2024 Tesla Model 3 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 2024 Model 3 report most often on the steering-wheel turn signal buttons, which complaints describe as intermittently unresponsive or stuck, and on the driver-assistance features (traffic-aware cruise control, FSD, lane keeping) behaving in ways drivers did not expect. Electrical complaints also appear, including occasional loss of power while driving and a horn that becomes muffled after rain or snow. Reports mostly come from low-mileage vehicles, often within months of delivery, and many owners say the dealer could not reproduce the symptom or told them it was known behavior.

1. 1
   Steering

   Turn signal buttons stick or stop responding

   • 75 complaints (34%)
   • median 1,800 mi at 1.3 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe the steering-wheel turn signal buttons as intermittently failing to register a press, sometimes feeling stuck, and in some cases signaling the opposite direction or staying engaged. Complaints say the problem appears at random, often during merges, roundabouts, or highway lane changes, and that it can require looking down at the wheel to find the buttons. Several owners report the dealer could not reproduce the symptom, replaced the steering wheel without resolving it, or said it was a known software issue awaiting an update. Mostly reported on very low-mileage cars, often within the first weeks or months of ownership, at all speeds and in everyday driving.

   What to check: On a test drive, try both turn signal buttons repeatedly at different steering angles and ask whether the steering wheel or software has been updated for this symptom. Note that complaints describe the issue as intermittent, so a single clean test may not be conclusive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “During freeway driving, turn signal buttons located on the steering wheel, which when working properly produce a tactile click, fail to click and engage the turn indicator. A service visit to Tesla resulted in technician unable to replicate the issue. I was instructed to date stamp the problem. The next time I drove the car on the freeway, the problem repeated.”

   NHTSA complaint #11643083, filed 2025-02

   “Ever since receiving this vehicle, the turn signals will intermittently not work. This is the new 'stalkless' turn signal design, using push buttons on the steering wheel. When going to signal a lane change, either direction, the button will not register me pressing it, no matter how hard I try to mash on it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11613204, filed 2024-09
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Cruise control and driver-assist behaving unexpectedly

   • 40 complaints (18%)
   • typically at 1.7 yrs old
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe traffic-aware cruise control slowing sharply for vehicles in adjacent lanes or for lights far away, a lag between pressing to cancel and the system actually disengaging, and speed settings dropping without input. With FSD engaged, complaints mention unexpected acceleration from a stop, speeding, and a steering input that led to a barrier impact. Some also report the scroll wheel used to turn cruise control on and off not registering presses. Reported across a wide mileage range, typically on highway and freeway driving with cruise control or FSD active.

   What to check: Ask which driver-assistance software version is installed and try cruise control and any assisted-driving features on a highway stretch during the test drive, watching for unexpected braking or speed changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is the 3rd or 4th time I have observed sudden unexpected acceleration when at a full stop at a light while using FSD Supervised (v13.2.7 just updated). It first happened 2 or 3 times on FSD v13.2.6 when mine was the lead car at stop lights. This time I was at a stop light but obviously not the lead car. The truck in front of me was blocking view of the traffic lights. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11643186, filed 2025-02

   “- Tesla FSD - My son was driving on FSD on state highway, while on FSD, the car suddenly turned left and hit the concrete barrier and spun out of control. All the air-bags were deployed and car front crashed completely. The car is near totaled, My son was able to get out the car with a bruise on right hand. -No -No -No warning was on, the car was on full FSD and suddenly turned left and drove into the concrete barrier and crashed and spun , I had no time to react/take over.”

   NHTSA complaint #11741100, filed 2026-05
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Loss of power or blank screen while driving

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the vehicle shutting down or losing electrical power while moving, sometimes with a black center screen, heavy steering, and a soft brake pedal, after which the car had to be coasted to a stop and restarted. A few owners report repeated occurrences within a short period and say service attempts did not resolve it, while one report describes a rear motor failure at low mileage with only seconds of warning. Reported from a few thousand miles up to around 20,000 miles, at highway and in-town speeds.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the service history for power-loss or drive-mode faults and whether high-voltage controller or battery service bulletins were applied. A service bulletin describes an electrical component in the high voltage controller that may prevent drive mode or cause a power-off on certain vehicles.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rear motor failed on my car. It has less than 4,000 miles on it. It is already being worked on. The car barely gave me 10 seconds before it lost power, locked up and wouldn’t move. Yes. They told me the rear motor failed and needed to be replaced. Tesla inspected it themselves and confirmed the issue. Yes, they appeared 10 seconds before it died, I had no other warnings prior to that. This was extremely dangerous as I barely had time to get to a safe place.”

   NHTSA complaint #11613166, filed 2024-09

   “The car looses power while Driving on roads and freeways. This has happened to me 3 times in less than a month. And after every power loss I tow the vehicle to the dealer the Tesla dealer says it’s fixed but this problem has happened 3 times start Oct 11th 2024 then on the 26th and today October 28th. The vehicle turns on drives then alerts to a problem with audible alarms followed by all indicator warning lights saying there’s a problem along with the brake pulsing when applying the brake almost like ABS is working but no need for it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11622251, filed 2024-10
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Horn muffled or silent after rain or snow

   • 15 complaints (7%)
   • median 8,500 mi at 1.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe the horn becoming inaudible or heavily muffled after the car is exposed to rain or snow, with the pedestrian warning sound also affected. One report says the dealer traced it to water entering through the grille and replaced the horn, after which the symptom returned; another says the dealer found the horn working at the time of inspection and attributed it to water collecting near the horn. Reported after driving in rain or sub-freezing conditions, mostly on low-mileage vehicles.

   What to check: Test the horn after washing the car or in wet weather if possible, and ask whether the horn or pedestrian warning speaker has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In instances of rain or snow. The horn along with the pedestrian warning system do not function properly and aren’t audible. It appears to me that there is water intrusion into the speaker of which the horn and pedestrian warning system both use and that is what muffles the sound.”

   NHTSA complaint #11635280, filed 2025-01

   “When vehicle is in rain or sub-freezing conditions, the horn completely stops functioning. Took vehicle to Tesla Service and was told, Technician inspected and found the vehicles horn to be working as expected at this time. Technician noted that under heavy rain/snow the vehicles horn may not work as expected due to water accumulation in the cut out for the horn. The issue is reproducible every time the vehicle is exposed to rain or snow.”

   NHTSA complaint #11635219, filed 2025-01

Buying note. Check the turn signal buttons and driver-assistance behavior carefully on a test drive, since these account for most of what owners report and are often intermittent. Ask for the full service history, confirm which software version is installed, and verify that any open recalls for the year have been completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.