2020 Tesla Model 3 other reported problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Car was sitting at a red light while in Full Self Driving (supervised). The screen showed at least four red lights. Suddenly the car started to move forward while the lights were still red. I was able to stop it from going further. This has happened before and I reported it then. If I had not had my foot near the brake pedal the car might have just run through the light.

NHTSA complaint #11751847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Subject: Tesla HW2 FSD – Advertised Safety/Autonomy Features Not Provided Description: I am reporting an issue regarding my 2020 Tesla Model 3 equipped with Hardware 2 (HW2) and Full Self-Driving (FSD) package. Although the vehicle is listed and sold as “FSD capable,” Tesla has stopped providing FSD software updates for HW2 vehicles. My vehicle is stuck on FSD version 12.6.4 and cannot receive newer versions (v12.7, v12.8, v13, etc.). Tesla continues to advertise FSD as an evolving safety and autonomy system, but HW2 vehicles are no longer receiving the required updates to maintain or improve safety functions. This results in: • Safety-related features not being updated • Autonomy features advertised at purchase not being delivered • OTA updates being discontinued without notice • Tesla refusing to provide a hardware upgrade path (HW3) despite FSD being purchased on this VIN This creates a safety concern because the vehicle is operating with outdated perception and driving models while newer vehicles receive critical improvements. Tesla has not provided a remedy, timeline, or alternative solution. I request NHTSA to investigate Tesla’s failure to provide advertised and safety‑related FSD functionality for HW2 vehicles. Vehicle Info: 2020 Tesla Model 3 Hardware: HW2 FSD purchased on VIN (previous owner) Purchased used in July 2023 Current FSD version: 12.6.4 (no further updates)

NHTSA complaint #11745633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My wife was cleaning the interior and wiped the center main display of her model 3. While doing that somehow she managed to Turn the heat on set the fan/temp controls to HI and popped the front frunk to open. When she exited and closed all doors, it looks like the heat kept running at max for more than 24 hours in the garage. When I entered the garage it was hot in there and inside temp of the car was at 87f. Not sure if there was a fire hazard due to heaters over heat. Just wanted to bring this to your attention.

NHTSA complaint #11728751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The touch-screen only media center has an off-by-one error when using the media player for USB media. This results in unsafe conditions for the driver where the expectation of pressing "S" would navigate to music starting with "S", but instead navigates to music starting with "T". This creates momentary confusion for the driver, and pulls focus from the road. There is no mechanism to scroll through the music using non-touch related functionality. There is no warning to only use the media feature when stopped/parked. The manufacturer has acknowledged the issue, but refuses to provide any diagnostics or solutions without taking a downpayment for service.

NHTSA complaint #11728266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Issue 1: While using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) at night on a two-lane road with a straight lane and a turn lane, the vehicle crossed the white lane markings and drifted into the adjacent lane. I had to manually intervene to correct many times. This happens regulary at night. I clean the lenses on the cameras but it doesn't reslove the issue. Issue 2: While using Full Self-Driving (Supervised), the vehicle positioned itself in the incorrect lane when entering a roundabout, selecting the wrong entry lane for my intended exit. This happens at day and night about 50% of the time. I report the issue via the Tesla feedback, but they do not fix it.

NHTSA complaint #11720709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

After loading our two children ages 2 and 5 in to vehicle and securing in car seats, the car doors were closed and would not reopen. The children were unable to open the doors themselves. The trunk and other entries did not open. There was no obvious way to open the doors or the issue the car was experiencing. The battery cover would not open. Eventually after I searched the Internet I determined that the 12V battery died (no warning whatsoever, doors worked before loading children) and this caused all occupants to be detained in vehicle as the emergency release is the mechanical means of opening the door and this emergency release is not intuitive or obvious. Within 20 minutes I was able to use an arcane hot wiring method to unlatch a door with a spare 12 V source and a hidden 12 V port not immediately obvious either. Thankfully not in setting of an emergency, not a sunny or excessively warm day and had internet access to research this event. If any of the above were true, life limb and property loss would easily have occurred.

