Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Tesla Model 3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On September 22, 2026, my 2019 Tesla Model 3 was involved in a very low-speed front collision. The Tesla Vehicle Data Report records the front collision event at approximately 23:21:26.933 and shows vehicle speed of approximately 2-3 mph at the time of the recorded collision. Despite the extremely low recorded vehicle speed, the vehicle's airbags deployed. The airbag deployment caused an eyebrow/facial laceration that required six stitches and medical treatment. The Tesla vehicle data also shows an accelerator pedal position of approximately 70-75% around the collision event, while brake pressure was essentially zero at the recorded collision timestamp. Significant braking appears in the data after the collision event. I am concerned that the restraint system may have deployed the airbags during an unusually low-speed collision. …
My wife was dropping my kid in the school drop off line. The speed was probably about 5 mph. The Tesla suddenly went into a sudden spontaneous acceleration. When my wife tried to brake, the brakes did not work. There was no forward collision warning beeping sound that went off, which is supposed to. It hit the vehicle in front and finally hit a fence. so, both the accelerator and brake malfunctioned. The car will go to a body shop tomorrow. Since it was a school drop off zone, safety of a lot of people were put at risk. It was very hard to get Tesla on the phone. so, we went into a Tesla service center and a complaint was filed. They will be reviewing the data but I dont know how long it will take. A software update had been applied a week back. 2 hours after the accident, a software update screen popped up
Received an alert through the Tesla App that my car alarm was going off. When I stepped outside my house I saw smoke coming out of the windows. I opened the rear passenger door and saw the floor on fire. I went inside and called the fire department. By the time they arrived the entire car had been destroyed.
The accident happened in a parking lot. There was a tap of the bumpers going really slow. The passenger in the Tesla is claiming whiplash. The car is not safe if it cannot take a slight bump on the fender in a parking lot.
Component: Exterior Door Handle (Front Passenger) Incident Description: A latent manufacturing defect resulted in the structural delamination of the interior chrome plating on the front passenger door handle. This failure occurred after the last use of the handle, creating a razor-sharp metallic edge that was not visible during a normal approach to the vehicle. Upon contacting the handle to open the door, a passenger sustained a deep laceration from this jagged metallic blade. Safety Hazard: The defect transforms a primary vehicle touchpoint into a concealed cutting hazard. The chrome skin peels and curls into a sharp edge without warning or visible signs of wear, posing an ongoing risk of serious physical injury to any occupant. Manufacturer Response: Tesla Service (Los Gatos) was provided with photographic evidence of the razor edge and the resulting injury. …
In August 2021, I discovered that the glass roof of my car had major cracks even though I had not had a collision and was not aware of any specific cause for such major damage. According to Tesla technicians who examined the damage, the roof glass had "a small crack running in top layer of glass along with a small star crack on the front left"; the back glass had "several cracks all over it with two large impacts"; "both glass pieces showed external damage on both front and rear." As a result, it was necessary to replace the glass, at a cost of over $2000. A hickory tree stands next to the uncovered driveway where the Tesla is normally parked since it was bought over two years ago. I am incredulous that falling hickory nuts might have caused such extensive damage, as Tesla theorized happened. …
When heavy down rain falls and the streets start to collect water of 1-2 or more the uderbody skid plates with collect water and the body panels fasteners will fail and the skid plate tears. This has happed twice since I've owned the car. This last time happed last week when a heavy rain came through. I'm now over my warranty but the problem keeps happening. Tesla has a bulletin specifically for this dated September 19, 2019 address this problem. Tesla TSB SB-19-12-00. Tesla service in Austin, TX is denying my car a replacement skid pad since I'm at 55,000 miles, just 5K past my warrenty. Even though they know this part will fail if the car happens to go through enough water from a heavy rain. If this part is not replaced water can then get into the rear bumpers and then cause them to be ripped off which could then cause an accident if this were to happen at hwy speeds.
The chrome lamination/sticker is peeling from the underside of the door handles. This peeling causes an extremely sharp edge that cut my finger. This issue is noted rather constantly over the internet. The sharp edge is hidden by the retracting mechanism of the door handles, and so you don't see it until you grab it and cut yourself.
On at least 3 occasions, the glass (windshield, roof and rear window) on my car has been shattered by a small nut (beechnut) falling from a tree. The cost of the damage has totaled thousands of dollars. The latest incidents were on July 31 and August 15, 2024. A previous incident occurred a few years ago.
The casing that the batteries are covered in will sometimes "pop" during charging or preconditioning events. I think it's made from AL and the temperature increase during cold days causes this pop. This may cause high cycle fatigue in colder climates while the vehicle is being charged constantly.
Body complaints in other Model 3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2019 Tesla Model 3?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the body & structure of the 2019 Tesla Model 3, 4% of the model year's 619 complaints. The component named most often is body (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Tesla Model 3 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2019 Tesla Model 3, though it has 22 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2019 Tesla Model 3 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 4,000 miles, and 100% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 1 fire and 6 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.