2019 TESLA MODEL 3 — Complaint #2162667
Open-data reference.
NHTSA Complaint about SUSPENSION filed January 3, 2026
NHTSA complaint #2162667 (ODI reference 11708550) concerns a 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 and was filed on January 3, 2026. The owner reports the failure occurred on December 29, 2025. The report was geocoded to California based on the filer's self-reported location. The affected component is categorized as suspension, one of NHTSA's standardized taxonomy codes used to group defect patterns across make, model, and year.
The filer flagged the following severity indicators: crash: no, fire: no, injuries: 0, fatalities: 0. No crash, fire, or fatality was associated with this report, which places it in the early-warning stream rather than the priority-review stream. Because a VIN was supplied, this complaint is tied to a specific vehicle and not just a model-year cohort.
Individual complaints are consumer-submitted and unverified by NHTSA engineers — the agency's role at this stage is to collect, index, and make them searchable. What matters for federal action is the pattern: when many owners of the same TESLA MODEL 3 cohort independently describe similar suspension failures, defect investigators have grounds to open a PE and request manufacturer data. Related filings for the same vehicle and component appear below, and the detail page for the full 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 shows the complete component-level complaint distribution alongside any active investigations or recalls.
Complaint Description
I am reporting a safety defect involving a welded rear subframe component. The welded section snapped under normal driving conditions, and this is a safety-critical structural suspension component. There was no collision, misuse, or accident prior to this failure. The vehicle is currently not safe to drive due to the compromised rear suspension structure. I have included photos showing the snapped weld and overall rear subframe area. This appears to be a premature structural defect, not normal wear. I am requesting that this failure be documented and reviewed as a potential safety defect. Additional Notes: This component is part of the rear suspension and is expected to last the life of the vehicle. The failure created a serious safety hazard, and I am not driving the vehicle. I have scheduled a service appointment, but I am filing this complaint to ensure the defect is officially reported.
Complaint Details
| NHTSA Complaint ID | 2162667 |
| ODI Number | 11708550 |
| Date Filed | January 3, 2026 |
| Failure Date | December 29, 2025 |
| VIN | 5YJ3e1eb8kf |
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Source: NHTSA Vehicle Complaints Database. Component taxonomy and severity codes are standardized by NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.