2021 Tesla Model 3 Fuel system Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 1%of 674 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 1,661miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the fuel system of the 2021 Tesla Model 3, 1% of the 674 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 1,661 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, 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.
“The car suddenly powered off while I was driving on a city street. The car remained broken down in the middle of traffic and needed to be towed to the service center. The service report indicates that the drive unit failed.”
NHTSA complaint #11398463, filed 2021-03, 1,661 miles“I have been very cautious on charging my Tesla Model 3 and have followed all of the manufacturer's recommendations. The HV battery recently failed at 105,050 miles. South Korea has noted a battery reliability issue for this year car and model, so I am reporting this to you so if a recall is needed, you can track this. I believe my battery is a Panasonic NCA.”
NHTSA complaint #11698493, filed 2025-11“At around 5:30pm on 5/16/2021 We were entering our garage when our tesla accelerated on its own into our garage extremely quickly and nearly brought the garage down.”
NHTSA complaint #11417368, filed 2021-05“I was driving home from work on a two-lane highway when my car suddenly (and without any warning) lost all driving power and shut down while there was still battery left on the vehicle (roughly 10%). I could no longer maneuver the vehicle due to lack of propulsion, so my car died in the middle of the road. It was towed directly to Tesla service center where diagnostics were supposedly run. Their conclusion was the car died due to insufficient charge (even though there was about 10% battery left at the time of the incident). About a week later, the same EXACT thing happened! …”
NHTSA complaint #11553755, filed 2023-11“Vehicle displayed no capable drive units error at 106 miles on 10/08/2021. System shut down and stranded me in downtown Tampa traffic less than a mile from my home and fewer than five minutes after I started the car. All propulsion was lost and I did not have sufficient warning or time to process the situation and safely handle the vehicle. Tesla Tampa Service Center diagnosed a failed drive unit and took approximately 27 days to repair the vehicle. The service center invoice described the drive unit replacement as a goodwill repair and not a warranty failure. …”
NHTSA complaint #11447867, filed 2022-01Related service bulletins
- 10235000Apr 29, 2022Some Heat Pump Model 3 vehicles were built without a hydraulic control unit (HCU) wake-up wire, and in rare circumstances, braking and stability control related alerts may appear…
- 10234999Apr 29, 2022Some Heat Pump Model 3 vehicles were built without a hydraulic control unit (HCU) wake-up wire, and in rare circumstances, braking and stability control related alerts may appear…
- 10210727Mar 16, 2022Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time.
- 10190908Mar 5, 2021Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time.
- 10190907Mar 5, 2021Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time.
- 10190906Mar 1, 2021Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time.
Fuel system: other model years
Other parts of the 2021 Tesla Model 3
411 complaintsBrakes
126 complaintsVehicle speed control
123 complaintsOther or unknown
96 complaintsElectrical system
80 complaintsLane departure
34 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
34 complaintsSteering
28 complaintsBody and structure
17 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
17 complaintsSuspension
16 complaintsSeat 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 28, 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