Car Defect Radar
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Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 5 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

19 total · 5 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Exterior lighting recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 26V507000 · Aug 2026

Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-003.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Suspension recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 23V235000 · Mar 2023

A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-31-001. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-835.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 22V798000 · Oct 2022

An incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchor can impair the performance of the seat belt during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy
Tesla Service will inspect and reassemble the seat belt anchors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-20-004.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V00D000 · Dec 2021

A rearview camera that does not function reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla Service will inspect and install a guide protector and new cable harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V389000 · May 2021

An improperly attached fastener may prevent the seat belt system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy
Tesla Service will inspect and repair both fasteners if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-20-001.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Tires recall

Fixed over the airRecall 24V935000 · Dec 2024

Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Seat belts recall

Fixed over the airRecall 24V376000 · May 2024

A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Fixed over the airRecall 24V153000 · Feb 2024

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 24V051000 · Jan 2024

Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 23V838000 · Dec 2023

In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Steering recall

Fixed over the airRecall 23V085000 · Feb 2023

FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Body & glass recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V702000 · Sep 2022

A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2032. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-013.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V263000 · Apr 2022

The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-008.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V235000 · Apr 2022

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V169000 · Mar 2022

A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V063000 · Feb 2022

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V-235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V045000 · Feb 2022

The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Fixed over the airRecall 22V037000 · Jan 2022

Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Fixed over the airRecall 21V846000 · Oct 2021

Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
Status
Corrected automatically through an over-the-air software update.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Is 1,021 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2018 and 2026, roughly 122 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2018 has 1,021 complaints on file, more than the 2017 (26) and more than the 2019 (611). That is the most of the 10 model years of the Tesla Model 3 we cover. Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.