2020 Tesla Model 3 Electric Problems And Complaints

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  • MB

    Mary Jo Brenner

    20/03/2021

    Rating:

    (1 Out Of 5 stars)

    ... customers. It is nearly impossible to get an answer from them for any service. Employees are misinformed and not helpful. We recommended Tesla to friends but after our customer service debacle they are changing their minds and are now considering competitive EVs that are slowly gaining ground on Tesla. Read More

    Source: edmunds

  • R

    Richard1

    10/12/2020

    Rating:

    (1 Out Of 5 stars)

    ... isn't important to Tesla, you can sit and wait for service to show up if you find yourself in the middle of no where. The satellite service is not as good as SiriusXM and after your initial free trial, it’ll cost you an additional $120+/ yr to keep the limited radio and full view GPS. If the car was gas powered, you would be paying extra for the gas tank cap. Tesla doesn't even give you a 240 volt connectorRead More

    Source: edmunds

  • N

    NotsatisfiedATALL

    24/11/2020

    Rating:

    (1 Out Of 5 stars)

    ... warned about Tesla and their extremely POOR customer service. I didn't believe it and now since July 2020 I do believe it. If you expect any help after the purchase you are better off spending the money on the other car brands since they are getting just as good at electric cars as Tesla only they have a deep rooted care for customer service. You have been warned now too.Read More

    Source: edmunds

2020 Tesla Model 3 Problems, Issues Complaints, Recall and which year to avoid?

20

Recalls

10

Investigations

398

Complaints
Overall Safety Rating
Nathan Dyer's image
Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on August 7, 2024

The compact Model 3 electric luxury sedan from Tesla has been a solid gift from Elon Musk to e-sedan lovers with a restricted budget. The car’s availability in the market with a starting price range of $44,900 makes it truly accessible. Though the unparallel popularity of the vehicle seems initially to be unchallenged to the buyers when it was first launched, it did not take much time for Tesla to get some tough rivals like the Chevrolet Bolt EV to arrive on board followed by the BMW i3 model.

The rival brands of Tesla had a hard time keeping up the pace with the Model 3, until Tesla users finally came across certain issues with the vehicle’s reliability, with regards to the car’s structural problems in its exterior lighting, faulty defrosters, and problematic windshield wipers. Some users also complained about witnessing multiple pop-ups on the screen due to software update-related malfunctions. 

The recall rate of 14 and 172 complaints registered on the NHTSA website was something that might be a momentum for Tesla’s competitors to speed up their market popularity.

Electrical Problems 

  • Faulty cruise control and Full Self Driving Mode 

Multiple users have found issues with the Tesla 3 model’s faulty cruise control system and the Full Self Driving Mode when the car’s auto brakes are engaged without any reason. Sometimes such issues usually show up without any cruise control warning sign indication in the cluster gauge. Such problems show up when the BETA software of the car is not updated for long, causing inconvenience for the drivers to face such issues while driving. 

Sometimes, the faulty electrical system may fail the requirement to low down the vehicle’s speed when there’s a vehicle close by when the car is in autopilot mode. Such instances may compel the car to crash the vehicles close by, causing damage to the car’s body.

  • Phantom engagement of unnecessary brakes 

Like every other electric vehicle, faulty deployment of unnecessary brakes is a common issue in a maximum of Tesla 3 electric vehicles. The car’s faulty electrical system frequently engages auto brakes in the car leading to the deployment of speedy brakes, affecting the car’s calipers, which eventually twist the wheel rims blowing the tires off. 

During those situations, the car seems to be less intelligent for not being able to understand the deployment of phantom brakes as it might not be needed.

  • Multiple electrical malfunctions 

Users have complained about witnessing multiple electrical malfunctions when the car’s auto cruise control, forward collision avoidance, and climate control starts malfunctioning. Sometimes it might on the high fan, and at times it might compel the entire cluster gauge screen to be dead. None of the control functionalities work during such situations. The instances usually show up when the BETA software needs an update in the car so that the entire electrical system works normally again.

2020 Tesla Model 3 Recall

S.No

Dates 

NHTSA ID

Issues Noticed 

Additional Remarks 

Remedy

1

October 21, 2022,

22V798000

Incorrect assembling of rear belt buckle

Incorrect reassembling of seat belt anchor may compromise the performance of seat belt anchor during any crash event. Such things may cause external injury to the vehicle inmates 

Tesla service has informed the owners that they will be taking care of the issue and replace the faulty retractors for free. 

2

September 19 2022

22V702000

Issue with the power window leading to 

The auto reversal system in the power window may stop functioning normally post the detection of any obstruction causing inconvenience to the passengers 

Tesla is going to do an OTA software update to fix the automatic window reversal system for completely free. 

3

April 18 2022

22V263000

Issue with the display of the speed unit in the cluster gauge

Dead mph or km/h display on the speedometer might fail the driver to estimate the vehicle’s speed while it's moving. 

An OTA update will be performed by Tesla to fix the issue by organizing a software update. The service is going to be provided for free.

4

April 12 2022

22V235000

Pedestrian warning sound issue

Low sound in the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) might fail to alert pedestrians when the vehicle comes close by to the people passing nearby, triggering chances to occur accidents 

A software update will be organized by Tesla services over the air to reduce the sound of the boombox while the vehicle is on run. The same feature will be provided in neutral and reverse modes including the Summon and Smart Summon, for which no additional charge will be claimed. 

March 18 2022

22V169000

Problematic rear view image display

Malfunctioningg rearview camera might not be able to display the rear view image while reversing the car, triggering chances of crashing or raming the vehicle.

