2017 Tesla Model 3 problems & reliability

26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Tesla Model 3, alongside 15 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints

Recall campaigns

Fire reports

0 (0%)

Crash reports

1 (4%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

NCAP overall rating

Not rated

NHTSA 5-star program

EPA fuel economy

—

No EPA match

Service bulletins (TSBs)

154

Manufacturer communications on file

Defect investigations

NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).

Most reported problems

Component	Complaints	Share
Forward Collision Avoidance	8	31%
Air Bags	7	27%
Seat Belts	6	23%
Seats	6	23%
Unknown OR Other	5	19%
Lane Departure	4	15%
Vehicle Speed Control	4	15%
Service Brakes	3	12%
Visibility/wiper	3	12%
Electrical System	2	8%

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

All 15 reported components →

Complaints by incident year

What owners report

“My Tesla repeatedly displayed a “Passenger Safety Restraint” warning related to the front passenger restraint/airbag system. Tesla Service Center in Los Gatos, California attempted multiple repairs over several visits. The first repair identified a pinched and improperly routed passenger seat harness associated with…”
Air Bags · filed May 26, 2026
“I am writing to file a formal safety complaint against Tesla, Inc. regarding a software update failure that has disabled legally required vehicle functions on my Tesla for over two years. For more than 26 months, my vehicle has been unable to complete a software update through Tesla's over-the-air (OTA) update system…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Mar 24, 2026
“I received an error about the occupant classification system and a safety restraint fault. These are due to known manufacturing defects. Addressing these concerns was expensive and also required a replacement of the front passenger airbag.”
Air Bags · filed Dec 16, 2025

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Federal defect investigations

FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Engineering Analysis EA26002 · opened Mar 18, 2026 · open
Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
Preliminary Evaluation PE25012 · opened Oct 7, 2025 · open
Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements
Audit Query AQ25002 · opened Aug 20, 2025 · open
Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.
Preliminary Evaluation PE24033 · opened Jan 6, 2025 · closed Apr 3, 2026
FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Preliminary Evaluation PE24031 · opened Oct 17, 2024 · closed Mar 18, 2026
Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
Recall Query RQ24009 · opened Apr 25, 2024 · open
Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Defect Petition DP23002 · opened Jun 29, 2023 · open
Defect Petition Interlock Request
Defect Petition DP23001 · opened Apr 7, 2023 · closed Mar 18, 2026

Technical service bulletins

154 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Tesla Model 3. The 10 most recent:

On certain Model 3 vehicles, brake lines may be corroded beyond acceptable limits, which may result in loss of brake fluid. Loss of brake fluid will result in a customer facing alert if the fluid reaches the…
SB-26-33-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 8, 2026
On certain Model 3 vehicles, brake lines may be corroded beyond acceptable limits, which may result in loss of brake fluid. Loss of brake fluid will result in a customer facing alert if the fluid reaches the…
SB-26-33-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 11, 2026
A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel alignment over time. This feature detects changes in wheel alignment that may be related to incorrect tire pressures…
SB-25-31-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2025
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-3_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.38_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.26.9_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024

TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.

Safety recalls

The 2017 Tesla Model 3 has 15 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.

Check whether your specific vehicle is affected

Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.

Check VIN on NHTSA →

Buying a used 2017 Tesla Model 3?

· Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
· Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.

Compare the 2017 Tesla Model 3

2017 vs 2018 Model 3 2017 vs 2019 Model 3 Compare with any vehicle →

Other Tesla Model 3 years

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Best & worst Tesla Model 3 years →

About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Tesla or NHTSA.