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EnginePart report

2021 Tesla Model 3 Engine Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
1%of 673 total for the year
Median mileage
—not reported
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine of the 2021 Tesla Model 3, 1% of the 673 complaints for this model year. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“When I was driving on highway the suddenly I lost power and if I press gas pedal it would not go. I applied brake to slow down and pull over but as soon as I applied the brake it corrected on its own and continued to go since I did had similar issue like this previously I called Tesla and asked them to tow it to the shop. This is the 3nd time that I'm having an issues with drivetrain that my car was towed to shop.”

NHTSA complaint #11429014, filed 2021-08

“I was driving to work that all of sudden heard warning sound and the monitor displayed the Shutdown sign as well. The car lost its power and came to complete stop in the middle of the street. Luckily there was no car near me. I was not able to drive the car and had to tow it to the dealership. According to mechanic “the rear drive unit has failed internally”. This was extremely scary and dangerous and may have caused a fatal accident. The problem has been fixed.”

NHTSA complaint #11549464, filed 2023-10

“After parking and leaving the car, I realize later the dashboard did not shut down. The dashboard was still illuminated, and I was also able to hear the sound from a tuned FM radio. I re-open and closed both the driver and the passenger doors in an attempt to shutoff the dashboard. Since I did not get the expected result, I decided to get back into the car. I sat down in the driver chair to investigate the problem when the car was instantly activated and switched to a sudden and uncontrolled acceleration. It crashed into a facing wall after a run of about 30 feet.”

NHTSA complaint #11423241, filed 2021-07

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202543%
202442%
202382%
202271%
202151%
202020%
201920%
2018111%

Other parts of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Forward collision avoidance
411 complaints
Brakes
126 complaints
Vehicle speed control
123 complaints
Other or unknown
95 complaints
Electrical system
80 complaints
Lane departure
34 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
34 complaints
Steering
28 complaints
Body and structure
17 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
17 complaints
Suspension
16 complaints
Seat belts
15 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Tesla Model 3

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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