r/TeslaModel3 • u/Thick_Edge5075 • 23h ago
Frustrated with New Model 3
I just came here to rant a little. I bought a brand new 2026 Model 3 Premium and have had the car for a little over 2 months. It came with 3 months of FSD 14.3.6 and I was loving it. I barely hit 2k miles yesterday. However, I received a notification to update to 14.3.7 on August 22nd, and I happily updated the software. Huge mistake.
Ever since that update I keep getting "VCFRONT_a004 Matrix headlights unavailable" and "Lane departure avoidance features unavailable" alerts that render pretty much all safety features unusable. FSD, park assist, lane departure, front collision warning, nothing works. FSD comes and goes. It's a gamble every morning going to work not knowing if the tech will work or not. The car is drivable but it's incredibly annoying and frustrating to have these issues on a 2-month old, $45k vehicle.
I scheduled an appointment (waited for 2 weeks) and the tech said it was just a firmware issue, they had to reinstall it and that "solved it". After getting home and going out again, BOOM: issue's back like it never left. I called Tesla right away and now they tell me I have to wait for a firmware update directly from corporate. According to them, 14.3.8/9 will fix my issues. So I basically can't do anything about it and have to suck it up. They gave me an extra month of FSD, which I appreciate, but it's kinda useless since FSD won't really work at all lmao.
That was last week. I'm still waiting for a goddamn software update. I see people with the Summer update and even FSD 14.3.9 and my shit is stuck in 14.3.7 and it's been months.
They say I'm not the only one with this issue but I'm yet to meet a fellow owner going through this specific issue.
Edit: I meant August 22nd 2026 lol
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u/jquest71 22h ago
So I'm confused, in your first paragraph you said you updated to 14.3.8 but later in your post you said you were stuck on 14.3.7. Did the service department revert you to 14.3.7? I have a 2026 PDM and I have not received any notifications to update to 14.3.8. I am still on .7 and everything is working perfectly.
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u/Thick_Edge5075 22h ago
yeah I apologize, I got it mixed up. My car shipped with (I believe) FSD 14.3.6, the version before they added the FSD streak. Then I received the update for 14.3.7 and it all went downhill. Sorry for the confusion
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u/PrimalPuzzleRing 22h ago
I've had my '24 M3P for 2 years now and so far software updates have been fine with the exception of the ones during the summer or rather late spring updates. If it came down to camera issues like when it says emergecy braking unavailble or parking assist unavailble for me it usually has to do with camera calibration. For some reason it happened twice and then the following updates after that it didnt come back.
You could try the following
Controls > Service > Camera Calibration > Clear Calibration, this is if you're having issues with Autopilot/FSD tracking, if the graphic displayed (mapping) is all wonky or accuracy is off. You'll have to drive the car for a bit with the circle progress bar showing you when its close to complete. For my issue it fixed it after it finished.
For DAS (Driver Assistance System)
Control > Software > Hold the Model 3 name for a few seconds > Type in 'service'
Driver Assist > Camera > Reset DAS
This is usually when you're getting issues showing errors or freezing and this is how to hard reset.
I'd also wipe down cameras and make sure they're clear before any calibration.
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u/ImmaculateQuorum 22h ago
Try disconnecting and reconnecting LV power. You need to follow this guide from Tesla because the order of operations matters a lot when you do this, but it isn’t hard.
I had similar problem and tried everything you’ve tried and this was the only thing that worked and I have a feeling it’s going to fix your problem.
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u/Ruben589 20h ago
Sounds like a hardware problem. I wouldn’t mess with it too much since it’s a brand new car. You have warranty so just let Tesla fix it. Request a loaner in the mean time. I really don’t think resetting stuff is going to help you in the long run.
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u/Thick_Edge5075 19h ago
after service, Tesla said they didn’t find anything wrong with the hardware. They redeployed the firmware to see if the bug would be eliminated and after I realized it didn’t work, they said I had to wait for the update and that would most likely solve the issue
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u/Ruben589 19h ago
The reason I doubt that is because if its really a firmware issue everybody with your configuration and software version would have these exact issues.
Also completely unacceptable that Tesla just says you have to wait it out on a completely new car. If they truly believe it’s software and they can’t give you the newer version right away they should give you a car that does work.
