2018 Tesla Model 3 Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 91about this part
- Share
- 9%of 1,036 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 9,999miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 91 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2018 Tesla Model 3, 9% of the 1,036 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 9,999 miles. 31 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Driving on highway 10 lake city to jacksonville fl, suddenly heavy rain caused car to skid driving in autopilot mode at 70mph , the road changed from asphalt to concrete and car could not handle that change , car went into hydroplan/skid mode with 15 snake lapses before I could bring it to rest on shoulder , we were lucky to have survived as a semi truck was just 20 seconds behind us. …”
NHTSA complaint #11300100, filed 2020-01, 18,234 miles“I was driving northbound on ca hwy 101 when I initiated a lane change from left to right with autopilot engaged. After beginning to make the lane change to the right, the car abruptly veered back into the left lane, then slowly started to move back into the right lane. It was at that time that I disengaged the autopilot.”
NHTSA complaint #11241562, filed 2019-08, 12,500 miles“While driving on a highway Tesla suddenly hard braked out of nowhere. My speed dropped from 70 to 30 in a couple of seconds. There was an 18 wheeler behind me and it could have been a deadly collision if I hadn't intervened. This is a known Tesla but that someday would kill someone.”
NHTSA complaint #11402908, filed 2021-03, 28,200 miles“Oct 15, 2019 at 12:30 pm I was going to park the car, was rolling to a stop between parking lines in front of the curb when car suddenly accelerated and crashed into a style fence. Reported the problem the same day to Tesla and took the vehicle to the service center and complained. They logged the complaint and said they would get back to me about it. Called and emailed a couple of times. No response to date on why this happened.”
NHTSA complaint #11300599, filed 2020-01, 17,000 miles“The rear trunk lid popped open by itself while driving. I was the only person in the vehicle, and I did not pop the trunk lid. It should be noted that the trunk lid can not be opened by the occupants while the vehicle is in motion. The selection on the screen is not available, the trunk 'button' is not accessible on the screen while in motion. There is no mechanical release. When the trunk opened, it caused the cruise control to become unavailable.”
NHTSA complaint #11361609, filed 2020-09, 24,000 milesVehicle speed control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 7% |
| 2025 | 14 | 11% |
| 2024 | 21 | 9% |
| 2023 | 69 | 16% |
| 2022 | 171 | 22% |
| 2021 | 123 | 18% |
| 2020 | 69 | 15% |
| 2019 | 71 | 11% |
| 2018 | 91 | 9% |
| 2017 | 4 | 15% |
Other parts of the 2018 Tesla Model 3
204 complaintsSuspension
192 complaintsOther or unknown
175 complaintsElectrical system
168 complaintsAir bags
143 complaintsSeat belts
105 complaintsBrakes
89 complaintsSteering
83 complaintsSeats
74 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
61 complaintsBody and structure
60 complaintsLane departure
52 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2018 Tesla Model 3
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology