2020 Tesla Model 3 Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2020 Tesla Model 3, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 1,470 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (48% of reports).
- 69vehicle speed control complaints
- 1,470median miles at failure
- 18mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 73%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.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 33 of 69 complaints (48%)
- Phantom braking: mentioned in 15 of 69 complaints (22%)
- Auto pilot: mentioned in 7 of 69 complaints (10%)
- Slam brakes: mentioned in 5 of 69 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 18 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 69 complaints, 18 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 7 an injury.
Tesla Model 3 vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 2 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Model 3 | 14 | 12% | 9,840 |
| 2024 Model 3 | 20 | 9% | — |
| 2023 Model 3 | 69 | 16% | 25,737 |
| 2022 Model 3 | 171 | 22% | 2,900 |
| 2021 Model 3 | 123 | 18% | 10,650 |
| 2020 Model 3 | 69 | 15% | 1,470 |
| 2019 Model 3 | 71 | 12% | 5,300 |
| 2018 Model 3 | 90 | 9% | 9,999 |
| 2017 Model 3 | 4 | 15% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists vehicle speed control for the 2020 Tesla Model 3. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was making a right turn from the parking lot onto the street, a maneuver I have made hundreds of times previously without any issue. My foot was on the accelerator pedal as normal for this turn. The vehicle accelerated far faster than intended for this maneuver, with tires screeching, and…
On July 11 at approximately 6:47 a.m., I was operating my Tesla Model 3 on Interstate 65 in Hart County, Kentucky, with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged during normal highway travel. Approximately one hour earlier, I had departed a highway rest area after sleeping from the previous dayâs travel…
The newer versions of FSD do not allow driver control of the max speed. The current versions allow you to set a maximum speed with a scroll wheel on the steering wheel.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Tesla Model 3s have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 69 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2020 Tesla Model 3 (15% of the 451 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 2020 Tesla Model 3 vehicle speed control?
No recall currently lists vehicle speed control for this vehicle.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 1,470 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2020 Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 33 of 69 complaints, followed by “phantom braking” (15).
Other 2020 Tesla Model 3 problems
See all 2020 Tesla Model 3 problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Model 3 years.