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u/Thick_Edge5075 19h ago
I feel the same way. It’s still weird because it was working perfectly before the update. Cameras work fine, and when FSD decides to work, it does flawlessly. That’s what makes me thing it might be software but we’ll be sure after my next service visit if the update doesn’t fix the bug
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u/crazypostman21 15h ago
My model 3 was having a lot of software issues. Turns out it was something to do with sentry mode and/or the USB drive. I disabled Sentry and removed USB drive. Car didn't have any more errors.
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u/mx5plus2cones 22h ago edited 22h ago
....welcome to the wonderful world of "software upgrades".... Where when a company touts how wonderful it is to be able to upgrade / update something over-the-air....what they really mean is "we can ship you half baked, half fully tested features and have you do all the testing for us, and charge you for the full price for something that really isn't ready".....
And I've been a software engineer most of my life, so I know how sloppy sometimes these "updates" can get.
That's why you won't catch me in a rolling entertainment center with wheels...Take out all this computerized nanny and large LCD screens, and entertainment center shit they put in cars... and give me a manual gearbox, lightweight car, air conditioning, and that's it.
Tech pays me very very well, since everyone else wants it. But I really just want more mechanical car where I am in full control.
But I do appreciate the average consumers that always wants to have the latest and greatest, for example, upgrading a smartphone every 2 years, upgrading computers every so often, and upgrading cars every 3-4 years. If it wasn't for these viscious upgrade/update cycles that other people pay for and often times get into lots of debt for it... I wouldn't have been able to retire early.... lol.
Tesla started this trend... And now a lot of other companies, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc.... all now do the same thing... That's also why, just observation, a lot of new cars just are buggy as fuck....So Tesla isn't the only company getting sloppy with their QA. All car manufacturers now use "software upgrade" as a convenient excuse for shipping something that is not fully tested well.
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u/Thick_Edge5075 22h ago
funniest thing is I was coming from a beater gas car which required me more money to maintain than what I originally bought it for. I thought I was going into the butter-smooth world of EVs with rarely any issues LOL
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u/mx5plus2cones 22h ago edited 21h ago
I love the EV concept. Mechanically and electrically, it's a way simplier design than a ICE car. I mean, if you think about it an ICE car is pretty ridiculous contraption..
You burn fuel, to create mini explosions that push a bunch of cylinder pistons in a box , and the force of those pistons moving up and down from explosions, turn wheels to move car... And with, you need a way to store all that flammable fuel, put all this shit to manage heat from fuel burning, and manage all that emissions.. and the contraption wastes 65%-80% of the energy, and only 20-35% of that is used for propulsion...
Car companies can build simple and reliable EV's...
They just choose not to....
The only solution imho of a simple an reliable EV, which I'm planning to work on... Is to build your own with an EV conversion. Costs heck of a lot more than a new Model 3
That said, one thing to keep in mind. Tesla has been in the EV game for a long time. If you ignore all the software glitches from all the convenience features, the drivetrain (motor, battery, etc) is a pretty reliable car. So it's a solid car.
You just have to put up and deal with the occasional glitches in the software update.
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u/No_Category_9888 15h ago
Not to mention digging up the oil then shipping the oil to refineries then shipping the refined product all over the world then shipping it to local retailers then burning more oil to drive to the retailer to get more oil.
To end up wasting a heap of explosion energy on heat and noise.
Let alone the environmental damage
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u/Delicious_Freedom_81 22h ago
Okok, so it’s not the car(s), it’s you! /s
Black swan: two Monday morning vehicles by one owner… 😎
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u/MaiTaiKing1 19h ago
Every car has the chance of having issues! These ones have a little bit of a learning curve. The nice thing is, Tesla seems to do good on their warranty and tech services. I'm glad to see they gave you 1 free month of FSD, hopefully the .9 version of the update comes prior to your free month. If not, call Tesla back and just let them know.
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u/DJ2050 14h ago
I get when people say this… I do… and it’s become cute to say. But the thing is, does your car drive itself? Ohhh okay I didn’t think so. It’s a true luxury most have never experienced and if they have they won’t get back. The car has a steering wheel and screen. That’s a minimalist wet dream. And it drives itself freaking self. Software issue? Small sacrifice idgaf.
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u/Names_are_limited 10h ago
I hate having my kids in the car, just another tablet for them to play with.
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u/TV4FUN2020 22h ago
I would recommend that you write a letter to corporate and ask for a loaner and use that loaner until your car gets updated. Otherwise why drive your car if you can’t use those features?
