Pull over! Car will shut down!

That sucks man. I’m sure Tesla wouldn’t sell an obviously bad car on purpose, but shit happens. Maybe a mouse chewed on some wire the night before delivery or something. At least it happened right away so there’s no question that the dealer is responsible.

A used car salesman is a used car salesman. There is no different between a Carmax salesman and a Tesla used car salesman. lol

Unlucky and I'm sorry it happened. I would look to see if there are any other within say, 500 or 1000 miles maybe they can tow one in from else where

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Definitely go for a 2022 next time that has the AMD processor and the Lithium low-voltage battery.

The 2021 curse lives on!

Never buy Teslas from stealerships

Yep - buy a very late 2021 or 2022-onwards - any vehicle with the Ruben processor seems to be on a different level from the old Intel Atom cars. Mine is a Dec 2021 M3P with the Ryzen chip and it’s been incredibly reliable, aside from an intermittently noisy HVAC fan whine which is very irritating but which it is going back to the service centre for the 4th time in January to get fixed under warranty.

This is criminal

That is such an awful experience. So sorry you and your family went through that, and are still going through that. Really sad.

It might be a blessing in disguise. Better to find out now the car is a dud then be committed to it and have no out. I've been driving EVs for almost 4 years now and I won't go back to gas for a daily driver. But I have a really hard time enjoying my M3LR on my daily commute. It's a lot of little things but they add up to a disappointing experience.

What crap story is this? Tesla got no N gear!

What caused it ?

https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/2017_2023_model3/en_us/GUID-41E02406-1983-4511-BBB4-158DD94796C6.html

It was bought from Tesla.

Enlighten me. What's wrong with your m3lr? I just transitioned to it from a mylr and I actually love it. Just wished I had gone for the awd for more power

Yes, a Tesla does have a neutral gear. How else could the car go through an automatic car wash? Sometimes it’s tricky to find that gear, but I assure you it’s possible.

In Sept. I bought a 2022 model 3 with 79k miles with no problems. Guess I’m lucky.

Which I'm hoping that the rule in Canada is the same as in the US where they offer a year of warranty.

Weird… the M3 is the ultimate commuter car imo. And I’ve owned a good number of them.

I bought a 19 M3P, and it has been very reliable

cough hungry workable waiting abundant boast wakeful arrest apparatus exultant *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev/home)*

Just glad you and your daughter are safe. Been on this sub for years and it seems any pre-owned before 22 is hit or miss (with more hits than misses. But when they miss, they miss horribly). I’ve come to the conclusion 22 M3s are top notch with the 23 M3 being their crowning achievement as far manufacturing and reliability. What doesn’t get talked about a lot (which use to quite a bit and people were anal about) is where it was built. It use to make a huge difference in terms of quality.

Oof. Read your manual at least.

Where do you see what month the car was manufactured? I have a 2021 and while I've had some weird issues, most I've been able to fix myself. I have about 100k miles on mine

Sorry to hear! In 2021 I had the choice between a new ‘21 standard plus or a used ‘18 LR AWD and I chose the used ‘18. I’m up to 116k miles at this point and every time I see one of these stories I’m nervous it’s going to be my time soon. But I’ve never really seen 2018s having battery issues?

Can you elaborate? Sorry, I'm newer here, which factories were the preferred?

Sorry OP! I hope dealership makes it right for you. I’d be nervous using this same dealership perhaps another Tesla dealership is available? They really are nice cars when they work. Good luck!

What’s the 2021 curse? Bad batteries?

Hw 3 plus is recommended. Unsupervised FSD is going live in cars now but you will have to have HW 3 in the car.

At least no one died or was injured; count your blessings! :)

Did you take the Model 3 for a lengthy test drive before committing to the sale? It's a six year old car at this point, and the least desired year.

The month the basic warranty expired is the month it was manufactured I think.

Yes, a batch of 2021’s came with HV batteries that are prone to early failure.

The "cursed" label for 2021 Tesla Model 3s stems from reports of specific issues like high-profile battery malfunctions (BMS\_a079 error), causing charging failures, plus ongoing concerns with Tesla's traditional quality control problems such as paint defects, panel gaps, and general build issues, all amplified in online forums where owners share problems, making them seem more prevalent than they might be statistically, says. Key Issues Reported: Battery Errors: A significant problem involves the BMS\_a079 error, especially affecting 2021 models, leading to charging failures and prompting regulatory scrutiny in places like South Korea, according to. Build Quality: General Tesla build issues, including misaligned panels, trim problems, and paint chipping, persisted, creating frustration for owners. Software Glitches: While updates improve things, occasional software bugs affecting infotainment or Autopilot have been reported. Recalls: Tesla has issued recalls for battery pack defects that could cause sudden power loss, increasing crash risks.

