2024 Tesla Model 3 Steering Problems

Mileage when the problem started

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2024 Tesla Model 3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 65 MPH, and was driving on the exit ramp, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact's daughter stated that the brake pedal felt hard. The contact's daughter used the emergency brake but failed to function as intended. In addition, the steering wheel locked. The contact's daughter, to avoid hitting the vehicle in front, was able to pull over to the side of the road using excessive force on the steering wheel, and hit a tree, where it came to a stop. The driver-side air bags and side curtain air bags deployed. Three of the contact's daughters were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The contact's daughter suffered three fractures in her left eye, three fingers on her left hand were fractured, and the seat belt left a burn on her neck. …

I purchased a 2024 Tesla Model 3 a little over a year ago. Recently, and after an update, myself, and other drivers in my life, noticed the self-driving feature was malfunctioning - to the point I used the audio reporting feature to report this problem twice to Tesla. The car would veer off the road when flasing lights appeared and would jerk suddenly for no reason when it thought there was a obstruction in the road (sticks, plastic bags, etc.). Last month this malfunction has caused an accident, and my car has been totaled, my insurance will not cover it, and I have been advised by two separate attorneys to sue. This has been litigated in court with lawsuits against Tesla (See Benavides v. Tesla; see also IN RE: TESLA ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS LITIGATION). …

On July 18, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM EST, my son was manually driving a 2024 Tesla Model 3 at approximately 26 MPH when the steering suddenly became extremely stiff and difficult to turn. He attempted to steer away from a roadside barrier but was unable to turn the steering wheel sufficiently, resulting in a collision. There was no warning or indication observed on the dashboard before the steering suddenly became extremely stiff. Autopilot, cruise control, and Full Self-Driving were not activated; the vehicle was being driven manually. Fortunately, my son did not sustain any physical injuries. However, a sudden loss of normal steering control is a serious safety concern and could potentially cause severe injuries to the driver, passengers, pedestrians, or occupants of other vehicles. …

On October 17, 2025, while Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged, the vehicle made an abrupt, uncommanded steering input to the right, causing a collision with a tunnel wall. This crash appears to be the result of a critical vehicle hardware failure. In the 24 hours prior to the crash, the vehicle logged multiple critical steering errors, including EPAS3P_a086_dasMia, which indicates the Electric Power Assisted Steering system was "Missing in Action" and not communicating. Furthermore, the vehicle has logged daily, recurring hardware faults for the Steering Column Control Module (SCCM_a016_hardwareError) since it was purchased. The uncommanded steering action created an extremely dangerous safety condition resulting in a collision. All stability and traction control faults appeared at the exact moment of impact, not before, indicating the steering system failure was the root cause. …

Vehicle Information: 2024 Tesla Model 3 Description of the Problem: We purchased a brand-new 2024 Tesla Model 3 just seven days ago, and we've already encountered a serious safety issue: the turn signal frequently fails to function. This problem compromises our ability to signal lane changes or turns, putting our safety and the safety of others at risk, particularly in high-traffic or highway conditions. Inspection and Reproduction: We took the car to Tesla Service, and the service advisor confirmed that this is a known issue with the vehicle. The malfunction has been reproduced and verified by Tesla Service. Safety Risks: The inability to use the turn signal effectively creates a significant safety hazard, as other drivers cannot anticipate our intended movements. This increases the likelihood of accidents, especially during lane changes or turns. …

Tesla has removed the turn signal stalks on some of their vehicles in favor of buttons on the steering wheel. While Tesla may argue that these buttons work fine, they are unsafe and they do not work in all driving situations (roads with multiple tight turns, roundabouts, etc). The buttons are also prone to sticking, which renders them inoperable. I have been pulled over due to failure to signal on a tight roadway in San Francisco, the officer did not write a ticket when he saw the design defect and advised that I remedy the issue with Tesla. I have also almost gotten into an accident several times in roundabouts because of failure to signal -- it was impossible to signal via the button on the steering wheel while in the roundabout. Tesla has acknowledged that this design is a safety issue and has brought back turn signal stalks on newly manufactured vehicles. …

I purchased this used Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [redacted] ) from a licensed dealer on July 15th, 2025. The vehicle is still under the original manufacturer warranty. Since ownership, I have experienced a persistent metal-impact noise coming from the suspension and steering area, especially when going over speed bumps, uneven road surfaces, or low-speed turns. The noise sounds like loose metal parts making contact. Tesla service has attempted repairs multiple times, including a recent visit that lasted several weeks. Although some minor issues were addressed, the abnormal metal impact noise continues and has never been fully resolved. The repeated unresolved noise raises concerns about structural integrity and potential failure within components related to steering, wheels, or suspension. While the vehicle remains operable, the issue affects driving confidence, comfort, and concentration. …

the left and right turn signals are not functioning at times. My car is very new. I did not get into any accidents that would compromise the car's hardware. It is dangerous when I need to switch lanes or make a turn because I am unable to apply the indicator button on the steering wheel. the button gets stuck and I am unable to use it at the time of need. sometimes when I try to press the button, instead of the turn signal, radio starts. It is both stressful and such a headache. it is illegal to switch lanes without turn signals. it is frustrating to drivers on other cars, sometimes dangerous even. in high traffic areas like the bay area, california(where I drive) it is bound to cause some accidents if this is left unresolved. I am sometimes afraid I would cause harm to others because of this system failure and also get cited by the cops. Also, I spent a hefty money on this car. …

Vehicle was functioning normally prior to this event. Around 17:30 on 02/10/25 I arrived at airport terminal to pick someone up. I exited vehicle, opened trunk then went back inside vehicle. Upon putting the vehicle in drive I noticed problem with power steering. I had to use excessive force to turn the wheel. I drove forward 100 feet, then pulled over and called Tesla Support. After describing the issue to the agent, she instructed me to put vehicle in park and press and hold both scroll wheels on steering wheel to perform system reset. After 2 attempts the issue persisted. I then exited the vehicle, locked it manually from the app. After 5 seconds I opened the vehicle, put it in drive and steering worked properly. …

Occasionally, the Turn Signals decide to not work for a 5 second period. This is a car that is "stalkless" (meaning there isn't a physical turn signal stalk to press), but rather it's touchpad buttons on the steering wheel. While these usually work fine, occasionally when I depress one, I can feel that it does not press down at all, and the turn signal does not turn on. I view this as a SAFETY ISSUE in that a Turn Signal indicates intent to other drivers, and it's unsafe to not be able to use it. Tesla has replaced my steering wheel once (after 2+ months of waiting for "diagnostics") but the new wheel has the same issue. This has been occurring ever since I got this car, and that was many months ago. And I've heard other Model 3 and Model S customers have similar complaints. There is something fundamental going on, and Tesla does not seem to want to solve it on their own. …

Steering complaints in other Model 3 years