2018 Tesla Model 3 VIN Check, Recalls & Reliability
The 2018 Tesla Model 3 has mixed reliability. There are 18 recalls and 951 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Tesla Model-3. Severity signals include 100 crash-related complaints and 4 fire-related complaints. The most commonly reported problem areas are: Electrical System (139), Suspension (128), Air Bags (111).
Model 3 reliability snapshot
Data sourced from Auto Reliability Index, aggregating NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and RepairPal repair-cost records.
Used-car research
Research the Tesla Model 3 before checking the VIN
Compare model years, recurring problems, safety campaigns and market value first. Then use the VIN to verify the history of the individual car.
Most-reported 2018 Tesla Model 3 issues
Owner-reported problem categories from NHTSA complaint filings. Counts reflect complaints per category for the most-recent model year on file.
- Electrical System139
- Suspension128
- Air Bags111
- Unknown Or Other106
- Forward Collision Avoidance88
- Steering71
Pre-purchase inspection checklist for the 2018 Tesla Model 3
Hands-on checks distilled from real NHTSA complaint patterns and recall histories. Bring this list to a test drive or mechanic inspection.
- Inspect suspension for noise and wear, especially control arms
- Check for airbag system alerts on the dashboard
- Test for unexpected braking during Autopilot or FSD use
- Verify power conversion system functionality and charging ability
- Examine brake lines for rust and potential leaks
- Ensure seat belts lock properly during sudden stops
- Test steering for smooth operation and absence of locking
2018 Model 3 recalls (18)
Every NHTSA safety recall logged against the 2018 Model 3. A VIN check confirms whether any recall remains unrepaired on a specific vehicle.
- TIRESNHTSA 24V935000Dec 17, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence: Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.
- SEAT BELTSNHTSA 24V376000May 28, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMNHTSA 24V153000Feb 27, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Consequence: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEMNHTSA 24V051000Jan 30, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Consequence: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEMNHTSA 23V838000Dec 12, 2023
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Consequence: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
- SUSPENSIONNHTSA 23V235000Mar 31, 2023
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.
Consequence: A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-31-001. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-835.
- STEERINGNHTSA 23V085000Feb 15, 2023
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
Consequence: FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
- SEAT BELTSNHTSA 22V798000Oct 21, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The second-row left seat belt buckle and second-row center seat belt anchor may have been incorrectly reassembled during vehicle service.
Consequence: An incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchor can impair the performance of the seat belt during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Tesla Service will inspect and reassemble the seat belt anchors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-20-004.
- VISIBILITYNHTSA 22V702000Sep 19, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2022 Model Y, and 2021-2022 Model S and Model X vehicles. The window automatic reversal system may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Consequence: A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2032. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-013.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEMNHTSA 22V263000Apr 18, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance vehicles. The unit of speed (mph or km/h) may fail to display on the speedometer while in Track Mode. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Consequence: The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-008.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCENHTSA 22V235000Apr 12, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Consequence: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
- BACK OVER PREVENTIONNHTSA 22V169000Mar 18, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence: A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCENHTSA 22V063000Feb 4, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Consequence: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V-235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEAT BELTSNHTSA 22V045000Feb 1, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEMNHTSA 22V037000Jan 27, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Consequence: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY, BACK OVER PREVENTIONNHTSA 21V00D000Dec 21, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles. The rearview camera cable harness may be damaged by the opening and closing of the trunk lid, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
Consequence: A rearview camera that does not function reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla Service will inspect and install a guide protector and new cable harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 24, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-17-008.
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCENHTSA 21V846000Oct 29, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Consequence: Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
- SEAT BELTSNHTSA 21V389000May 25, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Model 3 and 2019-2021 Model Y vehicles. One or both fasteners that secure the front seat shoulder belt to the b-pillar may not be properly attached.
Consequence: An improperly attached fastener may prevent the seat belt system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Tesla Service will inspect and repair both fasteners if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-20-001.
Used-market value
2018 Tesla Model 3 resale snapshot
Listing benchmarks establish a market range; trim, mileage, condition, title history and prior damage determine what one vehicle is worth.
2018 Tesla Model 3 on the road
140,317 2018 Tesla Model 3 units were sold new in the US — a key signal for the size of today's used-market inventory.
How the 2018 Tesla Model 3 stacks up against rivals
The most-shopped alternatives in the same segment. Each link opens a side-by-side reliability and cost comparison.
Reliability verdict for the 2018 Tesla Model 3
With a 31/100 score against a 78/100 segment average, the 2018 Tesla Model 3 lands well below the norm for overall reliability. The gap is large enough to indicate elevated buyer risk rather than a few isolated weak spots. As the second year of its generation, the data still reflects substantial reliability exposure.
Complaints are broadly distributed across major systems, led by electrical, suspension, and air-bag-related areas, with additional volume in collision-avoidance functions and an unusually large share falling into unknown or other. That spread suggests multiple subsystems contribute to the reliability picture instead of one dominant problem area. The recall count is elevated, reinforcing that issues were significant enough to require repeated corrective actions.
Overall, this Model 3 presents elevated reliability risk relative to its segment.
What you get in a 2018 Tesla Model 3 report
Check a 2018 Tesla Model 3 now
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2018 Tesla Model 3 — Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Tesla Model 3 reliable?
With a 31/100 score against a 78/100 segment average, the 2018 Tesla Model 3 lands well below the norm for overall reliability. The gap is large enough to indicate elevated buyer risk rather than a few isolated weak spots. As the second year of its generation, the data still reflects substantial reliability exposure.
How many recalls does the 2018 Tesla Model 3 have?
18 NHTSA safety recalls have been issued for the 2018 Tesla Model 3. A VIN check confirms whether any remain unrepaired on a specific vehicle.
What are the most common 2018 Tesla Model 3 problems?
The most-reported 2018 Tesla Model 3 problem areas are: Electrical System (139), Suspension (128), Air Bags (111).
Should I run a VIN check on a 2018 Tesla Model 3?
Yes. A VIN report verifies title brands, odometer history, accident records, and recall completion on a specific 2018 Tesla Model 3, complementing the model-year reliability data on this page.