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Body and structurePart report

2025 Tesla Model 3 Body and structure Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
5%of 122 total for the year
Median mileage
—not reported
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the body and structure of the 2025 Tesla Model 3, 5% of the 122 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.

“On April 23, 2025, at approximately 8:15 PM, I activated Tesla's Smart Summon feature to retrieve my vehicle from a parking spot. While operating autonomously under Smart Summon, the vehicle failed to detect a pole in the parking area and drove into it, causing approximately $11,000 in damage to the vehicle. I was not inside or manually controlling the vehicle at the time. The vehicle's autonomous driving software failed to identify and avoid a stationary obstacle.”

NHTSA complaint #11729029, filed 2026-04

“I purchased a new 2025 Tesla Model 3. During normal driving conditions, the rear bumper detached without any collision or impact. The bumper became loose while the vehicle was moving, creating a potential safety hazard. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle but declined warranty coverage and refused to properly repair the issue. The bumper was only temporarily reattached and remains misaligned. Additionally, shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the seat belt assembly had a failure and had to be repaired by Tesla under warranty. …”

NHTSA complaint #11724746, filed 2026-03

“Tesla’s Obstruction of Repairs Tesla deleted my original service complaint and annotations regarding these delivery defects. The associated service appointment was cancelled without notice or rescheduling. No repairs were performed despite the issues being raised during the warranty period. This prevented reasonable repair attempts and allowed the defects to persist. Current Nonconformities and Repair History The same or substantially similar defects continue and have worsened: • Recurring misalignment/alignment issues from delivery, impairing value and potentially safety. …”

NHTSA complaint #11713524, filed 2026-01

“The contact owns a 2025 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the turn signal buttons on the steering wheel used to activate the turn signals were designed with a flaw that might cause an accident if depressed intentionally. The contact was a retired Service Technician for over 40 years. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”

NHTSA complaint #11688310, filed 2025-09

Body and structure: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202627%
202565%
202452%
2023225%
2022101%
2021173%
2020194%
2019234%
2018606%

Other parts of the 2025 Tesla Model 3

Other or unknown
37 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
30 complaints
Steering
26 complaints
Electrical system
22 complaints
Lane departure
18 complaints
Vehicle speed control
14 complaints
Brakes
12 complaints
Exterior lighting
7 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
5 complaints
Suspension
5 complaints
Engine
4 complaints
Wheels
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2025 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