2020 Tesla Model 3 Reliability Report

Front suspension hardware separating from the car is the most serious pattern. Owners report ball joints popping apart, a control arm bolt shearing off the subframe, and a front wheel suddenly turned at an angle at low speed. Some say they heard clicking or clunking over bumps beforehand. Power steering assist can also cut out, leaving the wheel stiff, with failure warnings between about 43,272 and 52000 miles. Other symptoms include pulling to one side that alignment cannot fix, a failed steering rack, loose and twitchy steering at highway speed, and a steering wheel cover that peels.

The touchscreen can freeze, go black, and reboot, taking the speed readout, turn signal status, and climate controls with it. Some owners report the main computer or Autopilot computer dying outright after about four years, which kills every camera. Several reports tie a rearview camera failure and a dead trunk release to a wiring harness recall, and owners describe long waits for parts to do that repair. The 12-volt battery can die without warning and leave occupants unable to open the doors. Other reports include a broken charging port pin and burns from the seat heaters.

Two problems show up. First, the airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes: side impacts at intersections, a guardrail strike above 70 mph, and a car that left the road and hit a tree. Occupants describe facial injuries, concussions, and broken ribs. Second, a "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" warning appears and stays on. The repair replaces the passenger occupant sensor and sometimes the passenger airbag, and owners pay out of pocket, with quotes from over $400 to $1,850. Many say this should be a recall.

Most of these reports describe phantom braking. The car brakes hard on its own at highway speeds, often 75 to 78 mph, with nothing ahead, whether on plain cruise control or Autopilot. Following drivers have to brake or swerve, and in one case the car was hit from behind. Tesla often says it finds nothing wrong or that the behavior is covered in the owner's manual. Automatic emergency braking also fires with no cruise control on. A few reports describe a spongy brake pedal going to the floor, or the brake not stopping the car during unintended acceleration.

Front control arms and links creak, squeak, groan, and clunk over speed bumps, rough pavement, and in slow turns. Upper control arms, lower lateral links, and compliance links get replaced, often around 40k miles and frequently right after the warranty ends. Some cars need the same parts again. Owners say their VINs were left out of the related recall and that they had to pay for the repairs. A few severe cases describe a front wheel coming off or the suspension snapping. Separately, the bumper can come loose while driving through standing water.

Underbody panels are the common complaint. The front aero shield and fiberboard skid plate soak up water, sag, and tear off while driving, and deep water can rip off the rear bumper. Owners say repairs are not covered. A trunk seal leak can flood the trunk well and grow mold. Chrome door handles delaminate into sharp edges that have cut fingers. Other reports cover glass cracking from the inside, chipping paint, and collision repairs that drag on for months while owners wait on parts. The rear doors also have no mechanical release if power is lost.

The car shows "Power Reduced" warnings and caps speed on the freeway, at 60 mph, 55 mph, or even lower, sometimes with a DIR_a126 error code. One rear drive unit failed at about two years old, and the car shut down within 30 seconds of the warnings. Other reports include a dead 12-volt battery locking the owner out, the car shifting itself into park, smoke during home charging, and an unintended acceleration crash at a parking gate that caused a serious injury.