An OTA update is going to be organized by Tesla for fixing the issue, for completely free.

6

February 4 2022

22V063000

Inaudible pedestrian warning, due to excessive boombox sound 

The inaudible pedestrian warning sound might not be audible due to the excessive sound of the Boombox, which needs to be a reduced. 

Tesla will be performing an OTA software update for fixing the issue and try to keep the boombox functions low while the car is in drive, neutral or reverse mode. The whole service is going to be charge-free

7

February 1 2022

22V045000

Issue with the seatbelt chime sound whenever the seatbelts are put on

Technical malfunction preventing the audible chime to activate when the vehicle is on move due to unbuckled seat belt may prevent the passengers to know whether the belts have been properly buckled or not

The software issue being the culprit behind such audible chime malfunction will be fixed by the Tesla service by running an OTA update for free. 

8

January 27 2022

22V037000

Full self-driving software malfunction 

Malfunctioning full self-driving beta software might prevent the car from stopping at all stop intersection points. Such instances may lead to serious accidents causing injury to the car inmates. The issue needs to be solved 

An OTA software update will be organized by Tesla service for free for fixing the issue.

9

December 21 2021

21V00D000

Problematic rearview camera image 

Faulty rearview camera image can prevent the driver from viewing the rear back while reversing the car. Such issues can increase the risk of ramming the car up into any object or something that’s behind

A guide protector will be installed by Tesla service for free along with a new cable harness if needed. 

10

October 29 2021

21V846000

Faulty engagement of the emergency braking system 

Technical malfunction mistakenly deploying the auto emergency braking system or false forward collision warning can damage the car’s braking calipers. It can also affect other braking components severely

The Tesla will organize an OTA update for all of these issues found in the car, caused due to a lack of software updates. The entire service will be available for free

11

October 25 2021

21V835000

Separation of front suspension lateral link 

Loosening of the front suspension lateral link fastener might separate the lateral link from the sub-frame

The Tesla service providers are going to tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners if needed for free. 

12

October 25 2021

21V834000

Twisted Side curtain airbag due to a system malfunction 

Improper deployment of the twisted side curtain airbag, leading to failure in securing the rail roof. Such instances can result in twisted airbag issues 

An inspection will be organized from Tesla’s side and the left and right side of the curtain airbag will be realigned for free.

13

May 25 2021

21V389000

Faulty attachment of the rear seat belts with the B-pillar

Faulty attached rear belt fasteners fail to secure the front seat shoulder belt to the primary B-pillar increasing chances of risk and injury to the passengers, during any crash event

Both the fasteners will be inspected and repaired by Tesla service providers if needed for free.

14

May 25 2021

31V387000

Loosening caliper bolts 

Loosening of the brake caliper bolts might compel the brake caliper to separate, due to excessive tire pressure and damage to the wheel rims

Tesla is going to inspect, tighten and replace the caliper bolts if required. No charge will be claimed for fixing the issue.

Should you Buy a 2020 Tesla Model 3?

Tesla is one of the most appreciated award-winning cars of this century. That’s one of the reasons why maximum buyers looking for a long list of features can not stop themselves from not capitalizing on the opportunity of buying a 2020 Tesla Model 3. However, some issues are causing injury to the brand such as its faulty electrical system.

However, that barely stopped the brand from taking quick action, as the brand resolved every issue that was raised by the buyers. Tesla also issued recalls for the malfunctioning parts and replaced those for free. So, if someone is willing to purchase a used Tesla, we would never disrespect their buying decision if the revived version of the car does not have any problems it had before. Rather, we would suggest they grab the deal if it's a smart bargain!

  • Complaints
  • Recalls
  • Investigations
  • Manufacturer Communications

September 11, 2025, NHTSA ID Number: 11686748

Components: 140000 AIR BAGS

NHTSA ID Number:
11686748

Incident Date:
September 11, 2025

Vehicle Identification Number:
5YJ3E1EBXLF

Consumer Location:
MILBANK, SD

Summary
I have been getting an alert: Front passenger safety restraint system issue/Service is required. It has c...

August 25, 2025, NHTSA ID Number: 11682956

Components: 280000 BACK OVER PREVENTION

NHTSA ID Number:
11682956

Incident Date:
August 25, 2025

Vehicle Identification Number:
5YJ3E1EB5LF

Consumer Location:
NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VA

Summary
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while attempting to exit a parking lot, th...

August 19, 2025, NHTSA ID Number: 11681732

Components: 140000 AIR BAGS

NHTSA ID Number:
11681732

Incident Date:
August 19, 2025

Vehicle Identification Number:
5YJ3E1EC0LF

Consumer Location:
GIG HARBOR, WA

Summary
Summary Complaint 2020 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ) I am reporting a defect with the passenger side ai...

August 13, 2025, NHTSA ID Number: 11680461

Components: 150000 SEAT BELTS

NHTSA ID Number:
11680461

Incident Date:
August 13, 2025

Vehicle Identification Number:
5YJ3E1EB0LF

Consumer Location:
BAY CITY, TX

Summary
I am getting "Safety Restraint System Fault" on my car. This puts my family at risk if the safety feature...

August 13, 2025, NHTSA ID Number: 11680531

Components: 020000 SUSPENSION

NHTSA ID Number:
11680531

Incident Date:
August 13, 2025

Vehicle Identification Number:
5YJ3E1EB4LF

Consumer Location:
LODI, CA

Summary
Front lower and upper control arms started generating noise around 100,000 miles. This was confirmed by a...

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2020 Tesla Model 3 Electric
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MSRP: $35,000- $54,990

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