Tesla Model 3 Steering Problems
Owners have filed 401 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Tesla Model 3 across 10 model years. The 2023 model year has the most (88). The words owners use most often: “service center” (15% of reports).
- 401steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 68mention a crash
- 24mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $3,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%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.
- Service center: mentioned in 60 of 401 complaints (15%)
- Assist reduced: mentioned in 41 of 401 complaints (10%)
- Steering rack: mentioned in 33 of 401 complaints (8%)
- Control arms: mentioned in 23 of 401 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the Tesla Model 3 at $3,200, and half of them between $3,000 and $3,300.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2023–2026), 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 steering problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 401 complaints, 68 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 24 an injury.
Tesla Model 3 steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 7 | 25% | 450 |
| 2025 Model 3 | 25 | 21% | 9,137 |
| 2024 Model 3 | 37 | 17% | 13,816 |
| 2023 Model 3 | 88 | 21% | 2,430 |
| 2022 Model 3 | 37 | 5% | 16,150 |
| 2021 Model 3 | 27 | 4% | 14,649 |
| 2020 Model 3 | 46 | 10% | 2,500 |
| 2019 Model 3 | 53 | 9% | 10,000 |
| 2018 Model 3 | 80 | 8% | 11,687 |
| 2017 Model 3 | 1 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Steering:electric power assist system
Model years: 2023
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating software prior to 2023.38.4. The printed circuit board for the electronic power steering assist may experience an overstress condition, causing a loss of power steering assist when the vehicle reaches a stop and then accelerates again.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-00-004.
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
Risk: FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking; electrical system:adas:driver monitoring:camera/sensor; lane departure: lane keep: automatic steering
Model years: 2021
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model 3 and 2021 Model Y vehicles. The fisheye and narrow camera cable terminals were incorrectly installed in the cable harness connector, resulting in swapped camera views.
Risk: Swapped camera views can prevent the vehicle's cameras from detecting crossing objects and high-curvature lane lines, impairing the Autosteer and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) performance, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will correct the swapped terminals and recalibrate the cameras, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-17-007.
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Risk: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On 10/09 at approx. 10:30 AM EST, my 2024 Tesla Model 3 was operating on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on Cummings, GA. Without warning, the vehicle steered off the paved roadway. The driver attempted to take control by [turning the steering wheel / pressing the brake], but the vehicle did not…
"Subject vehicle (2022 Tesla Model 3, VIN: [XXX]) was deployed for commercial rideshare passenger transportation by fleet operator Hertz/Uber with active catastrophic life-safety system failures. Onboard Tesla Service Mode telemetry confirmed: (1) Restraints Control Module (RCM) is powered OFF with…
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel independently turned to the left and the right. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking and uncontrollable…
Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model 3 RWD, VIN [redacted]. Since the FSD software update from V12 to V14.1 (Supervised v14.1 Lite) in early August 2026, the vehicle repeatedly issues false 'apply steering wheel force' warnings while my hands are on the wheel, followed by sudden disengagement of Full…
Car was in self-driving and struck a piece of concrete. The car was in hands free and was being monitored by me, the driver. This obstruction was in the left side of the lane, about 2" tall, a foot wide and 6" across. I thought the car would see it and miss it but I was wrong, it clipped the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Tesla Model 3s have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 401 owner complaints about steering for the Tesla Model 3. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Tesla Model 3 steering?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the Tesla Model 3?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,200 (half paid between $3,000 and $3,300), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “service center”, in 60 of 401 complaints, followed by “assist reduced” (41).
Other Tesla Model 3 problems
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (1,741)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (633)
- Service Brakes problems (561)
- Electrical System problems (560)
- Suspension problems (376)
- Air Bags problems (316)
- Lane Departure problems (303)
- Seat Belts problems (228)
See all Tesla Model 3 problems.