What 412 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Tesla Model 3 Bev

Tesla has completely removed the rear door manual release latch in my late 2023 Model 3 Performance. This elevates the concern of the ongoing NHTSA Defect Petition DP25002 (opened December 2025), which investigates similar issues with emergency egress controls on Model 3 vehicles, citing them as "hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive." Again, in my late 2023 Model 3 Performance, these are entirely absent in the design. For some reason, Tesla has doubled down on the defect issue and completely removed the manual door release mechanism.

NHTSA ODI 11717070

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving with the Autonomous Self Driving feature activated in rainy weather, the vehicle suddenly turned towards the left onto railroad tracks. The contact regained control of the vehicle and was able to drive off the railroad tracks. The tires and rims were damaged due to the failure. The vehicle was taken for repairs, and the tires and rims were replaced, and an alignment was scheduled to be performed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 14,469.

NHTSA ODI 11716718

There is no manual door release for rear doors in the Tesla model 3 RWD. This can pose a safety issue if the car has no power and passengers need to evacuate the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11716471

am reporting an issue involving unexplained cracking of my Tesla windshield with no known impact or debris strike. Last night at approximately 6:20 PM, while in Chapel Hill, NC, I entered my vehicle and noticed a crack on the driver’s side of the windshield. The outside temperature at that time was about 28°F. There was no audible rock strike and I have no recollection of anything hitting the glass. The morning low temperature was approximately 14°F. To my awareness, the passenger-side crack was not present earlier that morning. Approximately 15 minutes ([XXX]EDT) before writing this statement, I was seated in the passenger seat and noticed a second crack on the passenger side. The temperature had risen to about 34°F. Again, there was no strike event that I recall while driving or parked. Both cracks appeared within a short time span during an unusually cold period with temperature changes between 14°F and 34°F. The passenger crack visually resembles an impact point, but I cannot identify any incident that would have caused it. My concern is that these cracks may indicate thermal stress, structural flex, a material defect, or bonding/installation issue. Windshield failure without impact presents a safety hazard due to reduced visibility and potential compromise of structural integrity during a collision. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate this issue for potential safety implications. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11713633

The entire bumper assembly fell off my Tesla Model 3 during the heavy rains on December 24. I didn't see it happen. It was just missing. But it may have happened on the freeway, when we drive through a flooded area. There is a history of this happening with this model when there is a lot of rain or you drive through a puddle. They admitted to this defect in 2020, but claim it was fixed. Apparently not. They are now telling me "we are unable to cover the repair under vehicle warranty because the condition was caused by outside factors," i.e., water. This cannot be normal.

NHTSA ODI 11710903

There is NO mechanism to unlock the rear passenger doors in case of electrical failure. No Emergency mechanical door opening in case of emergency. Passengers will NOT be able to get out of the LOCKED vehicle during an emergency (i.e. crash, battery fire, submerged in water, etc). This is an EXTREMELY IMMINENT DANGER for small kids who are sitting in car seats, since it will take even longer to release them from their straps in order to get out. The small rear windows are useless for escape. THIS FLAW DESIGN HAS ALREADY CAUSED DEATHS. Changes SHOULD BE MADE to enable emergence mechanical opening of the rear doors.

NHTSA ODI 11711027

There's a problem with the airbags, and the steering wheel is hard to turn.

NHTSA ODI 11707074

The blinkers do not respond to the change in blinkers when I initiate the blinker (right or left) by using the stalk. There has been numerous times that I fully pull down or push up the blinker stall and it would not engage the blinker but today I am reporting it because now I almost changed the lane after engaging the blinker but it didn’t happen

NHTSA ODI 11707201

Regen braking sporadically not working when going down mountain or steep roads. Sometimes they work and sometimes they won’t. This is after extensive driving on warm days while battery is between 70-80%. Support could not help me and they don’t have any technicians available. I’ve sent them videos and time stamps and they are ignoring the issue and unable to help due to lack of knowledgable representatives This is a serious safety concern

NHTSA ODI 11702604

Compliance arm bolt securing it to the subframe is fractured. Tesla has dismissed my ongoing concerns of vibration and instability while driving. Stating they performed an in depth inspection of all suspension and subframe components and found nothing of concern during last service appointment. I did my own inspection and found the fractured bolt. Sent photo to service and they are trying to play it off as normal and safe to drive. Contacted several manufacturers and mechanics stating otherwise. Told this will end in catastrophic failure and loss of vehicle control but apparently Tesla wants me to drive it to the service department for next service

