2023 Tesla Model 3 body problems

Filed Jul 7, 2026 · Body · AZ · 1 injury

Vehicle: Tesla Model 3 Issue: Power trunk failed to detect obstruction Date of incident: July 5, 2026 Location: Surprise, AZ During normal use of the vehicle, my child pressed the “close trunk” button while I was leaning into the trunk area. The powered trunk began closing and did not stop when it made contact with my head. Instead of reversing direction, the trunk continued applying downward force until I moved out of the way. This indicates a failure of the trunk’s obstruction detection system, which is supposed to prevent injury by stopping or reversing when an object or person is detected. This malfunction poses a significant safety risk, especially to children who may accidentally activate the trunk or to adults loading items. A powered trunk should not be able to continue closing on a person’s head. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether this is a defect in the Tesla Model 3 trunk sensor system and whether similar incidents have been reported.

Filed Jun 23, 2026 · Airbags, Body · FL · crash · fire

A fatal crash occurred involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle departed the roadway, impacted a guardrail, struck a utility pole on the driver’s side, rolled down an embankment, and came to rest upright. The crash resulted in catastrophic intrusion into the driver’s compartment and a fatal injury to the driver. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate the crashworthiness and occupant protection performance of this vehicle, including the structural integrity of the occupant compartment, airbag deployment and effectiveness, and the performance of any advanced driver assistance systems, including collision warnings and automatic emergency braking. I am also requesting review and preservation of all available vehicle data, including Event Data Recorder (EDR) information, vehicle telemetry, driver assistance system status, warning notifications, braking data, steering data, and any other information recorded before and during the crash. At this time, I do not know whether a vehicle defect or system malfunction occurred. My concern is whether the vehicle’s safety systems and occupant protection systems functioned as intended and whether additional vehicle data may help determine if any safety-related issues contributed to the severity of the crash.

Filed May 21, 2026 · Body · NV

The roof glass is unusually susceptible to failing and cracking under minimal impact. A very small item such as a pebble impacted the roof. The glass cracked. I understand the roof glass is a structural component. I would not expect a roof to require complete replacement due to a minor pebble.

Filed Mar 31, 2026 · Body, Electrical · CA

I am reporting a serious safety incident involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. On March 29 at approximately 5:00 PM, while driving on the freeway at about 65 mph, the right-side passenger door suddenly opened while the vehicle was in motion. The door had been fully closed and latched prior to driving. There was no impact, obstruction, or warning indicating that the door was not secure. The opening occurred unexpectedly during normal driving conditions, creating a significant safety risk. After the incident, Tesla was contacted and indicated that a diagnostic inspection would require a fee, and they suggested the possibility of prior modification or tampering but did not provide a confirmed cause. The vehicle was purchased from a used car dealership, and the incident raises concerns about a potential mechanical or electronic failure of the door latch system and the safety of the vehicle as sold.This issue poses a serious risk to occupants and other road users, particularly at highway speeds. I am requesting that this incident be reviewed as a potential safety defect.

Filed Mar 20, 2026 · Body · CA

Reporting a stress fracture in the front windhsield of my model 3 tesla. Looking online and speaking to attorney its a very common problem. Mine resulted simply from a heat wave it crack down the middle in a c shape emanating from the top edge of the windshield. No contact evidence and no contact or accident occurred. It’s now unsafe to drive my vehicle and tesla will not cover it under warranty. They are refusing to label it as a stress fracture though it clearly is. I’m filing this report so more awareness and pressure can be put on tesla to improve their windshield design. Its very unsafe to drive my car like this and now I’m forced to choose between my safety and affording a $1700 replacement. I have had several friends with the same problem and same response by tesla. My car had not been driven for 3 days and I have very low mileage, 18k. Car is 3 yrs old and in good condition.

Filed Feb 23, 2026 · Body · CA

The rear driver side door became impossible to open due to a trim piece failure - this is a safety hazard for rear seat passengers.

Filed Feb 10, 2026 · Body · CA

Tesla has completely removed the rear door manual release latch in my late 2023 Model 3 Performance. This elevates the concern of the ongoing the federal safety agency Defect Petition DP25002 (opened December 2025), which investigates similar issues with emergency egress controls on Model 3 vehicles, citing them as "hidden, unlabeled, and not intuitive." Again, in my late 2023 Model 3 Performance, these are entirely absent in the design. For some reason, Tesla has doubled down on the defect issue and completely removed the manual door release mechanism.

Filed Jan 14, 2026 · Body · CA

The entire bumper assembly fell off my Tesla Model 3 during the heavy rains on December 24. I didn't see it happen. It was just missing. But it may have happened on the freeway, when we drive through a flooded area. There is a history of this happening with this model when there is a lot of rain or you drive through a puddle. They admitted to this defect in 2020, but claim it was fixed. Apparently not. They are now telling me "we are unable to cover the repair under vehicle warranty because the condition was caused by outside factors," i.e., water. This cannot be normal.

Filed Sep 5, 2025 · Body · NH · 1 injury

While exiting the front passenger cut her leg on the door. It appears she contacted the inside bottom, rear edge of the door when closing. This cut her leg requiring immediate medical attention. It took several stitches to close the wound.

Filed Jun 19, 2025 · Body · TN · 1 injury

On June 4th I was in a hurry to get to work, pushed open my car door and started to slide in at which point the door unexpectedly to me swung back shut, clamping my head behind my ear pressing it against the top of the door frame. Everything stuck for about 1 second and then the door released my head. I am concerned that the door shouldn’t close so forcefully and should not bounce back closed when pushed open; that perhaps this contributed to the dangerous situation? There were other factors such as my car parking pad is slightly sloped. It seems this is an issue with the design of the car as opposed to a defect as there are no warning lights or recalls. I am still trying to figure out the effects of this injury. I have been to two doctors- not immediately because at first there were no immediate effects except for the discomfort of the pressure at the time. But less than 24 hours following the incident I developed a puffed up patch behind the ear where the door clamped, and now have developed a very swollen painless lymph node behind my other ear as well as headaches and some soreness that comes and goes. I have not contacted Tesla about the problem yet but am extremely cautious when I use the door and I don’t drive people in the car. I have included some photos but also just took some videos illustrating how the door swings back shut pretty forcefully when pushed open.