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SteeringPart report

2026 Tesla Model 3 Steering Problems

Complaints
7about this part
Share
24%of 29 total for the year
Median mileage
450miles
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the steering of the 2026 Tesla Model 3, 24% of the 29 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 450 miles. 3 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 February 5, 2026, at 12:21 PM PST, my 2026 Tesla Model 3 (Hardware 4) collided with a 5-inch wooden pillar while using the Autopark feature. The system failed to provide any audio chimes or visual warnings prior to the impact. I officially requested the driving logs from Tesla to investigate the cause of this failure, but Tesla refused to provide any logs or data. …”

NHTSA complaint #11730303, filed 2026-04

“Car was in self-driving and struck a piece of concrete. The car was in hands free and was being monitored by me, the driver. This obstruction was in the left side of the lane, about 2 tall, a foot wide and 6 across. I thought the car would see it and miss it but I was wrong, it clipped the concrete, punctured the tires side wall and damaged the tire rim. Tesls'a position was that I shouldn't have trusted the car abilities to avoid the obstruction. …”

NHTSA complaint #11769065, filed 2026-10

“I was using the self driving feature and all of a sudden the steering wheel went haywire and was spinning. the car was swerving very aggressively in between lanes. putting my foot on the brake and hands on the wheel did not do anything.”

NHTSA complaint #11765239, filed 2026-09

“Firstly, we were driving in the center lane on I-84W (three lanes), with Full Self Driving (FSD) at 55 mph. The car veered left on it owns (under FSD) into the center median with the front driver side of the vehicle struck the metal beam guardrail causing both air bags to deploy on the driver and left rear passenger sides. The car continued to move forward in the next 4-6 seconds under FSD (approximately 10-20 feet range) and then came to a complete stop with flashing warning screen asking driver to take over the steering wheel immediately.”

NHTSA complaint #11751300, filed 2026-07

“I purchased my car on 3/23/26. Since delivery I have noticed that the car bounces at low speeds 20-30mph and the steering wheel vibrates at highway speeds 65 - 80mph. I have had the car to tesla service center 6 times since march. They have replaced all 4 tires, found and replaced a bent wheel (rim) on the passenger side. Then this last visit they replaced the passenger right wheel hub. They claim that when comparing it to the 1 other car available to road test my car was the same even though it still has the wheel vibration at highway speeds. they claim it falls within specs and is safe. …”

NHTSA complaint #11755161, filed 2026-08

Steering: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026724%
20252621%
20243918%
20238821%
2022395%
2021284%
20204710%
2019549%
2018828%
201714%

Other parts of the 2026 Tesla Model 3

Other or unknown
10 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
7 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
4 complaints
Lane departure
4 complaints
Electrical system
2 complaints
Body and structure
2 complaints
Suspension
2 complaints
Vehicle speed control
2 complaints
Air bags
1 complaints
Brakes
1 complaints
Seat belts
1 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2026 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