Thanks ChatGPT

Close... Gemini... 🤣... sadly its 100% correct! 🤣😂🤣

I got a late dec 20, registered as a 21 has heat pump and dual glass panes. But the older battery style it’s been fine. Still got battery / motor warranty for 40k KM’s

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Wasn't it just a dead 12V battery? The car has been sitting for longer time unused.

Should be on the mfr plate in drivers doorwell door frame

Ah ok. Mine is a November build and warranty expired oct. so I just figured.

How late is late?

So sorry this happened to you

If I remember correctly, Shanghai was #1 and Modesto/Freemont, CA was either #2 or #3. Can’t remember the third one, but it seemed a lot of issues when it came to anything cosmetic, mechanical or electronic came from factories other than those 2 I mentioned (can’t remember the third one)

No way I just found out about this! Leased my first Model 3 in 2021, and the last year-year and a half or so had so many issues not charging at superchargers or at all, draining battery quickly (like a matter of a couple of days), in and out of the service center. They even had to replace the main battery once AND the charging socket multiple times. Issues still weren't resolved by the time the lease was up, but I guess they just take these cars and resell them to people anyway.

Were you on the ramp or the highway? Not to nitpick or question this post but not why trucks were blasting by on the exit ramp. Doesn’t seem to add up?

When I bought my 2023 M3 in late November of ‘22 my car gave me a Rear Motor Failure and went to neutral on the fast lane of a 5 lane highway on the same day I bought it on the way home. I had to drive to the right and could not completely get off the far right lane before it stopped. My daughter was in the car with mw as well. Luckily we avoided any major catastrophic accidents. I wonder if that was what happened to you as well??

>Yes, a batch of 2021’s came with HV batteries that are prone to early failure. Would you think refurbishing would fix it, or do you think it would still have that issue?

It boils down to the lack of control.. There's a lot of stuff the software does that doesn't work very well in my opinion. It starts with the cruise control, it frequently shuts down because the cameras are blinded or reduces speed due to poor visibility.. However it's frequently nice clear days... And honestly I could care less if if the cameras can't see I can all I wanted to do is maintain speed and it fails far too frequently to be forgiven. Pretty much every single day on my drive into work for 45 minutes the cruise doesn't function or function so poorly I need to shut it off. After that as soon as I turn on the cruise control it activates Auto wipers... And I absolutely hate that and I can't shut it off... All Summer Long they go off for no reason smearing bugs across my visible path and then all winter long they're frozen to the windshield and go off randomly and just scrape across the window and scare the hell out of me. I wish it would not turn on auto brights or Auto wipers because I don't find the car does a good job with either. And the worst is the HVAC controls in winter... I'm up in Canada and for 4 months of the year it can get pretty darn cold... -20 to -40° C (0 to -40f)... At that temperature it keeps turning on auto defrost and blows cold air... I cannot stop the car from doing that I could care less about defogging my windows when it's that cold it should never turn off the heat... But it does all the time... With no sanity check options to deactivate that. Even on manual it will do it to me sometimes... And it's not necessary I can see just fine out of my windshield but the cameras can't so it freezes the occupants. Maybe it works in better in California... But for me my daily commute is anything but chill because I'm constantly having to manually drive my car because the cruise control won't function at least in the morning when I'm headed south because the sun is shining on the windshield... If I do to get the cruise control to work it adjusts my speed up and down from what I set it at... Or it turns the wipers on randomly when they're not needed causing more issues than it ever helped. It's the little things. I might buy comma AI to fix the cruise control... And I'll live with the horrible HVAC experience... But I'll never recommend a Tesla to anybody and I won't ever buy one again. Even my battery is going downhill... I'm lucky to get 110 Mi of range out of my car from 0 to 100% in the winter.... It's barely three years old with 60,000 miles and the battery health is at 84%.

Many 21s started with all of the overhauls that followed in 22 till highland came around, including LFPs. Sometimes even with the Ryzen.

From at lest September 2021 onwards - but you MUST check the system information screen and be SURE it’s a Ryzen based vehicle and not one on the old Intel Atom…..so Important when buying a model 3.

Those issues do sound super irritating. I have a 22 rwd that I've had since new for three and a half years. The auto wipers annoy me fairly often but the other stuff doesn't bother me much. I've used autopilot and FSD (when I had it for free) a fair bit but most of the time I prefer to just drive myself on my commute. I don't like the way the Tesla drives itself. It reminds me of teaching my 16 year old. I never feel like I can trust it because it makes weird choices, some of which can be dangerous. However, as a commuter, I've found it to be pretty excellent. Drives well, seats are comfy, it's incredibly efficient and it's been dead reliable. Battery is at 95% health. I won't buy another Tesla but this one has been good to me.

