2018 Tesla Model 3 Reliability Report

Sudden acceleration from a stop or while parking dominates the crash reports here. Drivers describe the car surging into vehicles, walls, and garage doors while they were braking. The display computer can go black and stay off, taking heat, defrost, navigation, and audio alerts with it. One owner paid almost $1800 to replace the whole computer. Door handle chrome peels into a sharp edge that cuts fingers. Other reports cover fires, including one in a parked car that the owner traced to the front trunk, plus HVAC switching from cooling to heat without notice.

Phantom braking is the most common complaint. The car brakes hard or warns of a collision with nothing ahead, often near overpasses, at hill crests, or on open highway, and one such stop caused whiplash. The opposite failure also happens: automatic emergency braking does not react to stopped cars or objects. Crash reports describe Autopilot or Full Self-Driving steering into guardrails, barriers, or oncoming traffic with almost no time for the driver to react. Some owners also complain that the 23V-838 recall software disables Autosteer when they were not misusing it.

Most of these complaints describe front suspension wear felt through the steering wheel: clunking, popping, squealing, binding, and pulling to one side. Upper control arms get replaced at roughly 29,000 to 55,000 miles, sometimes more than once. One estimate for control arms, bushings, and a steering rack came to nearly $6000. Power steering can also lock up after parking and show a UI a020 error until the car is reset. Crash reports include sudden spins on wet roads, a control arm failure that caused a wreck, and a cracked front subframe found after the owner heard noise.

Sudden unintended acceleration while parking or stopped is the dominant pattern, and 15 of the 60 reports involve crashes. Drivers describe the car surging at what felt like full power into garages, storefronts, poles, and other cars. Many say their foot was on the brake and the brakes felt like they did nothing. Several say Tesla never explained what happened or sent them the driving data they asked for. A smaller group reports Autopilot and automatic emergency braking failing to stop for slowing traffic in stop-and-go driving.

Phantom braking on Autopilot or adaptive cruise control is the most frequent complaint. The car stops hard at highway speed with no traffic nearby, sometimes several times on one trip, and owners say service finds nothing wrong. Crash reports describe the brake pedal failing to slow the car, usually during low-speed parking or along with sudden acceleration. On high-mileage cars, rusted brake lines leak fluid and trigger a low brake fluid warning. Owners report this on early 2018 builds, including one at 107,000 miles.

Chrome on the exterior door handles peels and leaves a sharp edge that cuts fingers. It shows up most often on the rear driver's side handle, and several of these reports involve injuries. Out of warranty, owners are quoted $270 to $350 per handle. In cold weather the handles can also stick in the open position. The rear doors have no manual releases, and owners worry passengers could be trapped after a crash. Other reports include a hood that flew open after a service visit and a cracked frame found at about 89,700 miles.

Charging faults lead this category. A failed power conversion system or high voltage service panel limits charging current, owners are quoted $1800 to $2000, and Tesla denies warranty coverage. A failed PTC heater can leave the car asleep and unresponsive, unable to charge, with a warning that the vehicle may not restart. One owner reports this at 63,617 miles. A coolant leak near the battery can put the car into power reduction mode. Crash reports describe sudden acceleration, and one owner reports a fire in a parked car.