2021 Tesla Model 3 power train problems
17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2021 Tesla Model 3 — 3% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My RWD motor completely went out and lost power on the highway off ramp. Could have turned into a dangerous situation. Not sure why these motors seem to be very unreliable. Tesla has not given me an explanation as to what is exactly causing this. Happens to thousands of owners. And this car is only…”
filed May 6, 2026
“HVAC system which provides cooling/heating for all the systems including the powertrain, battery, inverters, Full-Self Driving computer malfunctions randomly shutting itself off due to a known issue of failing pressure and temperature sensors. Tesla is aware of this issue where the sensors may fail…”
filed Feb 13, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Power Train problems in other Model 3 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Model 3 | 2 | 2% |
| 2024 Model 3 | 3 | 1% |
| 2023 Model 3 | 9 | 2% |
| 2022 Model 3 | 13 | 2% |
| 2020 Model 3 | 8 | 2% |
| 2019 Model 3 | 10 | 2% |
| 2018 Model 3 | 26 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Tesla Model 3
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.