Tuesday, September 22, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2018 Tesla Model 3 electrical system problems

168 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2018 Tesla Model 316% of all complaints for this model year.

168
Electrical System complaints
16%
share of all complaints
31,000 mi
median reported incident mileage
14 / 1
crash / fire reports

What owners report

  • While my wife was driving, the high-voltage battery failed and the car went into reduced power/limp mode. Tesla later determined that coolant had gotten into the high-voltage battery and caused it to fail. My main concern is that we had no warning that there was a coolant leak or that coolant was…

    filed Sep 6, 2026

  • Component/system: The front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) in my 2018 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle is available for inspection on request. Description of the failure: The vehicle intermittently displays "Front passenger safety restraint system fault — service required]" on the center…

    filed Jul 26, 2026

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

Electrical System problems in other Model 3 years

YearReportsShare
2026 Model 315%
2025 Model 32017%
2024 Model 34420%
2023 Model 35112%
2022 Model 3598%
2021 Model 37812%
2020 Model 3429%
2019 Model 39115%
2017 Model 328%
Model 3 electrical system problems by year →

Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.