2020 Tesla Model 3 Steering Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING · data through 11/01/2026

48Steering complaints

10.6%Of all 454 complaints

#5Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering ranks on this vehicle

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL107 · 23.6%

Unspecified / other82 · 18.1%

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING82 · 18.1%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL67 · 14.8%

STEERING48 · 10.6%

Share of the 454 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2020 Tesla Model 3 overview page.

What owners report

“I was trying to avoid a car parked on the side of highway on my right going between 45 to 55 miles an hour and…”NHTSA complaint 11444088 — filed 12/17/2021

“I was driving down the Interstate and had my Tesla on Self driving. For no reason at all it did a aggressive left turn causing…”NHTSA complaint 11429386 — filed 08/17/2021

“THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE BETA RELEASE AUTOPILOT. A RANDOM MODEL 3 VIN HAS BEEN USED TO BE ABLE TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THIS…”NHTSA complaint 11402970 — filed 03/15/2021

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Tesla Model 3 have steering problems?

Steering is the #5 most-reported problem area on the 2020 Tesla Model 3: 48 of 454 complaints on file (10.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2020 Tesla Model 3 have in total?

454 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 11/01/2026. Across all categories, 54 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 33 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 11/01/2026.