NHTSA complaint #11708507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I recently purchased a 2020 Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD (VIN [XXX] internal systems and service records show that all recalls for this vehicle have been completed and closed. However, the NHTSA VIN lookup still shows seven open recalls. This is causing a major issue because I am participating in a California clean transportation incentive program (Replace Your Ride), which requires that all recalls be shown as closed specifically on the NHTSA website. Tesla states that the recalls are complete but has not updated the recall status with NHTSA. NHTSA customer service informed me that recall data can only be updated by the manufacturer. I am requesting that NHTSA notify Tesla’s regulatory or safety compliance team so they can update the recall reporting for this VIN. The outdated recall data is preventing my state incentive from being processed and is causing significant financial harm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11705882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving south bound on [XXX] in Torrance and intending to go [XXX] , the GPS suggests to take a left turn for the ramp. The left turn is illegal. The ramp is on the right side of the road. With FSD, I have to intervene and take control. This has happened multiple times in last 1 year, since the time the ramp on right side was opened and left side became illegal. GPS data is wrong. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11672010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The Tesla windows have a window sensor in the door. It appears these fail. When they fail, the door does not shut securely. More specifically, it stays paritally ajar. I would like to report this a safety issue. More specifically, it is possible a passenger could fall out when the window does not shut properly. Additionally, it seem to impact the drivablity and safety. This should be considered a recall item.

NHTSA complaint #11643521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Unknown issue with front passanger safety restraint system. Car suddenly notified me of an issue with the restraint system. Before the fault the car was simply just parked in my driveway, then I went into the car and the safety issue appeared. The seat was adjusted for my mom's height the day prior, this might have caused a wire to become pinched and caused the fault due to how the wiring under the seat is set up from manufacturing. Online search results show this to be a common occurrence for cars from 2019-2021 in Tesla.

NHTSA complaint #11627805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Tesla's latest update pings you when you're sitting at a light and it turns green. It also shows you the green light on its screen rendering of your surroundings. The other day, Tesla incorrectly pinged me that a light was green when it was still red. It also displayed it as green on the screen. This is dangerous not only because it suggests the self-driving mode would have incorrectly registered the light and started forward (I was not in self-driving fortunately), but even without self-driving, drivers become primed to go when the ping happens, so this could lead a driver to run the light.

NHTSA complaint #11622775 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My Motor Control Unit failed. No reason given by Tesla Service Center. It simply just died. They cannot find a reason, and they also said I didn't do anything to cause the MCU to fail. Service Center agrees this is a rare event. Likely got a really faulty MCU to start with. I bought my car in 2020, so just over 4 years later my MCU died.

NHTSA complaint #11621654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Hi there, it seems like a lot of model 3 Tesla owners year 2020 have been hit with a thousand plus dollars repair for the super bottle that controls the HVAC. Some at 37,000 miles. It looks like Tesla knows this is a faulty part they will cause issues. Thus they limit the warranty to 4 years only or 50,000 miles whichever comes first. Most cases was the four year warranty that runs out and the very next month we have issues with the super bottle replacement. It looks like they have now it started making a more sturdy part. So for us with older models we are hit with expensive repairs. If you do not change the super bottle the car drives on very limited speed limits which can be dangerous if you need to make a quick fast maneuver. Basically you're not able to drive the car anywhere but only to your neighborhood grocery store!! Not only that if you do not fix the car quickly it will start damaging surrounding parts costing you even more. I'd like to know if there is a possible recall that Tesla would cover the cost.

NHTSA complaint #11620304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Concern: message appeared on the tesla screen "DIR_a126 Power reduced" Repair solution: Internal seal in battery coolant bottle was faulty and not letting coolant flow properly to rear drive unit. Tesla warranty: states that battery coolant does not need to be replaced for the life of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11611673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

A few months ago after an update, my turn signal functionality was completely replaced by AI. This results in me driving either with the blinker engaged when I don’t want it to be, or not engaged when I want it to be. To correct the usually incorrect AI is distracting, and often causes even more incorrect blinker usage. I find this to be dangerous.

