2021 Tesla Model 3 problems

“Immediately following the installation of over-the-air software version 2026.32.3, the vehicle's center touchscreen lost all driving visualization capabilities. The backup camera now displays a black/non-responsive screen, removing federally mandated back-over protection. Additionally, the vehicle no longer provides active safety alerts, such as forward collision warnings or blind-spot obstructions, and driver-assist technologies (Autopilot) are entirely unavailable. Official Manufacturer Diagnosis: A physical diagnostic review of the vehicle's alert and signal history by Tesla Service confirmed an internal hardware communication failure directly induced by the software rollout. The official service logs state that the secondary Autopilot processor, designated as "Processor Turbo-B," has suffered a fatal fault and is failing to communicate. Tesla documentation acknowledges that this software-induced hardware lockup prevents the car from completing future software updates and has permanently disabled the safety vision suites. Current Vehicle Status: A subsequent physical replacement of the 12V low-voltage battery failed to resolve or clear the faults, confirming…”

“Urgent Safety Concern — Uncommanded Braking During Manual Driving. On October 2, 2026, while driving my 2021 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range manually at approximately 45 mph and slowing to make a turn at an intersection, my vehicle unexpectedly applied very strong braking for approximately 1–2 seconds before releasing. Neither Autopilot, FSD, nor Traffic-Aware Cruise Control was engaged. I am concerned about a possible unintended Automatic Emergency Braking activation or braking-system malfunction. This creates a serious safety concern for my family, including our newborn child. I request that this be urgently reviewed and determine what triggered the braking, including whether AEB, ABS, or another braking-control system intervened in suck similar cases, so many were reported online. Please also provide the diagnostic findings and a written assessment of whether the vehicle is safe to operate.”

“The forward-facing camera and Autopilot computer system on my 2021 Tesla Model 3 has failed. The dashboard first showed intermittent warnings that "Automatic Emergency Braking is currently unavailable" and "Adaptive headlight features are unavailable." Over several weeks the problem worsened from intermittent to constant, and the vehicle progressively lost its forward road visualization and all active safety features. Using the vehicle's Service Mode diagnostics, the Autopilot computer's Primary (A) processing node reports a "CRITICAL" status. The fault log records repeated alerts including dasMIA (driver-assistance system not responding), aebFault (automatic emergency braking fault), and fisheyeCamInitFault and fisheyeCameraStreamExit (forward camera initialization and stream failures). The cameras themselves are physically clean and unobstructed. Safety risk: the failure disables Automatic Emergency Braking and forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping/driver assistance, and the adaptive auto high-beam headlights. AEB is a critical crash-avoidance system; losing it leaves the vehicle unable to brake automatically for an imminent collision, and the loss of…”

“During a Tesla over-the-air software update, while the vehicle was charging at a Tesla V4 Supercharger, the Hardware 3 Autopilot/car computer failed and entered a permanent boot loop. All cameras became inoperative, including the federally required rearview backup camera, and the vehicle lost Autopilot and automatic emergency braking. Tesla has diagnosed the failure as a car-computer failure, and the failed computer is available for inspection. The vehicle was not in a collision and had no prior damage; the failure occurred during a Tesla-initiated update. A non-functioning rearview camera eliminates the driver's rear view and increases the risk of a backover collision, and the loss of automatic emergency braking removes forward crash protection. This matches numerous existing complaints in this database describing the same Hardware 3 computer failure and camera loss after a software update, one of which reports a resulting collision. Tesla has declined to repair it at no charge despite the failure being caused by its own update, approximately 3,000 miles out of warranty. I am requesting NHTSA open a defect investigation into Hardware 3 Autopilot-computer…”

“Multiple watchdog daemon failures triggering every ADAS system to become unavailable at random. in one instance I had FSD enabled, mid turning a corner to freeway onramp FSD disengaged, provided no warning or alert, and almost caused me to run into another car (thankfully I have a habit of holding onto the steering wheel). I have reported the problem to tesla service which they acknowledge the multiple alerts/warnings on my car however it wont be seen by them for 15 days from 10/18/2026 The vehicle is available for inspection The warnings only appeared after failure occurs. sometimes its right away when car is put in drive, other times it happens without warning mid drive. I have not had back and forth correspondance with Telsa - I have an pending request for service visit, however due to backlog they wont see the vehicle for 15 days minimum.”

“The power liftgate strut failed in normal use and bent the trunk liftgate, which now strikes the rear glass every time the trunk opens or closes. The vehicle has not been in a crash and the trunk was not obstructed or misused. The driver-side power strut stopped operating and the trunk would not open or close properly. On XXX Tesla Service ([XXX]) inspected the vehicle. The service record states the liftgate power strut was stuck in the closed position because the liftgate is bent to the right, hitting the glass on opening and closing. Tesla installed a new power strut, then removed it. A service message stated the hinge was replaced and the liftgate remains far out of alignment; the service record does not list a hinge replacement. The visit was marked resolved. The power trunk no longer functions. The bent liftgate contacts the rear glass on every cycle, so the glass can break on anyone standing at the rear of the vehicle while the trunk is opened or closed. Tesla referred the vehicle to a collision center, classified the repair as body damage, and stated its Extended Service Agreement does not cover it. No repair date or loaner was provided, and Tesla gave…”