Tuesday, September 22, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2018 Tesla Model 3 power train problems

29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2018 Tesla Model 33% of all complaints for this model year.

29
Power Train complaints
3%
share of all complaints
median reported incident mileage
5 / 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

  • I am reporting a front suspension failure on my 2018 Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor, that appears relevant to NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE26006 and similar to Recall 23V-235. While driving slowly in a parking lot, I heard a clunk and felt the front wheel/steering alignment become slightly skewed…

    filed Aug 15, 2026

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

Power Train problems in other Model 3 years

YearReportsShare
2025 Model 322%
2024 Model 331%
2023 Model 3102%
2022 Model 3132%
2021 Model 3173%
2020 Model 382%
2019 Model 3102%
Model 3 power train 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.