2021 Tesla Model 3 Other or unknown Problems
- Complaints
- 95about this part
- Share
- 14%of 673 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 1,600miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 95 complaints about the other or unknown of the 2021 Tesla Model 3, 14% of the 673 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 1,600 miles. 8 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The heating system failed in dangerously cold conditions in a remote area on a weekend trip to the adirondacks. I wasn't able to reach roadside assistance through the app, and I end up driving it 7 hours home without any heat. The heat system failure occurred early in the morning when leaving our hotel to drive home. The temperature -18 degrees f. After it had been repaired, the service manager indicated that the problem was caused by several faulty sensors. …”
NHTSA complaint #11394526, filed 2021-02, 1,600 miles“Water intrusion immediately after touchless carwash . Water leaked from under the glovebox compartment. Driving off the carwash bay, water was heared sloshing then the leak”
NHTSA complaint #11395970, filed 2021-02, 1,580 miles“The recall you required has made my Tesla car far less safe to drive. I am an attentive driver and had grown accustomed to using Tesla autopilot to help me drive more safety to and from work. Without it I feel that I drive more aggressively and less safe. You should consider supporting Tesla in it's efforts to improve safety through technology”
NHTSA complaint #11568520, filed 2024-01“The rear seat doesn’t detect kids under 50lbs. Putting the seat in car seat mode only disables the seatbelt alert and doesn’t keep the rear fans on. You can turn them on manually, but the car forgets that they should stay on if you precondition the cabin from the mobile app. Meaning that my child cooks in the back seat due to lack of rear cabin conditioning unless I remember to turn it back on in a buried menu every time.”
NHTSA complaint #11564709, filed 2024-01“Autopilot feature is now unstable as I get constant nags if I look away for a few seconds to check my surroundings or check my navigation.i have been locked out of the feature multiple times over the past week forcing me to make navigation changes while manually driving.”
NHTSA complaint #11563214, filed 2024-01Related service bulletins
- 11008831Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008830Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008829Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008827Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008824Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008807Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008806Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008805Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008803Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 11008800Sep 30, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
Other or unknown: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 34% |
| 2025 | 37 | 30% |
| 2024 | 72 | 32% |
| 2023 | 59 | 14% |
| 2022 | 94 | 12% |
| 2021 | 95 | 14% |
| 2020 | 81 | 18% |
| 2019 | 81 | 13% |
| 2018 | 175 | 17% |
| 2017 | 5 | 19% |
Other parts of the 2021 Tesla Model 3
411 complaintsBrakes
126 complaintsVehicle speed control
123 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 complaintsFuel system
10 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