2017 Tesla MODEL 3 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
26 owner complaints analyzed
16 distinct recall campaigns
44,900 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2017 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 26 complaints (26.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 8 | 30.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 11.5% |
| Steering behavior | 3 | 11.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 7 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 6 |
| Seat Belts | 6 |
| Seats | 6 |
| Unknown Or Other | 5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 |
| Lane Departure: Assist | 3 |
| Service Brakes | 3 |
Air Bags: 7; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 6; Seat Belts: 6; Seats: 6; Unknown Or Other: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 4; Lane Departure: Assist: 3; Service Brakes: 3
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 24 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 3 |
2021: 5; 2022: 6; 2023: 6; 2024: 1; 2025: 5; 2026: 3
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11445122 · 2021-12-27 (December 27, 2021)
Tesla vehicles have driver profiles to adjust seats automatically when a driver taps the brake pedal after entering the vehicle. A recent software update 2021.44.25.2 took away any on-screen indication of what profile the car is trying to set the seats to. There is no longer an on-screen STOP button, nor does a menu pop up giving a driver a chance to select a different profile. The result is that a driver has no expectation that seats might continue to move past the expected point, and since there's no longer an on-screen STOP button, nor way…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11445122 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11446684 · 2022-01-07 (January 7, 2022)
Essentially all of the safety and convenience features repeatedly shut off. Lane departure, autopilot, regenerative braking, VSC, emergency braking, airbags, traction control, automatic vehicle hold, stability control, and a few others stopped working on multiple occasions. This definitely put my life and my family's life at risk. The problems were reproduced and confirmed by the dealer and the vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer. All of the warning lamps and messages only popped up when the failure occurred. Tesla initially "fixed" a…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11446684 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11481876 · 2022-08-29 (August 29, 2022)
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model 3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11481876 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11608226 · 2024-08-13 (August 13, 2024)
My car has been having this issue since it was purchased in 2018. An alert appears on the screen which says, "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault/Service is Required." I had the car serviced four times by Tesla under warranty. It has now appeared a fifth time and Tesla says the airbags need to be replaced for over $1,600. The prior repairs included replacing wiring harnesses and occupancy sensor.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11608226 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11414426 · 2021-04-29 (April 29, 2021)
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IT RECEIVED A SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD CALLED EMERGENCY LANE DEPARTURE AVOIDANCE WHICH IS TESLA'S FANCY NAME FOR A LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR INTO THEIR SERVICE CENTERS 3 TIMES TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BECAUSE IT ONLY WORKS <50% OF THE TIME - NEVER WORKS DURING RAIN, SHADOWS ON THE ROAD, AND VARIOUS OTHER NORMAL ROAD & WEATHER CONDITIONS. EACH TIME I GET THE CAR BACK FROM THE SERVICE CENTERS I'M INFORMED THAT THAT SYSTEM IS WORKING NORMALLY. IN LATE JUNE OF 2020 I PURCHASED THEIR BASIC AUTO-PILOT SO…
Owner-reported narrative. 39,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11414426 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11509183 · 2023-02-26 (February 26, 2023)
Feb 25 around 4pm PT we were driving north on US Hwy 101 using the basic cruise control feature of our Model 3. Based on our settings I believe this would be considered adaptive cruise control, but I'm not sure. Enhanced Auto-Pilot was not in use. On a largely open highway, in particular with no one in front of us, and thankfully, no one close behind us, the car suddenly started to lose speed, not brake, just lose speed. I pressed the right-hand button on the steering wheel and called out "report bug" so there should be an incident record wit…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11509183 at NHTSA ↗