2017 Tesla MODEL 3

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2017 Tesla MODEL 3 has 55 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is seats/restraints problems (22% of all complaints), specifically: tesla vehicles have driver profiles to adjust seats automatically when a driver taps the brake pedal after entering the vehicle. a recent software update 2021.44.25.2 took away any on-screen indication of what profile the car is trying to set the seats to. there is no longer an on-screen stop button.

3 crash reports 1 injury

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.7x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

SEATS/RESTRAINTS

12 complaints

22%

• Tesla vehicles have driver profiles to adjust seats automatically when a driver taps the brake pedal after entering the vehicle. A recent software update 2021.44.25.2 took away any on-screen indication of what profile the car is trying to set the seats to. There is no longer an on-screen STOP button
• My tesla model 3 , parking break do not release. so i can not go front or back!!! i thing they had recall about that long time ago. it happend every month once. you get stuck for 2 hrs or so and then it get atomatically release!!!
• Safety Restraint System Fault in front passenger seat alert. Appears to be a common occurrence in Tesla Model 3 cars. Not covered under warranty to due to only 50k mile coverage for safety system, but the failure seems quite common. Required a replacement seat and replacement airbag. Many users repo

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Tesla vehicles have driver profiles to adjust seats automatically when a driver taps the brake pedal after entering the vehicle. A recent software update 2021.44.25.2 took away any on-screen indication of what profile the car is trying to set the seats to. There is no longer an on-screen STOP button”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

10 complaints

18%

• SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS
• On August 9th, 2021 I was traveling on Interstate 40, in NC, at MM 103 at approximately 70 mph. when with no warning the Main Control Unit (MCU) went blank. Adaptive Cruise control, speedometer were not operable or could not be seen. The MCU reset after a brief (5 second) pause. I immediately plac
• Essentially all of the safety and convenience features repeatedly shut off. Lane departure, autopilot, regenerative braking, VSC, emergency braking, airbags, traction control, automatic vehicle hold, stability control, and a few others stopped working on multiple occasions. This definitely put my

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

10 complaints

18%

• SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS
• SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS
• The Autopilot system on my vehicle malfunctioned, leading to the vehicle colliding into a stationary road barrier at highway speeds. The vehicle sustained severe damage as a result of the collision and was no longer operable.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

6 complaints

11%

• Safety Restraint System Fault in front passenger seat alert. Appears to be a common occurrence in Tesla Model 3 cars. Not covered under warranty to due to only 50k mile coverage for safety system, but the failure seems quite common. Required a replacement seat and replacement airbag. Many users repo
• My car has been having this issue since it was purchased in 2018. An alert appears on the screen which says, "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault/Service is Required." I had the car serviced four times by Tesla under warranty. It has now appeared a fifth time and Tesla says the airbags nee
• There is a warning on my car saying “front passenger safety restraint system fault”. The Tesla service center says the fix requires an air bag replacement and to replace the seat sensor. Does this not impact the safety of the passenger? This is the second model 3 I’ve owned that continuously has thi

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Safety Restraint System Fault in front passenger seat alert. Appears to be a common occurrence in Tesla Model 3 cars. Not covered under warranty to due to only 50k mile coverage for safety system, but the failure seems quite common. Required a replacement seat and replacement airbag. Many users repo”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

5 complaints

• My rear glass cracked. However, there was no damage to suggest an impact of any sort. I looked carefully and saw there was no damage to suggest this was caused by an impact. I took the car to the Tesla dealership and they also examined the glass and agreed that there was no impact of any sort tha
• Feb 25 around 4pm PT we were driving north on US Hwy 101 using the basic cruise control feature of our Model 3. Based on our settings I believe this would be considered adaptive cruise control, but I'm not sure. Enhanced Auto-Pilot was not in use. On a largely open highway, in particular with no o
• I had just finished Supercharging my vehicle from 50% to 80% and when I entered the car to drive home two warnings showed up 1. Steering assist was reduced and it might be more difficult to drive; and 2. Lane departure avoidance warning was not working. I did a hard reset twice - (foot on the

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“My rear glass cracked. However, there was no damage to suggest an impact of any sort. I looked carefully and saw there was no damage to suggest this was caused by an impact. I took the car to the Tesla dealership and they also examined the glass and agreed that there was no impact of any sort tha”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

SEATS/RESTRAINTS(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 55 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
SEATS/RESTRAINTS: Tesla vehicles have driver profiles to adjust seats automatically when a driver taps the brake pedal after entering the vehicle. A recent software update 2021.44.25.2 took away any on-screen indication of what profile the car is trying to set the seats to. There is no longer an on-screen STOP button
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SPEED CONTROL: SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: Safety Restraint System Fault in front passenger seat alert. Appears to be a common occurrence in Tesla Model 3 cars. Not covered under warranty to due to only 50k mile coverage for safety system, but the failure seems quite common. Required a replacement seat and replacement airbag. Many users repo
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)