Tesla Model 3 Tesla Model 3

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

Tesla Model 3 repairs by problem area

Engine (9%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (1%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (12%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (39%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (28%)

Other (8%)

Select a problem area

Show all problems

Need advice about a specific Tesla Model 3 problem?

Chart based on 299 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Tesla Model 3.

Tesla Model 3 electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (3%)

$500 - $999 (2%)

$100 - $499 (10%)

< $100 (84%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 58 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2022 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

346-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

10679 mi Replace driver front headlight 

Return to top

2021 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

450-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

8000 mi Tail light replaced by mobile service tech 
5580 mi one of the cameras wasn't working. quick fix, no charge. 

Return to top

2021 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

346-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

500 mi Periodic notice that the frunk needed attention. Turned out to be a grounding wire that needed to be reset. Never were there any problems that prevented the frunk's use, its opening or closing, or errors while driving or (remotely, via the app) when the car was unattended. 
3000 mi Defective headlight replaced. 
12000 mi Failed trunk latch. Replaced and re calibrated 
23000 mi

US $140
Cabin air filter smelled horrible 8 months after delivery, they say to do it once every 2 years so this failed before expected lifespan. Still had to pay. 
4096 mi Driver side roof speaker is making intermittent static noises when driving and made worse when driving over bumps. I can hear static across FM, Streaming, and Bluetooth. Tesla service found that Speaker wiring was grounding against the body of the vehicle. Trim removed, proper insulation/foam placed, and trim replaced. Service covered by warranty. 
500 mi Heat pump part malfunction [subject of a recall] 
18000 mi rear tail light fogged up to the point where there was standing water inside. replaced under warranty. 
17000 mi I believe that a software update bricked the LTE connectivity card. I could not access the car from the phone app, and navigation was somewhat limited because it didn’t have traffic data. It was very drivable, though. 
6200 mi Rear windshield replaced due to defective defroster 

Return to top

2021 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

283-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

11780 mi Extreme cold weather and programming / software issue caused the heatpump to break and needed replacement. 
13000 mi Battery failing 

Return to top

2020 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

346-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

24000 mi

US $12
A/C smelled like sweaty socks. Sprayed some Kool-It Evaporator Cleaner on the evaporator coils behind the center console and it smelled like new again. 
1234 mi Replaced right side repeater cam but damaged body work and paint in the process 
3720 mi Replaced right side repeater camera, adjusted bodywork, and resprayed paint to address issue technician caused when trying to remove the bad camera. 
9219 mi Replaced drivers side b-pillar cam cable,  
6446 mi Replaced LH Headlight 
22000 mi

US $125
Air filter change and clean of evaporator coil, smelled like dirty socks when the AC was first turned on. 
17000 mi 12 volt battery failed, replaced under warranty 

Return to top

2020 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

283-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

15000 mi Premature failure of 12v battery. Replaced under warranty. Teslacam fails to record. This is described as a firmware bug that needs a software fix. This system has been inoperative for two months. Cannot be fixed until software patch is released. No timeframe offered. 

Return to top

2019 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

450-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

22000 mi 12V battery died and needed replacement 
16120 mi 12V battery died. Got locked out of the car for 8 days since without the 12V battery, the computers would not boot up and the giant battery switches would not engage. 
32250 mi 12V battery replaced after I received a warning on the cars screen that it was low. This was all performed by Tesla Mobile ranger in the parking lot where I work. Repair took a few minutes. 

Return to top

2019 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

346-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

14000 mi Water ingress in rear brake light assembly 
35530 mi Connectivity card (cell card) had to be replaced under warranty because it stopped working. 
15333 mi When using easy entry, the driver's seat would not fully restore to its program position, and the recline and position would drift over time. 
16789 mi Glove box LED was not functional. Part replacement was attempted but did not resolve. Turns out that the wire was never connected to the main board. I found several other wires like this in the car that would be considered an assembly defect as they were just never connected. 
23396 mi Notification on display of 12 volt battery requiring replacement. Mobile service came to my home and replaced it under warranty 
10000 mi failed firmware update "bricked" MCU, Tech had to come to car to reprogram as remote attempts did not work. Tech reprogrammed firmware. No parts replaced. 
12000 mi Backup camera and seat belt sensor were replaced. 
18000 mi Compressor was low on refrigerant. 
2500 mi All cameras stopped working and GPS. Autopilot was disabled. Tesla had to replace the Computer. 
22000 mi Drivers seat belt wiring harness faulty 
43400 mi 12V battery died. replaced at home under maintenance 
26901 mi Blower motor replaced. 
20000 mi The motorized air vent on the driver's side stopped working. Dealer repaired by replacing the actuator. 