NHTSA ODI 11699418

1. During summer months the wireless charger does not work and heats up the phone to hazardous levels, when I take it to service while under warranty, they are saying its a known issue and want to charge customers for replacing charging pad 2. The suspension of the car is making sounds, Tesla wants me to pay labor charges for fixing it under warranty. The suspension issue happened in almost all the Tesla cars of my friends and neighbors.it needs to be a recall

NHTSA ODI 11698357

During a major car accident the airbags for my Tesla, Model 3, 2023 did not deploy airbags although other impacted cars had full airbags deployed. This posed a risk to my safety as a driver due to not having the proper equipment deployed during a major accident. This was noticed by the emergency personnel on the scene who stated that based on my impact the airbags should have been activated from my collision. According to the safety records associated with my car to date there are no safety reports regarding the airbags for my car. There was no warning of my airbags not being able to be fully functioning at the time of impact. This incident happened on November 1st and is in the process of being investigated by the Harris County sheriff's department.

NHTSA ODI 11697029

The vehicle’s brakes did not work, automatic emergency brakes and collision warning both did not work. I pressed on the brake for about 5 seconds but the brakes did not work, resulting in a collision with the car in front. Everything is available for inspection if needed. Both my safety and the driver of the vehicle in front of me was at risk. The problem has not been confirmed yet. The vehicle is currently at a shop, waiting inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms.

NHTSA ODI 11697065

While driving, the side mirrors closed and the doors locked by themselves. Then, the front trunk opened, the rear trunk opened, and when I opened the door, the headlights turned on and the front trunk opened again. When I opened the door another time, the side mirrors didn’t unfold, and the headlights started blinking. At high speeds (over 50 mph), I hear a ticking or metal-clanking sound, which is really scary. The car seems to be acting on its own, following some strange “manual” or behavior pattern. I feel unsafe driving it.

NHTSA ODI 11696488

In a wreck the car does not have emergency door handles for the back doors if the power shuts off. This is a MAJOR safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11695614

On August 7th, 2025 at around 8 AM in the morning, my vehicles mobile phone car key was in-operable and I was unable to get in the car which led me to trouble shoot how to fix this issue with the car. Upon researching I was directed by Tesla to directly complete a soft reset of the vehicle holding down both buttons on the vehicle once I was inside, and pushing on the brake pedal. Upon completion, my vehicle booted up and I realized that all camera systems were down, my navigation systems were down, my safety features were down, my auto pilot, lane keeping assist and auto brake were down, sensors were down and I was no longer able to pre heat my battery to charge my vehicle due to issues with the navigation. I then took the vehicle to Tesla Service Center Irvine where a service advisor quoted me 2900 for a new ECU and Bolts and told me that I needed to replace my whole unit and that I was to cover the cost of the repair even though my vehicle is only 2 years of age and this failure is due to the quality control and software of the vehicle. I have been driving around a vehicle with absolutely no safety features whatsoever such as no cameras, sensors, auto braking, or full self driving due to this ECU failure and I fear for my safety and well being while driving this car.

NHTSA ODI 11694965

The Tesla ran a red light on two separate occasions while in full self driving mode. The first time it went through without me being able to intervene. Given it had done it before, the second time I was able to stop it. Both times occurred at the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] . It has not done it at other intersections. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11692335

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the third floor of a parking garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to full speed unintendedly, and the steering wheel and the brake pedal were inoperable, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a wall and crashed into the vehicle in front, and the vehicle stopped. No further information was available. No warning lights were illuminated. The front driver's side air bag deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.

NHTSA ODI 11692370

I was horrified to read of the deaths of three beautiful California girls in a Tesla Cyber Truck, that was involved in a crash, was on fire, and the electrical system malfunctioned resulting in them not being able to get out of the car. Tragically, they burned to death.(Recall too [XXX] ' incident as well as other incidents). I went to search the Internet for Model 3 (2023) to see if there were manual overrides in the event of crash/fire/electrical malfunction (even if related to dead battery) and found a You tube video (NOT information provided by Tesla mind you) that showed that on the front seats, there should be a lever not far from the door handle that you can pull to activate a manual release of the door. In the video, they said 'models' are different as to the rear seats but there 'should be' a lever. I could not find any manual override for the back seat passengers. So, I drove to the Tesla Dealer/Service department to have them show me how to activate the manual override for back seat passengers. The technician admitted that in many Teslas, including mine, THERE WAS NO SUCH CAPABILITY!! He admitted Tesla was acutely aware, they do not prioritize safety and that the back seat passengers would be stuck. He agreed that it will take a major class actions and major fines, and/or jury verdicts for them to do anything about it. Appalling and not acceptable. I would request that NHTSA mandate that all Teslas (probably models before 2025) lacking the device necessary to allow passengers to escape death due to failed electrical system be recalled to modify the car at Tesla's expense to comply with the reasonable expectations of consumers. This is a major design defect, unreasonably dangerous and presents a very real threat to the consumers who have no knowledge of the defect, much less where to look for the override (if it exists) because that information is not provided when you purchase the car. This is no different than the Ford Pinto situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11692196

