2023 Tesla Model 3
This year drew an ordinary 415 complaints for a Tesla Model 3 — the model's median is 445. What they were about is the unusual part: 7.5% of them mention reduced, against 2.1% across the model's other years.
Generation 1 of the Tesla Model 3, which began in 2017. Everything below compares this year against the others in that generation, not against a different car wearing the same name.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 415 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 445 |
| Involving a crash | 70 |
| Involving a fire | 1 |
| Recalls | 12 |
| NHTSA crash rating | 5/5 |
| EPA combined | 131.5 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- reduced — 7.5% of this year's complaints, against 2.1% across the model's other years (3.5×).
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
What owners wrote
After charging my car at a charging center, the steering assist reduced message appeared on the screen. Then the power steering gave out and i couldn't turn the steering wheel. I had to get the car towed to a service center.
While in cruise control, the car suddenly reduced its speed; there is no obstacle in the path of the cat that would warrant such an action. This deceleration is sudden and violent and when it happens is dangerous for following drivers.
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 22V844000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING Fixed free of charge.
- 21V834000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 23V085000 STEERING Fixed free of charge.
- 23V434000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Fixed free of charge.
- 23V838000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Fixed free of charge.
- 24V051000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Fixed free of charge.
- 24V376000 SEAT BELTS
- 24V554000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES Fixed free of charge.
Showing 8 of 12. The rest are on NHTSA's site.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Tesla Model 3 was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2023 Tesla Model 3? What happened to yours?
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