering wheel also shifted to the right as if it was trying to dodge an obstacle on the road. It happpend so fast that I could not avoid the impact. I could have ran into a pedestrian and put their life at risk, or injured the person in the car that was parked, and even hurt myself badly. I've been getting neck pain and headaches. This incident was very terrifying and traumatizing. I tried to reach out to Tesla Service Center, but my tesla app was not working after the incident. The Tesla app was frozen for 10-15 mins after the incident. I kept trying to reach out to Tesla Service center and kept getting an automated response to utilize the Tesla App. Finally, the app started working again, I left them a message regarding the accident and photos, and they responded two days after, but did not address the issue about unintended acceleration until I kept asking why are they ignoring my concerns about the uninteded accerlation, and then I received a phone call from a technician. He said that I do not have to bring my car for inspection, instead they will just check the logs and could take up to 8 weeks to see what happened. Estimated cost for exterior damages according to Geico Insurance is 5344.74. Tesla Service Center denied having the car inspected physcially for any sensor issues and malfunction issues, states that I don't have to bring my car in at all, they will submit a report for engineering team to review the driving logs at the time of the accident only. My car is currently towed to a 3rd party body shop that is Tesla certified. No warnings from my car screen alerts or anything prior to the accident.

NHTSA ODI 11430930

After parking and leaving the car, I realize later the dashboard did not shut down. The dashboard was still illuminated, and I was also able to hear the sound from a tuned FM radio. I re-open and closed both the driver and the passenger doors in an attempt to shutoff the dashboard. Since I did not get the expected result, I decided to get back into the car. I sat down in the driver chair to investigate the problem when the car was instantly activated and switched to a sudden and uncontrolled acceleration. It crashed into a facing wall after a run of about 30 feet.

NHTSA ODI 11423241

see description on file report Nb:11423241

NHTSA ODI 11423248

At around 5:30pm on 5/16/2021 We were entering our garage when our tesla accelerated on its own into our garage extremely quickly and nearly brought the garage down.

NHTSA ODI 11417368