2018 Tesla Model 3 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 168 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 26,250 miles. The words owners use most often: “restraint fault” (12% of reports).
- 168electrical system complaints
- 26,250median miles at failure
- 14mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 8related recalls
- $2,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Restraint fault: mentioned in 20 of 168 complaints (12%)
- Power conversion: mentioned in 19 of 168 complaints (11%)
- Front safety: mentioned in 14 of 168 complaints (8%)
- 21V00D000 electrical: mentioned in 11 of 168 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the 2018 Tesla Model 3 at $2,000, and half of them between $1,300 and $2,150.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2023–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 42 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 168 complaints, 14 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Tesla Model 3 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 2 | 7% | 9,999 |
| 2025 Model 3 | 20 | 17% | 11,200 |
| 2024 Model 3 | 45 | 20% | 9,611 |
| 2023 Model 3 | 51 | 12% | 5,300 |
| 2022 Model 3 | 60 | 8% | 31,945 |
| 2021 Model 3 | 79 | 12% | 7,000 |
| 2020 Model 3 | 42 | 9% | 14,000 |
| 2019 Model 3 | 91 | 15% | 14,419 |
| 2018 Model 3 | 168 | 16% | 26,250 |
| 2017 Model 3 | 2 | 8% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (8)
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert; electrical system:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Electrical system:adas:driver monitoring:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Risk: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance vehicles. The unit of speed (mph or km/h) may fail to display on the speedometer while in Track Mode. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Risk: The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-008.
Electrical system:software; forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert; electrical system:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V-235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
Seat belts:front; electrical system:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.
Visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:interior; back over prevention: sensing system: camera; electrical system:wiring: rear compartment/trunk
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles. The rearview camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening and closing of the trunk lid, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
Risk: A rearview camera that does not function reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and install a guide protector and new cable harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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 â service required]" on the…
Vehicle displayed a âSafety Restraint System Issue - Service Requiredâ alert (fault codes RCM_a056 and RCM_a032). Tesla diagnosed an open circuit between the driver-side curtain airbag and the left airbag controller, requiring replacement of the left body harness. Tesla quoted approximately…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Tesla Model 3s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 168 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2018 Tesla Model 3 (16% of the 1,031 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Tesla Model 3 electrical system?
Yes: 8 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 26,250 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,000 (half paid between $1,300 and $2,150), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2018 Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “restraint fault”, in 20 of 168 complaints, followed by “power conversion” (19).
Other 2018 Tesla Model 3 problems
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (202)
- Suspension problems (189)
- Air Bags problems (143)
- Seat Belts problems (105)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (90)
- Service Brakes problems (88)
- Steering problems (80)
- Seats problems (74)
See all 2018 Tesla Model 3 problems or electrical system problems across all Model 3 years.