YearToAvoid

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.

2021 Tesla Model 3 structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month2Apr 2021Oct 2022Aug 2023Jul 2024Nov 2024Jun 2025Oct 2025Feb 2026
29 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2021 to Sep 2026; peak Oct 2022 (2).

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.

  1. 20176 (23%)
  2. 2018136 (13%)
  3. 201970 (11%)
  4. 202046 (10%)
  5. 202129 (4%)
  6. 202222 (3%)
  7. 202333 (8%)
  8. 20247 (3%)
  9. 20258 (7%)

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.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.