I have a 2021 M3 Battery was replaced at 43k miles. Now I have 107k miles so far strong so hopefully I can make it near 200k with no battery issues.

Is there something like a Tesla-lemon-wiki out there to guide people which odd bad batches of cars that are out there?

I totalled my second tesla. It was still on my app when I bought my 3rd. Every now and again id take a peek to see what's was going on with it, I located it in the Ukraine. ID turn on sentry and take a better look around and then a few days later car got disconnected from my app.

I wouldn't touch a 21 myself, 22 is the oldest I considered.

>I wouldn't touch a 21 myself, 22 is the oldest I considered. I'm not trying to buy one, I have a 2022 model and the battery had to be replaced. The replacement battery went bad after 6,000 miles so I was wondering if this could have been a rebuilt pack from a 2021 model.

I think you would stay away from a 21 battery at all costs

The VIN sticker on your driver’s side door jamb

Sorry for your misfortune. It sucks having excitement then having it be a horrible hassle. Hope for a better rest of the day/week for you

😲 While Reading this thread with a ‘21 M3 sitting in the driveway😲

Not all ‘22s. Just something to be aware of. I have a ‘22 with Intel and lead-acid.

I have a December 2021-built 2022 Model 3 with Intel Atom.

I got a 2025 M3 AWD LR. Is this something that I need to be concerned with?

I was a 21 performance owner who had not one but TWO battery replacements. Knock on wood third one is solid

Just had the battery replaced in my ‘21 SR+ with a new LFP battery at no cost. Suspension updated for free as well. I’m hoping for much better longevity with the LFP battery.

Fingers crossed 🤞

My 2021 MY battery failed at 74k. Got a refurbished battery with a range of 330 miles. Win for me

My 2021 Model 3 suffered the curse as well at around 86,000km. Battery got replaced and now it's like having a new car, at the end it was a win for me lol

Personal anecdote but I’ve never seen/heard of anyone having a battery failure in an LFP car yet. It can happen 100% I just haven’t ever seen a post about it. Meanwhile, I’ve seen dozens of posts on people having HV battery failures in their 2021 models. This was a big factor for me getting a 2022 over a 2021 besides the AMD, Heat pump, more warranty.

That’s encouraging. I’m very thankful I received a new LFP instead of a refurbished version of the original battery.

I bought a 2020 long range standard and have no issues except for control arm replacements…the god…

I drive 95% highway on my commute, without cruise I can't stand this car.

Just getting a 22 model y with Intel and lead acid, wish me luck

Yup. I would never buy a car during the COVID years. Avoid 2021 at all cost. 2020 might be ok, but Id stay away

Does this apply only to the M3 or all models?

I think mine was manufactured in July or August. No Ryzen, but hopefully battery is OK.

I hate to be the skeptic here, but they were open on Christmas? If true, ask them for a loaner. You deserve it, if in less than 10 miles, it quits. Your experience is what I expect when you purchase a ice car. Good thing your car is under warranty 8 yr 100 or 120k miles.

I would want the same car with new battery.

Never had such an issue with my 2021 LR. Like any other car, anything can go wrong. In 2012, my brand-new BMW stopped on the M5 20 mins after leaving the dealership. It took them three months to fix it.

Got our money back and a loaner for 2 days. Sadly no other car in price range on dealership :/

Thanks for this knowledge! Good to know 22 an up is what we should be looking for.

Not sure. The automatic change of gear from D to N is suspicious to me. Also the road assistance guy on phone said there was an alert appearing on drive train on his end. So idk 🤷‍♂️

Yes it had 1 year warranty. But the fact that it broke in such a random way just made us take our money back and look for another one.

Yeah I got my 23 from Fremont and there were a few cosmetic issues (deep scratches on the steering wheel,black smudge marks all over the white seats, etc.) as well as rattling coming from the passenger door speaker. I noticed it when picking it up so they had me come back a few hours later and all was well. That was 2 years ago now and the speaker just started to rattle again.

Be careful if Tesla replaces the battery under warranty they will most definitely give you a refurbished battery without telling you. My refurbished battery (which I didn’t know was refurbished) only lasted approximately 70,000 miles before the car died and now they want more than $16,000 to replace. What a scam! I will never buy another Tesla again.

Then don’t call it dealership brah

Sorry that happened! I was lucky enough to get a pre owned 2021 that had the LFP battery, but that sounds miserable. I hope you can get the one you are looking for. Godspeed.

What would you call it?

Yeah

Is a 2021 Toyota Camry LE all-wheel-drive with 43,000 miles, garage cap, with 30,000 or seven years warranty, for 24,800 a good price?

