2026 Tesla Model 3
Electric Midsize car
The 2026 Tesla Model 3 is sold in the U.S. as a electric midsize car with 5 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the Model 3 Premium RWD, is EPA-rated at 363 miles with 137 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 20 complaints, most often about forward collision avoidance.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 3 Standard RWD | Electric | RWD | 225 kW ACPM 3-Phase | 147 | 130 | 139 MPGe | 321 mi | 24.3 | 12.1 h | $550 |
| Model 3 Premium RWD | Electric | RWD | 225 kW ACPM 3-Phase | 145 | 128 | 137 MPGe | 363 mi | 24.6 | 11.7 h | $550 |
| Model 3 Premium AWD | Electric | AWD | 88 and 208 kW AC Induction | 133 | 122 | 128 MPGe | 346 mi | 26.4 | 11.7 h | $600 |
| Model 3 Performance | Electric | AWD | 88 and 208 kW AC Induction | 120 | 107 | 114 MPGe | 309 mi | 29.6 | 12 h | $650 |
| Model 3 Performance AWD | Electric | AWD | 88 and 208 kW ACPM 3-Phase | 117 | 106 | 111 MPGe | 314 mi | 30.2 | 12 h | $700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (1)
Seats
highProblem: 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.
Fix: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Adas — FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions (open)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time to respond. ODI will evaluate the performance of FSD in degraded roadway conditions and the updates or modifications by Tesla to the degradation detection system, including the timing, purpose, and capabilities of the updates, and Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact. Tesla’s FSD is an
Opened Mar 18, 2026 · action EA26002
Electrical System:Adas — Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged (open)
The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI�) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traffic safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automation system requiring a fully attentive driver who is engaged in the driving task at all times. Level 2 partial automation systems are designed to support and assist the driver in performing certain aspects of the driving task, requiring a driver to supervise and intervene as necessary. The driver
Opened Oct 7, 2025 · action PE25012
Electrical System:Adas — Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements (open)
The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI�) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla�) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the “SGO�), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a report to be submitted within one or five days of Tesla receiving notice of the crash. When the reports were submitted, Tesla submitted them in one of two ways. Many of the reports were submitted as part of a single batch, while others were submitted on a rolling basis. Preliminary engagement betwe
Opened Aug 20, 2025 · action AQ25002
Owner complaints
20 complaints filed
8 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2026: 20
Most-cited components
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 8
- Unknown Or Other — 7
- Lane Departure — 5
- Back Over Prevention — 4
- Steering — 4
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Compare the 2026 Model 3 with
Other Model 3 model years
2025 Model 3
3 recalls · 114 complaints
D2024 Model 3
5 recalls · 216 complaints
F2023 Model 3
12 recalls · 417 complaints
F2022 Model 3
18 recalls · 764 complaints
F2021 Model 3
22 recalls · 657 complaints
F2020 Model 3
21 recalls · 449 complaints
F2019 Model 3
22 recalls · 610 complaints
F2018 Model 3
19 recalls · 1,012 complaints
F2017 Model 3
16 recalls · 26 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 50251, 50038, 50037, 50036, 50250). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.