Return to top

2019 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

283-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

25000 mi Replaced 12 V battery. 
7000 mi FM radio stopped working. Requested mobile repair and it was scheduled for about 5 days later, but then had to be rescheduled for another 3 days later due to part availability. Technician arrived and had part replaced while in my driveway within 1 hour. 
21000 mi Driver side window stuck and require full window motor assembly replacement. 
18000 mi Low voltage battery dead. Tesla replaced it at my place 

Return to top

2019 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

271-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

29000 mi 12v battery failed. Car was still drivable. Dealer replaced battery under warranty. 

Return to top

2019 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

220-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

15000 mi Rear window was replaced due to malfunctioning defogger 

Return to top

2019 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

15000 mi Insulation added to passenger airbag sensor to prevent fault from triggering. 

Return to top

2018.5 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

450-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

59381 mi

US $67
AC smelled badly, they cleaned and changed my cabin air filtration system. 
60737 mi

US $1847
My AC-DC converter failed, and the car would not charge when plugged into an AC outlet, it would charge when connected to a DC supercharger. 700 miles out of warranty, otherwise it would have been covered. 
46000 mi 12v battery was replaced. Apparently when the 12v battery goes, you lose heat, some media functions, and other odd behaviors. 12v battery controls the display computer and other electronics 
15000 mi Autopilot computer upgrade 
600 mi Faulty blinker stalk - didn't work reliably to indicate right turns 
6000 mi Wiring harness in the dash was not fully glued/connected causing the car to error and not allow you to drive it. Rebooting the car would allow you to drive it immediately until you parked again and you would have to reboot again to drive. Also had front trunk latch replaced due to a Friend slamming the hood instead of gently closing. Also had hood aligned, noticed the day I locked up the car but just got around to having warranty fix it. Warranty covered everything though! 
31000 mi Air conditioner compressor started making bad noises when you stepped out (and it shut down the car). It cooled fine, no error codes, but very very loud unbalanced spinning and knocking noises on shut down. Tesla replaced my compressor, said my old one was failing. No charge. 

Return to top

2018.5 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

346-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic AWD

3500 mi Car's WiFi system failed 
39000 mi The smaller battery was replaced ... lasted 2 years 
23000 mi Charge Port would not reliably open. Known issue, Tesla came to house and swapped charge assembly. 
20500 mi Replaced autopilot computer to update to latest hardware version. 
10000 mi 1. repaired left blinker intermittent.  
39000 mi

US $142
Replaced 12 volt battery. 
6300 mi Left turn signal not operating correctly, would not perform the three-blinks function. Replaced the stalk. 
11000 mi Fault came up for 12V battery and was exchanged under warranty. 
57000 mi When Full Self Driving Beta was activated an error message came up that the cabin camera was not functioning, even though it was out of warranty I made the case that it should be covered because I never had used it ( I think FSD utilizes the cabin camera to help determine driver distractions/attentiveness). Tesla covered the cost to replace it. I believe the camera was replaced. 

Return to top

2018.5 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

283-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

63000 mi

US $500
Ultrasonic sensor in front bumper failed and had to be replaced. While broken, none of the enhanced autopilot features worked. 

Return to top

2018.5 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

271-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

17360 mi Charge port replacement 
41159 mi Broken reed valve in compressor caused noise on shutdown with no cooling failure. Replaced compressor. 

Return to top

2018 Tesla Model 3

Engine not specified

37000 mi 12V Battery replaced 

Return to top

2018 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

258-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

21000 mi Left driver window rocker switch broken and replaced. 
232 mi Major problems with main computer. Frequent crashes to black screen, disabling all instruments, displays, and controls while the car is in motion. Nothing was done and the problem was not fixed. Turn signal stalk failures, where signal could not be canceled. Module was replaced and since then failed again. 
8000 mi Backup camera frequently fails to start. Tesla did not fix. Frequent lockouts or other failures to lock / unlock. Even when sent *photographs* of the problem happening, Tesla denies there is an issue. Still not fixed. Automatic wipers frequently do not work when raining, or start wiping at random times on sunny days. Although I've reported it to Tesla many times and provided photographs, they refuse to take any corrective action. 
15000 mi Right front repeater camera was at fault and was replaced 
24000 mi Left side DRL wasn't working, so the company replaced the whole headlight unit 
33000 mi

