YearToAvoid

2023 Tesla Model 3 Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 33 Structure & Body complaints for the 2023 Tesla Model 3, 8% of all 425 complaints filed for the year, including 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries. No related recall exists for this problem area.

Structure & Body complaints
33
8% of 425
Crashes reported
6
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
8
Median mileage
9,755 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Owners report seat mounting bolts missing or loose, letting front and rear seat rails lift or shift under light pressure.
  • Some describe the undercarriage shield detaching and dragging on the road after screws were left out during assembly.
  • Several note rear doors that will not open manually because there is no mechanical latch release, only an electrical one.
  • One owner found rear seats lack emergency door latch releases that are present on the front seats.
  • A driver's seat reportedly collapsed into a laid-down, twisted position during a rear-end collision, causing a back injury.
  • One fatal crash report describes catastrophic intrusion into the driver's compartment after a roadway departure and pole impact.

When 2023 Tesla Model 3 body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 13, 2022, latest Jul 7, 2026.

2023 Tesla Model 3 structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month3Dec 2022Aug 2023Jan 2024Nov 2024Jun 2025Jan 2026Jun 2026
33 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2022 to Jul 2026; peak Jan 2024 (3).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2023 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 many Structure & Body complaints does the 2023 Tesla Model 3 have?
NHTSA lists 33 Structure & Body complaints for the 2023 Model 3, which is 8% of the 425 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2023 Tesla Model 3 structure or body?
No. NHTSA's data shows no related recalls listed for this problem area on the 2023 Model 3.
Have there been crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?
Yes. Of the 33 Structure & Body complaints, NHTSA records 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries.
What kind of structure and body problems do owners describe?
Owners describe loose or missing seat mounting bolts, a detached undercarriage shield, rear doors without mechanical release latches, and one seat that collapsed during a collision.
Is the 2023 Model 3 worse than other years for this area?
Its 8% share of complaints in this area is lower than 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, but higher than 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

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.