Unfortunately OP vehicles break, even minutes after driving it off the lot. Things happen and no one (I hope) did this to you on purpose. Hope it all gets figured out and you are made whole.

My 2018 MS 75D is going good 150,000 miles still averaging 200 miles per charge.

No it's a cardigan. But thanks for noticing. Apologies couldn't help myself

Make sure they replace the compressor and super manifold and the lines or it will be 3500 out of warranty. I have same and the heat is now intermittent and I missed the warranty and they do far they have not given me good will. I would say this is more common with the earlier 2022 model 3. I have LR dual motor. It has cold weather feature but I'm not sure what that is. Heat works much better if I pre heat by defrost for 20 minutes before driving in colder temps like before 50f outside.

I have found running defrost car from inside the house till the car is really warm before going really helps the heat. Other wise the heat is flaky and like to blow cold air. Yes smarter through the eyes of a software engineer is often dumber in the real world. The wipers are a perfect example where the go when not needed and make things worse. It's fun to drive and I like the fsd though it's nerve wracking like driving with an inexperienced driver who will do dumb and often not be cautious and often not do defensive things. I find handling on snowy roads to be poor also. Even with new good all season, I find the cars traction logic is often not how I would drive resulting in loss of straight line traction. Fun to drive, good (and amazing) fsd but with many weaknesses.

Their warranty policies are scammy in my experience. 3 things I was told were not warranty but they should have been, horn connector, driver seat sensor and heat.

I could swear that the issue was actually isolated to the Model 3 Standard Range Plus RWD. They may have used the same pack in the RWD Y though.

I do run the heat in the garage on full defrost for 5 minutes and then I even switch it to AC on to pull the moisture out. What bothers me is the windshield is clear but the camera is fog up... I just wish there was an override to not care about the safety features and just maintain speed... Maybe rely on the USS sensor I still have cuz mine's a 22. However credit where credit's due I got cross climate 2 tires ... And with the all-wheel drive and low center of gravity my car is a beast in winter. With a little more ground clearance it'd do better than my 4x4.. I've been blasting through snow and turning corners on icy streets with total ease... We've gotten like two feet of snow in the last month and it's pretty crazy where I live... I have dedicated winter tires on rims and I haven't even put them on because he's crossed climates are so effective. Most of my complaints on my Tesla could be mitigated by allowing me to turn off their stupid convenience features. Maybe in a service or developer menu with some warnings. It used to let me drive when the trunk was open... Now I've got to interact with the damn screen and click accept risk... The extra step wasn't necessary give me a warning tell me it's open let me do what I want to do...

Thanks for the reply, it sounds encouraging hehe

Oh no ! Can’t you get them to repair the issue?

Just out of curiosity, have you owned it since it was new and if so, what was the range when it was new?

That is so sad! So sorry you had such a tough time. Hope you get the Tesla you deserve soon!

Stay away from 2021 Model 3s and Ys. Get a 2022.5 or newer with the Ryzen CPU.

What was your mileage when you had the battery issue?

I own a 2021 lfp, no problems at all so far knocking wood

Also it has 96k km and battery is at 98% from new

35k miles

Oh that's still super low and I am glad they switched it to LFP. Mine is almost 60k with the original NMC battery

Changed to 80% daily using home level 2 charger. Supercharged maybe 5 times. Charged to 100% twice before trips. Kept outdoors in south Florida. Purchased new October 2021, SR+, Fremont build.

Did they tell you what was causing the rattling? I’ve had the exact same problem since the day I bought my Model 3 brand new. I’ve taken it in multiple times to complain and they always say they can’t reproduce the problem, even though it’s very obvious when playing any music with bass. And no, I didn’t blow the speakers haha. I mostly only listen to talk radio at low volume. It sounds like there is a loose part or something inside of the door.

This is why I’m looking at 2024 model 3s

What is the best year, month tesla, specifically Y to buy used. I want the earliest reliable version

2022 or newer are safe

I bought a 2021 M3P new and am currently on my 3rd battery. All covered by warranty but I’m not excited for any potential failures after it expires.

The highland M3/M3P are far better than anything previously produced.

Oh great. I have 2021 LR made in H2 of the year.

Did you buy pre-owned from Tesla directly?

I had that happen to me in fort worth on a busy street with two old dogs! I finally called tesla support and they walked me through fixing the problem.

Sorry it’s taken me so long to find your reply - thanks for that info…I’m now just out of warranty, but have raised the issue 3 times in the last 12 months and it is still unresolved, so they will be fixing it under warranty, like it or not. I’m in the UK and thnkfully consumer law dictates that any issue first raised under warranty which continues after the warranty expires is still covered within a ‘reasonable time frame’….i’m less than a month out of warranty and have reported the matter again. Thanks again.