2021 Tesla Model 3 Structure & Body Problems
NHTSA lists 29 Structure & Body complaints for the 2021 Tesla Model 3, about 4% of its 663 total complaints for the year. Two crashes and no fires were tied to this area, with a median failure mileage of 59,800 miles. No related recalls are listed for this component on this year.
- Structure & Body complaints
- 29
- 4% of 663
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 59,800 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical body and structure symptoms owners report
- Trunk or hood latches fail or come open on their own, including a front trunk latch that reopened after being replaced and a hood that opened unintentionally while driving.
- The rear bumper separated from the frame after driving through standing water at low speed, with the bumper later found detached from the vehicle.
- Body panel fit issues appear, such as a wide gap on the rear trunk that lets water into the trunk during rain or car washes.
- Owners describe rear doors that cannot be opened from inside during a power failure because they lack a manual release like the front doors have.
- Seat and occupancy sensors misbehave, including a seat sensor fault that put the car into park mid-turn and a rear seat that fails to detect smaller children for climate and seatbelt alerts.
When 2021 Tesla Model 3 body and structure complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 25, 2021, latest Sep 9, 2026.
Structure & Body recalls for the 2021 Tesla Model 3
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Structure & Body complaints by Model 3 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are structure and body complaints on the 2021 Tesla Model 3?
- NHTSA lists 29 Structure & Body complaints for the 2021 Model 3, which is 4% of the 663 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for structure and body issues on the 2021 Model 3?
- NHTSA's data provided here lists no related recalls tied to Structure & Body for the 2021 Model 3, though some owner complaints reference separate recall campaigns like 22V-702 and 24V554000.
- At what mileage do these structure and body problems show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this component on the 2021 Model 3 is 59,800 miles.
- Were any crashes linked to these body issues?
- NHTSA data shows 2 crashes associated with Structure & Body complaints on the 2021 Model 3, with no fires or injuries reported.
- How does the 2021 Model 3 compare to other years for this issue?
- The 2021 Model 3's Structure & Body share is 4%, lower than 2017 (23%), 2018 (13%), 2019 (11%), and 2020 (10%), based on NHTSA complaint data.