2020 Tesla Model 3 Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• ADAS › Autonomous/self driving
  3
• ADAS
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  862%
• 25k–50k
  18%
• 50k–75k
  323%
• 75k–100k
  18%
• 100k–150k
  00%
• 150k+
  00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Tesla Model 3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving on the right side of the road at 35-45 MPH, on autopilot mode with a passenger in the front passenger seat, the vehicle drove off the road independently and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's face hit the steering wheel. The contact sustained a black eye with laceration, bruised ribs, head, neck and back pain, sprained left ankle, bruises on her thigh, may have sustained nerve damage on the right side of the face that hit the steering wheel and sciatic nerve damage on the right side of her body. The occupant of the front passenger seat sustained neck, back and clavicle injuries. The contact sought medical assistance the next day. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, then it was towed to a Tesla certified specialist body shop. …

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while her granddaughter was reversing, the rearview camera failed to turn on, causing the rear end of the vehicle to crash into a cement post. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla-certified autobody mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. The contact later 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 manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not provide any assistance. …

The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 60 MPH on autopilot, she lost control of the vehicle due to an unknown reason. Once his wife lost control of the vehicle, she had run the vehicle into a fence. The airbags deployed upon impact. The contact's wife did not suffer any injuries and did not seek any medical attention. A police report was filed. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact filled out a form online to recover the data from the vehicle but was later informed that only California residence could have access to that information. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

I was operating my Tesla with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged when the incident occurred. I was turning right onto [redacted] from [redacted] and was positioned in the left right-turn lane approaching a railroad crossing. The railroad crossing gates were already fully lowered, indicating an approaching train. Despite the lowered crossing gates, the vehicle accelerated forward into the crossing rather than stopping. The vehicle drove through the lowered crossing gate, which struck and shattered the windshield. Seconds later, the train passed through the intersection. I did not command the vehicle to proceed through the lowered gates. The incident resulted in significant damage to the windshield and raised serious safety concerns because the vehicle entered an active railroad crossing immediately before the train arrived. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center due to the damage. …

The contact's husband owned a 2020 Tesla Model 3. According to a police report, while traveling at 70 MPH, the vehicle veered across three lanes of traffic and hit a light pole. The contact was wearing a seatbelt and the air bags deployed upon impact. The paramedics arrived at the scene; her husband was intubated and taken to the hospital. Her husband was pronounced brain dead due to injuries suffered in the accident and passed away two weeks later. According to the police report, witnesses stated that no effort was made by her husband to avoid or slow down prior to the collision. The contact disputes this claim and stated that her husband was not a reckless driver and would not have intentionally hit a light pole. The contact believed that the cause of the accident may have been related to a mechanical failure and would like an additional investigation conducted about the accident. …

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH at night with self-driving assist mode, the auto high beams lights engaged three times within 20 seconds. The contact stated that the driver ahead of him then decelerated and veered to the side of the road because it appeared that the contact was sending him an alert through the activation of the high beams. Additionally, the contact was pulled over by a Police Officer. The contact stated that the auto high beam feature was distracting to other drivers. The contact stated that he was unable to disengage the feature. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the driver did not have control over the feature. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk became inoperable. The contact stated that the trunk latch failed to open when the trunk release was engaged using the mobile application, the instrument panel, or the trunk release button. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed by the dealer that the cable harness was not repaired and that a zip tie was placed on the cable harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after the dealer visit, the trunk failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,125.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the safety features independently deactivated. The contact purchased and replaced the battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with ECU failure. The contact was informed that the ECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that an unknown software update was completed in June 2026. In addition, the contact stated that the unknown software update caused the ECU to fail. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with similar vehicles. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

While turning into a parking spot in a covered parking garage the car seemed to speed up and lurch. It hit the cement wall and pushed the car back with such force the air bags deployed. Thank God it was just a wall. The car is now at the repair garage and have not heard back regarding how much damage and if the car is going to be "totaled". When I mentioned this at a party we were at, a friend of mine said she had the same problem. There were no collision warnings. It happened in a split second. The parking garage was at my Doctors office so I was able to have my wrist x-ryed right then. No serious injury. Just a little leary of driving this model car if not any electric vehicle.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rear camera would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact had previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) but stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Electrical complaints in other Model 3 years