2021 Tesla Model 3

Watch out for

Reputation: what owners and the press report. Tap one to see what to check.

• Creaking front upper control arms All years

  What to check: Drive slowly over bumps and listen for creaks, pops or clicks from the front. Ask whether the upper arms have been replaced.

  The ball joint of the front upper arm wears and creaks, and cannot be replaced on its own. InsideEVs called it a chronic defect. Eleven owners in one Tesla Motors Club thread report it, on 2018, 2019 and 2022 cars among others; some had both arms replaced.

  Sources ^11,12

• Loose front suspension fasteners 2018–2021

  What to check: Confirm with Tesla that recalls 21V835000 and 23V235000 were done.

  Fasteners on the front lateral links may loosen and let a link come away from the subframe.

  Sources ^13,14,11

• Heating that stops working All years

  What to check: Run the heat on high and make sure it blows hot.

  Electrek reported widespread heating failures on brand-new 2021 cars with the heat pump in the winter of 2020. Drive Tesla reported more in early 2022, on heat-pump cars in extreme cold and on older cars with a resistive heater, some after software updates; on the older cars the fix was a new heating unit.

  Sources ^15,16

• Battery capacity All years

  What to check: Get a battery health report showing how much capacity is left.

  Recurrent's data on more than 1,500 US cars showed an average loss of 40 miles of range in the first 20,000 miles, levelling off after that. Its later study found range fell most in the first 1,000 days.

  Sources ^17,18

• Panel gaps and paint flaws All years

  What to check: Look along every panel gap and over the paint in good light.

  Edmunds calls build quality "a bit of a dice roll", and owners reviewing 2023 cars on Edmunds name panel gaps and paint problems.

  Sources ^4,19

• Sudden braking with nothing ahead Built after April 27, 2021 One source so far

  What to check: Try the cruise control on an open road and note any sudden, unneeded braking.

  NHTSA opened an investigation into phantom braking on 2021 cars built after April 27, 2021.

  Sources ¹

Rare catches

Rare options, colors and interiors to look out for, and whether finding one is good news.

• Good find Obsidian Black Metallic Color

  Moved to special order in September 2018, and gone by the 2019 model year^8,9

  Why it is a good find: Find My Electric calls it stunning, with just enough metallic flake to hide the flaws that show on solid black.⁹

Recalls

• 21V387000 2019–2021

  Brake caliper bolts may loosen and let the caliper touch the wheel rim. They are checked and tightened or replaced.^13,14

• 21V835000 2019–2021

  Fasteners on the front lateral links may loosen and let a link come away from the subframe. They are tightened or replaced.^13,14

• 21V834000 2020–2023

  A side curtain airbag may be poorly fixed to the roof rail and twist. It is checked and realigned.^20,21

• 21V846000 2017–2021

  On one software version, a communication fault can cause false collision warnings or sudden emergency braking. Fixed over the air.^22,14

• 22V037000 2017–2022

  Full Self-Driving Beta can roll through all-way stops without stopping. Fixed over the air.^22,23

• 22V045000 2017–2022

  The seat belt chime may not sound at start-up for an unbelted driver. Fixed over the air.^22,23

• 22V050000 2021–2022

  A software fault can trap refrigerant in the heat pump and weaken the defroster. Fixed over the air.^14,23

• 22V063000 2017–2022

  The Boombox can drown out the pedestrian warning sound. Replaced by 22V235000.^22,23

• 22V235000 2017–2022

  The Boombox can drown out the pedestrian warning sound, including in Summon. Replaces the fix for 22V063000.^22,23

• 22V263000 2018–2022

  In Track Mode the speedometer may not show its unit. Fixed over the air.^24,23

• 22V317000 2020–2021

  Two camera cables were swapped, which affects Autosteer and emergency braking. The connections are corrected and the cameras recalibrated.¹⁴

• 22V702000 2017–2022

  A window may not reverse properly after it meets an obstruction. Fixed over the air.^22,23

• 22V798000 2017–2022

  The left rear buckle and the centre anchor may have been put back wrongly. They are checked and put back together.^22,23

• 23V085000 2017–2023

  Full Self-Driving Beta can behave unsafely at junctions and respond poorly to speed limit changes. Fixed over the air.^22,21

• 23V838000 2017–2023

  Autosteer's checks may not do enough to stop a driver misusing it. Fixed over the air.^22,21

• 24V051000 2017–2023

  The brake, parking brake and ABS warning lights are shown in letters too small. Fixed over the air.^22,21

• 24V153000 2018–2022

  A factory reset can silence the sound that warns pedestrians of the car. Fixed over the air.^24,23

• 24V376000 2017–2023

  The seat belt warning may not come on for an unbelted driver. Fixed over the air.^22,21

• 24V554000 2021–2024

  The car may not notice a hood left unlatched. Fixed over the air.^14,25

• 24V935000 2017–2025

  The low tire pressure warning light may not stay on from one drive to the next. Fixed over the air.^22,26

• 26V283000 2017–2023

  The rear camera picture can lag when reversing. Fixed over the air.^22,21

• 26V507000 2017–2023

  The low beams can be brighter than the law allows. The headlights are replaced.^24,21

What buyers say

Reputation: what owners and the press report

• Avoid: The older Autopilot computer Built before the Full Self-Driving computer, HW3 Less sought after

  Electrek reported in March 2019 that only cars bought with Full Self-Driving get the newer computer free. A recall covering 2017 to 2020 cars names the 2.5 Autopilot computer.^27,20

Before you pay

Open the buyer's checklist

Every warning and recall for this generation, with a box to tick.