NHTSA complaint #11609786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was traveling on autopilot in left lane with autopilot engaged on 06/13/2024 on HW 101 at around 9:40am my car all of the sudden slammed on brakes and dropped speed from around 65mph to 30mph before I was able to react and recover speed. Reached out to Tesla on their app about this and they are sending me estimate of $275 to check it out

NHTSA complaint #11594305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Front subframe assembly broken Turn signals don't register input Lateral and compliances links broken

NHTSA complaint #11582532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I received a software update from Tesla which caused my car to display wanting signals that would beep repeatedly while my car was parked and while driving. The on screen messages stated “Gear Box Fluid Recommended” and “Adaptive Air Suspension Needs Service”. When I reached out to Tesla they told me to not worry about those alerts because a bug in their software update caused the issue and I did not actually require those services. They admitted that they were aware of this bug and that I was not the only customer experiencing this issue. They gave me two options. Either schedule a service appointment or wait until the next software update. I scheduled an appointment because I could not drive my vehicle safely with alerts beeping every second that I was driving. A software update appeared on my screen before my appointment and it seemed to fix the problem for about 24 hours. The next day I woke up to my screen being black and the car not being responsive or displaying any information. This caused a major concern because I could not even tell how fast I was driving. The car is still driveable. I just have no information or access to any functions of the vehicle. So I scheduled another appointment with Tesla. Who determined the entire computer system needed to be replaced. Since my car is out of warranty they want me to pay out of pocket. I do not believe this is a responsibility of mine since the software update is what destroyed my computer. Tesla is responsible for making sure their vehicles are safe to drive and providing us with software updates that make the cars extremely unsafe to drive and then not wanting to be responsible for the repairs is insane. I am not the only customer that this has happened too. This has happened to many people and I think it’s extremely unfair and needs to be looked into.

NHTSA complaint #11576504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The ac and window defroster stopped working. I got it fixed and it was because of a loose connector. I added supporting document below. They said it might be because of vibration.

NHTSA complaint #11576025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Issue with heater and cooler where it suddenly stops working. Not even fan turns on. It makes the car unsafe to drive and transport a baby. This is a kwon issue

NHTSA complaint #11575694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Received safety recall letter from tesla 23v-838. Asked tesla to implement the software update; they told me to do it via WiFi. I do not have WiFi and asked them to do an over the air update. I have not heard back from them. Please compel them to update me to the most recent version of the software to fix the safety recall.

NHTSA complaint #11573069 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Dear NHTSA, I am contacting you regarding campaign #23V-838 and the recent Tesla software update, which I believe has compromised the safety features of my Tesla Model 3. For over two years, I’ve trusted my Tesla’s capabilities, notably its autopilot feature. However, the latest update has introduced a wheel detection system that’s overly sensitive and disruptive. Previously, my driving experience was smooth, responsible and safe, with hands on the wheel and autopilot assist for when I needed to make blind lane changes, allowing me to look over my shoulder briefly at the blind spot while the wheel kept straight without rear ending anyone. Now, with this mandated update, I’m forced to make frequent, forceful adjustments to the steering wheel. I can’t look away from the front of the car even briefly to check my surroundings. This constant intervention and forbidding drivers from looking around to check for safety is distracting and dangerous, leading to abrupt autopilot disengagements and brief rapid ways in which the car behaves as the car disengages and throws you into manual when you weren’t expecting it. This isn’t just about inconvenience; it’s a safety hazard. I’m now more focused on maintaining autopilot than on the road and surrounding conditions. This undermines the very purpose of the feature. As someone who’s always vigilant about my surroundings, especially at intersections, I find this update counterproductive. It forces me to turn off the feature, leaving me without the assistance that I’ve come to rely on for safer driving. I urge you to review this matter with utmost priority. The balance between driver engagement and the autopilot system’s safety has been significantly disturbed by this update. Necessary adjustments are needed to prevent potential accidents and ensure that this technology continues to enhance driving safety and efficiency. Thank you for addressing this critical issue.

