Showing the 2026 Model 3 Standard RWD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
139 MPGecombined; city 147, highway 130; the Standard RWD
Five years of fuel
$3,340U.S. average; Ohio $3,550 at local prices; the Standard RWD; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA electricity prices for Jul 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2026 Model 3, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Model 3. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Unknown or other
10
3
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
7
3
0
0
Steering
7
3
0
0
Back over prevention
4
4
0
0
Lane departure
4
3
0
0
Electrical system
2
0
0
0
Structure
2
1
0
1
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
1
0
0
Air bags
1
1
0
2
Seat belts
1
1
0
2
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
2 more parts
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2026 Model 3 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Seats: critical fasteners
NHTSA campaign 25V410000 · reported Jun 18, 2025 · 48 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Tesla Service Centers will inspect and tighten or replace the seat assembly fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-13-003.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The fasteners attaching the seat back to the seat bottom may have been improperly tightened.
Risk: The seat may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Model 3, the latest on Jun 4, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: seats (2).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA26002 FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Model 3 Performance All-Wheel Drive
88 and 208 kW AC Induction
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 309 miles of range
120 / 107 / 114 MPGe
Model 3 Performance All-Wheel Drive
88 and 208 kW ACPM 3-Phase
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 314 miles of range
117 / 106 / 111 MPGe
Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel Drive
225 kW ACPM 3-Phase
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 363 miles of range
145 / 128 / 137 MPGe
Model 3 Premium All-Wheel Drive
88 and 208 kW AC Induction
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 346 miles of range
133 / 122 / 128 MPGe
Model 3 Standard Rear-Wheel Drive
225 kW ACPM 3-Phase
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 321 miles of range
147 / 130 / 139 MPGe
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data