Due to the manual locks being looked at as a safety issue, I went and looked at the REAR door manual release for our Model 3. We also have a 2023 Model Y and I know they have a rear door release, as stupid as the location is, it is there. Well to my surprise, there is NO MANUAL REAR DOOR RELEASE in the model 3!!! How is this even safe? You're supposed to crawl through the front seats and go out the front door? Or even worse, fold the seats down and exit through the trunk? What happens if you're stuck in the back, can't get your seatbelt off? What if you are incapacitated?? What if you get rear ended and then pushed into the car in front of you and it makes it so the front doors are unable to be opened? (this happens quite often) What if the car rolls over, is upside down and you can't get to the front? There are a million situations that make a rear manual door release necessary. How does this even pass safety inspection??? How do you (as a department) even allow this to be acceptable. How are children supposed to do this? This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard of and here I am, driving my kids every day around in it. They should be required to either retrofit it with a release that's accessible or replace the rear doors with an accessible release. I'm just in awe as to the failures here.

NHTSA ODI 11691405

During driving, Tesla car spontaneously stated multiple active safety features and regenerative braking were no longer available and stopped working during driving with multiple warnings appearing. Driver safety at risk during this as well as others safety due to the lack of functioning. The car was taken to Tesla service center and was explained that front lower lateral suspension links were damaged by "impact" although the car was never in an impact or accident preventing proper alignment and functioning of the car. The part has been since repaired and currently undergoing further investigation for warranty dispute.

NHTSA ODI 11691087

While driving my Tesla equipped with Autopilot/Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, I experienced an unexpected and abrupt braking event. A vehicle had entered the center turn lane and had already cleared my lane, posing no obstruction to my path. Despite this, my Tesla suddenly applied the brakes without warning, causing a rapid deceleration that could have led to a rear-end collision had another vehicle been following closely. There were no visible hazards, warning messages, or alerts prior to the braking. The incident occurred in clear daylight conditions on a dry road, and the vehicle in the center turn lane was stationary or turning away from my lane. This appears to be a case of phantom braking, possibly due to misclassification of the adjacent vehicle or overcautious object detection by the vehicle’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This issue has occurred more than once in similar scenarios, and I believe it poses a serious safety risk. I have not yet had the issue inspected by Tesla or a service center, but I am submitting this report to raise awareness and request investigation into the reliability of Tesla’s braking logic in these situations.

NHTSA ODI 11689066

On [XXX], my 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ) suddenly accelerated on its own and the brakes failed to respond despite repeated pressing. To avoid hitting other vehicles, I turned into a property driveway and struck a tree. The airbags deployed. This was a case of sudden unintended acceleration combined with complete brake failure, creating a serious safety hazard. Forward Collision Warning also did not prevent the impact. A police report was filed by the Dekalb County Police Department, GA, USA (Report #[XXX], Case #[XXX]), which specifically documented brake failure as the cause of the accident. The report also notes that the driver was injured by the airbag and that the vehicle had to be towed from the scene. A copy of the police report can be provided upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11688608

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the front trunk opened inadvertently, blocking the visibility of the roadway. The contact stated that the failure had recurred several times upon shifting to drive(D), which required the contact to exit the vehicle and manually close the trunk. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla service center and to Tesla Service Sunnyvale(680 E El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA 94087), where unknown repairs were performed several times; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of the garage, the contact was unaware that the garage door was closed, and the vehicle hit the garage door. The contact did not recall whether the rearview camera activated; however, the contact stated that the rearview camera pedestrian warning alert failed to engage prior to the incident. The contact stated that the garage door and the rear end of the vehicle were damaged. The manufacturer was contacted through the Tesla mobile app and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a Tesla service center for service. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

NHTSA ODI 11686613

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle jerked hard with several alerts for the "Traction Control, ABS, Lane Departure feature displayed. Additionally, the Stability Control System was disabled, and the message “Brake Hold Unavailable” was displayed. The contact stated that the “Automatic Emergency Braking Unavailable" and an orange triangle with an exclamation light were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,380.

NHTSA ODI 11685682