BrakeNewsOwner complaints, read early

Your vehicle report

2025 Tesla Model 3

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
123
Received Nov 2024 to Oct 2026
Official recalls listed
3
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
2
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Turn signals work intermittently or fail17 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Horn fails with airbag warning light9 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Airbags fail to deploy in crashes6 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #25V690000Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2025 Model 3 and 2026 Model Y vehicles. The battery pack contactors may fail, causing a loss of drive power.
  • Recall #25V002000Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 27 crashes, 0 fires, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 10 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2025 Tesla Model 3
11
Show as a table
MonthComplaints
November 20241
December 20242
January 20256
February 20253
March 20253
April 20256
May 20253
June 202510
July 20253
August 202511
September 20259
October 20259
November 20259
December 20259
January 20262
February 20262
March 20266
April 20264
May 20263
June 20264
July 20266
August 20262
September 20264
October 20266
Total123

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Turn signals work intermittently or fail1714%51.9×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2025
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 6.2%
Horn fails with airbag warning light97.3%23.8×
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes64.9%3.4×BrakeNews flag · First signal: Aug 2025
Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 4.8%
Unintended acceleration despite braking64.9%2.2×
Power steering cuts out while driving54.1%2.5×
Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly43.3%2×
Trailer frame, axle, or hitch fails while towing32.4%4.3×
Check engine light comes on repeatedly32.4%1.4×
Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed32.4%1.8×
Automatic emergency braking applies without reason32.4%1.4×

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #25V690000October 10, 202512,963 vehicles affected

    electrical system: propulsion system: fuses, relays, contacts, and shunts

    Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2025 Model 3 and 2026 Model Y vehicles. The battery pack contactors may fail, causing a loss of drive power.

    A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Tesla Service will replace the battery pack contactors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-16-005.

  • NHTSA recall #25V002000January 6, 2025239,382 vehicles affected

    back over prevention: software; electrical system

    Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Tesla will also identify any vehicles that experienced a circuit board failure, or stress that may lead to a circuit board failure, and replace the affected computers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-00-001.

  • NHTSA recall #24V935000December 17, 2024696,281 vehicles affected

    tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems

    Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

    Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2025 Tesla Model 3.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN