Reliability & cost of ownership
Tesla Model 3 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Tesla Model 3? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Tesla Model 3 problems by model year
135 recall entries and 4301 owner complaints on file across 10 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 0 | 21 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2025 Model 3 | 0 | 114 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2024 Model 3 | 5 | 216 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Model 3 | 12 | 423 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 Model 3 | 18 | 764 | 5.0 | Full reliability report → |
| 2021 Model 3 | 22 | 660 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2020 Model 3 | 21 | 450 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 Model 3 | 22 | 611 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Model 3 | 19 | 1016 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Model 3 | 16 | 26 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Tesla Model 3, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- forward collision avoidance1734 complaints
- unknown or other692 complaints
- vehicle speed control632 complaints
- service brakes568 complaints
- electrical system555 complaints
- steering391 complaints
- suspension367 complaints
- air bags309 complaints