2023 Tesla Model 3 Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 56about this part
- Share
- 13%of 429 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 30,273miles
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 56 complaints about the brakes of the 2023 Tesla Model 3, 13% of the 429 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 30,273 miles. 22 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.
“I was driving with plenty of distance between me and the car in front of me. The car in front of me had stopped and the Automatic Emergency Braking System on my car went on. Thankfully, there was no car behind me, otherwise, I would have been hit. The sudden stopping has caused me significant lower back pain.”
NHTSA complaint #11762969, filed 2026-09“While driving with cruse controll, auto pilot, or adaptive cruise control my vehicle brakes suddenly without warning and without any reason or danger. This has happened many times. Today on the I8 traveling from Yuma az to Surpirse AZ the car braked around 15-20 times with out reason. I held the tesla car symbol on the screen to report the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11547242, filed 2023-09“Regen braking sporadically not working when going down mountain or steep roads. Sometimes they work and sometimes they won’t. This is after extensive driving on warm days while battery is between 70-80%. Support could not help me and they don’t have any technicians available. I’ve sent them videos and time stamps and they are ignoring the issue and unable to help due to lack of knowledgable representatives This is a serious safety concern”
NHTSA complaint #11702604, filed 2025-12“On several occasions ( 8 or 10 times) while driving at highway speeds, with little traffic, on an extended trip, the vehicle suddenly applied the brakes for no apparent reason. I have learned that this is called phantom braking . On one such occasion, I narrowly avoided being struck from behind by another vehicle following me by applying the accelerator. I have not yet reported this problem to Tesla, but intend to.”
NHTSA complaint #11527405, filed 2023-06“While I was driving along a freeway using autopilot cruise control, the car suddenly slammed its brakes even if there was no cars in front of us. I thought it was just a fluke but it happened at least twice if not thrice during that trip. There was at least an approximate of 3 miles gap between us and the car in front, so practically no cars in front. Had there any vehicles behind us, it would for sure rear ended us.”
NHTSA complaint #11533083, filed 2023-07Related service bulletins
- 11033173May 8, 2026On certain Model 3 vehicles, brake lines may be corroded beyond acceptable limits, which may result in loss of brake fluid. Loss of brake fluid will result in a customer facing…
- 11029583Feb 11, 2026On certain Model 3 vehicles, brake lines may be corroded beyond acceptable limits, which may result in loss of brake fluid. Loss of brake fluid will result in a customer facing…
Brakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 3% |
| 2025 | 13 | 11% |
| 2024 | 5 | 2% |
| 2023 | 56 | 13% |
| 2022 | 169 | 22% |
| 2021 | 126 | 19% |
| 2020 | 48 | 11% |
| 2019 | 63 | 10% |
| 2018 | 89 | 9% |
| 2017 | 3 | 11% |
Other parts of the 2023 Tesla Model 3
179 complaintsSteering
89 complaintsVehicle speed control
69 complaintsOther or unknown
59 complaintsElectrical system
51 complaintsLane departure
28 complaintsBody and structure
22 complaintsSuspension
19 complaintsAir bags
18 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
13 complaintsSeat belts
10 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
10 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2023 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