YearToAvoid

2025 Tesla Model 3 Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 17 Engine-area complaints for the 2025 Tesla Model 3, 15% of all 117 complaints filed for the year. Three complaints involve a crash and two involve injuries. No related recalls are listed for this component.

Engine complaints
17
15% of 117
Crashes reported
3
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
2
Median mileage
9,840 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners report sudden unintended acceleration after taking their foot off the accelerator, including while parking or backing up slowly.
  • Some describe the vehicle surging or speeding on its own while under Full Self-Driving or Autopilot, even when no obstacle was present.
  • Several complaints describe unexpected hard braking or Automatic Emergency Braking triggering with no vehicle or object ahead, causing sudden speed drops.
  • Owners using Full Self-Driving report the car exceeding posted speed limits or losing the ability to set a maximum cruise speed after a software update.
  • One owner reported a noticeable range drop after a High Voltage Battery Contactor recall service was performed.

When 2025 Tesla Model 3 engine complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 6, 2024, latest Aug 10, 2026.

2025 Tesla Model 3 engine complaints: complaints filed per month4Nov 2024Jun 2025Sep 2025Nov 2025Jul 2026
17 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2024 to Aug 2026; peak Aug 2025 (4).

Engine recalls for the 2025 Tesla Model 3

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Model 3 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20174 (15%)
  2. 2018100 (10%)
  3. 201973 (12%)
  4. 202070 (16%)
  5. 2021127 (19%)
  6. 2022178 (23%)
  7. 202375 (18%)
  8. 202424 (11%)
  9. 202517 (15%)

Frequently asked questions

How many engine-related complaints does the 2025 Tesla Model 3 have?
NHTSA lists 17 complaints in the Engine problem area for the 2025 Tesla Model 3, which is 15% of the 117 total complaints filed for the year.
Is there a recall for the 2025 Tesla Model 3 engine or acceleration issues?
No related recalls are listed in the data for this Engine problem area, though one owner mentioned range changes after an unrelated High Voltage Battery Contactor recall service.
Do these engine complaints involve crashes?
Yes. Of the 17 Engine-area complaints, 3 involved a crash and 2 resulted in injuries, according to NHTSA data.
At what mileage do these engine problems typically appear?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 9,840 miles.

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.