NHTSA complaint #11565913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My FSD Beta-equipped Tesla sometimes makes inappropriate lane choices while following the navigation route. After watching a video made by a Beta volunteer driver while testing a similar lane selection issue they had experienced across several FSD Beta firmware releases, I checked a Google Map navigation route that took the same turn onto the same street shown in the video. The path in the Google Map route correlated closely with the erroneous route driven during the test video. The vehicle initially turned into the correct targeted lane. The car was then moved left into the "suicide lane" with a median island in the path directly ahead. Tesla's Level 2 ADAS correctly "changes lane to follow route" and moves the car out of the incorrect center turning lane. I've experienced similar errors at times. This complaint concerns the route that brought the car into the center turn lane after making the left turn correctly. I documented these findings in a video. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11564561 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Re: California Highway Patrol Accident Report [XXX] (see doc: [XXX] ). The driver of the Tesla noted that Tesla's FSD Beta version was engaged, and "When (the Tesla) was in the tunnel, (the Tesla) moved from the #2 lane into the #1 lane and started slowing down unaccountably. When (the Tesla) was about 20 miles per hour, he felt a rear impact." In January 2023, I reviewed available Google map data at the approximate GPS location of the accident. (see video: [XXX] ). Multiple conflicting data layers corresponding to that location may have contributed to the accident if the FSD Beta-controlled vehicle referenced the same or similar map data. The ADAS may have read a road closure on the island surface above the tunnel at [XXX] as relating to the lower level of the tunnel, and the lane change and subsequent slowing of the vehicle described by the driver may have been in response to this map data anomaly. In early 2023, I made multiple attempts to recreate the error while driving a Tesla Model 3 with the then-current FSD Beta version engaged. I drove in both directions of the tunnel and observed no abnormal reactions in any lanes of the eastbound tunnel. In one instance on a Sunday at approximately the same time of day and GPS location as the [XXX] accident, while driving in one of the tunnel's upper-level centermost lanes in the westbound direction, an ADAS alarm was triggered, and the system advised that the driver should take over immediately. It did not automatically slow the vehicle or change lanes. I noted that both occurred when GPS Navigation routing information may have been referencing weekend and holiday data versus weekday commute hours data. Previously, I had observed a difference between weekday and weekend navigation routes into San Francisco. A subsequent retest in the westbound direction on a later Sunday at a different time of day did not trigger an alarm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11564203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am writing to bring to your attention a concerning issue regarding the recent update related to recall alerts in my vehicle, which has inadvertently led to an increase in distraction while driving. I received a software update for my vehicle, which included new features aimed at enhancing autopilot alerts. However, instead of improving safety, these updates have unintentionally resulted in an increased level of distraction while driving. Issues Identified: Frequency of Alerts: The frequency of recall alerts has become excessive, leading to a constant stream of notifications while driving. This has proven to be highly distracting and has compromised my ability to focus on the road. Alert Presentation: The visual and auditory presentation of the alerts is intrusive and often occurs excessively during driving. The alerts are not sufficiently streamlined to ensure minimal disruption, causing a significant distraction. Impact on Driving Behavior: The continuous alerts have forced me to divert attention away from the road, leading to an increased risk of accidents and compromising overall road safety. Recommendations: As per most other vehicle brands that benefit from self-driving technologies, like Cadillac and Ford, they are not affected by this recall, and do not make the driver continually look at the display for information regarding to the alert. Intelligent Alert Timing: Incorporate a smart algorithm that considers the driving context before issuing an alert. This can prevent alerts during critical driving moments, reducing distraction. Comprehensive Testing: Conduct thorough testing of software updates before release to identify and address any unintended consequences, such as increased distraction. Before this update, it was a lot less distracting to drive this vehicle, due to the limited notifications. Since this update, I've found myself removing my eyes from the road because of the increased notifications. A reversal of this recall is in need.

NHTSA complaint #11564302 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

cabin heat not working, vehicle’s defroster is also not work well enough to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards regarding windshield visibility. error message on the vehicle’s user interface saying that heating and air conditioning are limited or unavailable. The blower motor, which sends air into the cabin, will remain operational.

NHTSA complaint #11560990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.