Tesla Model 3
Owners filed 4,311 complaints across 10 model years of the Tesla Model 3. The 2018 drew the most (1,020); the 2026 the fewest (21).
Model years10
Complaints4,311
Recalls139
Fires22
Deaths16
Every Tesla Model 3 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 21 | 1 | — | 8 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2025 | 115 | 3 | — | 25 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2024 | 216 | 5 | 1 | 25 | Unknown or Other | Above average | |
| 2023 | 424 | 12 | 1 | 72 | Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control | Fatalities reported | |
| 2022 | 764 | 18 | 4 | 53 | Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control | Fatalities reported | |
| 2021 | 662 | 22 | 5 | 45 | Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control | Fatalities reported | |
| 2020 | 451 | 21 | 2 | 54 | Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control | Fatalities reported | |
| 2019 | 612 | 22 | 5 | 58 | Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control | Fatalities reported | |
| 2018 | 1,020 | 19 | 4 | 102 | Suspension | High concern | |
| 2017 | 26 | 16 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine |
Which Tesla Model 3 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2018 is the weakest year on record, with 1,020 complaints concentrated in the suspension. It carries 19 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.