US $1500
Touchscreen cracked and had "dead areas" rendering a number of functions impossible to use. 
15381 mi Defective rear glass defroster, rear glass was replaced. 
3000 mi Air conditioner pressure sensor failed. 
6820 mi Frunk actuator replaced 
5000 mi The LED light strip DRL on the driver's side headlight is no longer working. Parts not in stock, so no repair attempted. 
23000 mi The passenger side headlight accent light failed and was no longer as bright as the driver's side. The driver's side light had been replaced earlier for the same issue. The passenger side headlight was replaced. 
25500 mi The backup camera would intermittently stop and start working. Tesla Mobile Service replaced a wire harness and it's been working great since. 
8920 mi The front, drivers side headlamp was replaced (due to a known flaw with the LED signature [accent] lights) by Tesla Ranger Service at my home. 
26040 mi Ranger service in my garage: made a recommended field modification to the glove box door opening mechanism to cure an issue with the glove box door opening on its own. 
20985 mi Replaced right headlight assembly (DRL broken). 
40888 mi 12V Battery gave a warning for replacement. Tesla replaced the 12V battery. 
42491 mi Trunk lights flickering. Trunk electric harness had to be replaced due to wear. 
18000 mi

US $120
Known problem with early Model 3: the cabin air filter gets moldy and needed to be replaced (cause of the mold was fixed by software update). 
1000 mi Phone key function never worked since day 1. Bluetooth connectivity is sporadic. Sometimes connecting phone function only, other times connect media only, other times no connection at all. 
100 mi replace ac compressor 
34000 mi 12v battery failure replaced under warranty 
55600 mi

US $123
After 4 years, the small 12V battery died. Normal aging process. Was replaced at home by a Tesla mobile tech who came to my home - great service. 
(Electric car) charge port wouldn't open, immediately upon taking delivery (discovered after driving home) 
Parking brake sensor was flaking out, preventing the (electric) car from powering off when not in use. 
23000 mi Cellular data modem on Media Control Unit computer stopped working, causing streaming services to cease working if WiFi was unavailable. 
5000 mi Tinging sound heard from speakers randomly. Skipping to next song generally clears it up. High rate of failure to unlock doors via phone key via phone. Found issue realistically was on my end. Samsung S9+ power save features were interfering. 
23000 mi Bad mildew smell persists in cabin. Started around middle of July. Evaporator cleaned and Filter - Cabin (Remove & Replace) 
27000 mi Heard loud fan noise in park (Car off, parked). Performed a thermal test, ran ac on high, drove vehicle and inspected fan for possible objects. Everything checks out well at this time. 
36925 mi Horn only partially working (intermittent). Wrong part was brought (mobile service) and the shop didn't have the right part in stock, so had to reschedule another service visit. Horn partially working (now constant). Both horn tones replaced (even though only the low tone was not working). 
3000 mi Replace headlight assembly. The daytime running light was not as bright on the driver side as it was on the passenger side. Seems like it was a common problem with the early models as I know a couple other individuals who had the same issue. 
54000 mi Issue with autopilot disengaging. Yesterday various reboots. Ended up doing a camera recalibration with software reboot. 
16658 mi 12V Battery replaced under warranty after battery warning. 

Return to top

2018 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

700 mi Airbag warning light caused by faulty seatbelt switch. 
50000 mi Self driving optical camera 
38000 mi 12v battery died & replaced under warranty 
21000 mi A/C sensor 
39000 mi replaced noisy AC compressor backup camera intermittent failure. attempted diagnosis, unable to reproduce. 
45900 mi backup / sentry camera intermittently inoperative, triggered by opening trunk. wire harness to camera replaced. 
63000 mi

US $132
12V battery failed @ 61600 miles (just outside 60k mile warranty) 
38000 mi 12v battery was dying (indicated by car). Mobile service replaced under warranty. 
18000 mi Center touch screen freezes from time to time. Harness replaced at Tesla's cost. 
9500 mi Replaced rear blinker assembly due to water intrusion 
19861 mi Replace 12V battery 

Return to top

2017 Tesla Model 3 4dr Sedan

258-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD

5165 mi Motor for automatic look down on reverse in driver side mirror was off so it didn't fully return to set position. 

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans
See TrueDelta's information for all Tesla models.

Tesla Model 3 Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Tesla Model 3 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.