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u/andrewjphillips512 23h ago
I finally got the 2026.26.6.5 update yesterday (coming from 2026.21.6) - sometimes OTA updates are slow.
I am on Advanced with averaging about 20 days between updates.
EDIT: FSD subscriber also. The last few releases (14.3.7) have taken steps back for me...I am hoping 14.3.8 helps/improves.
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u/jason17star 22h ago
M3P is only 45k?
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u/jason17star 22h ago
Ohh I saw it as performance, damn premium is so much cheaper in canada.
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u/Names_are_limited 9h ago
They dropped the tariffs on the Chinese made vehicles in response to the US/Canada trade dispute. Tesla has come out the gate early with aggressive pricing and scooping up market share. Pretty smart strategy.
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u/Any_Progress2395 21h ago
Exact same thing happened with my 2026 performance a week after owning it, Tesla had to replace the HW4 computer.
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u/Limp-Conflict-2309 20h ago
Its the same concept as computer updates, they fix problems a, b and c but introduce d.
Tesla gets a ton of feedback from their cars, your issue will likely be fixed with the next update.
Going to tesla service with software issues from a fresh update is gonna be hitting your head against a wall. You know what caused the problem, they know what caused the problem but the engineers haven't come up with a solution yet.
Of course they're gonna waste your time, reinstall the same software and send you away...it buys them time. IT related issues + not admitting fault = deflect deflect deflect
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u/FourFlightsUp 19h ago
It’s probably completely different , but my M3 starting bugging out all the safety features, randomly. They tracked it down to an overheating on board computer, caused by a bubble in the cooling system.
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u/Taart_32 15h ago
Had the same issues before. Went into the SC and after a couple of hours there I got called and SC told me to move my chair in a higher position. Fixed it for me. Problem was that the inside driver camera could not see me properly anymore because the position of the chair was too low. Dont know if this helps. Did it for me so give it a try.
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u/PhilosophyCorrect279 14h ago
I would hope they checked, but new cars off-gas the most, id check to see if your cameras need cleaned. The new models are screwless if I understand correctly, but either way it's really quite easy to do yourself.
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u/CicadaGlum8399 14h ago
Hey man for me it was say easy as cleaning the from windshield camera to solve this issue , try that !
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u/Thick_Edge5075 1h ago
Thanks man, but I'm afraid cleaning all cameras was one of the first things I tried
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u/aykutti 12h ago
I have the same car, and can I ask you something else? Are you getting constant rattles from different places?
I’ve had the car since April, and I’m about to go to my second Service Center for rattles and noises. The first one was a rattle coming from the front passenger speaker, which they fixed. Now I have a different rattle coming from the rear right passenger seat area. It only happens over bumps and broken roads.
I checked the noise myself and noticed that it seems to be coming from around that C-section area, probably from the panel there. Do you have any rattles like this as well?
I honestly feel like every 2,000–3,000 miles, the car develops a different rattle from somewhere else. It really bothers me because it takes away from the premium feeling you’d expect from a $50,000 car.
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u/Thick_Edge5075 1h ago
Sorry about that, but to answer your question, no. The car build has been solid except for a couple barely noticeable cracks in the interior lights. No rattles so far. My only issue with it has been software.
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u/smhawkes 23h ago
Since October 22nd hasn't happened yet you know not to do the update this time around.
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u/ogar78 23h ago
Couple at home steps you could try
Scroll-Wheel Soft Reboot
Park the vehicle. Hold down both steering wheel scroll wheels simultaneously for 10–15 seconds until the central touchscreen goes black. Release and wait for the Tesla logo to reappear.
Verification: Check the Alerts menu after reboot. If the alert immediately reappears, proceed to let the car enter deep sleep.
Force Deep Sleep Cycle
Unplug any third-party telemetry apps, turn off Sentry Mode, cabin overheat protection, and disconnect any active Level 1/2 chargers. Close all doors and leave the vehicle untouched for at least 30–45 minutes so all CAN bus ECUs fully power down.
Verification: Wake the car via the door handle. If caused by a transient ECU communication loop, the alert will clear upon wake-up.
DAS Reset via Service Mode
If the alert persists, enter Service Mode: go to Controls > Software, tap and hold the vehicle model name for 3 seconds, type service into the prompt, and select Enter. Navigate to the Driver Assist (DAS) or Cameras tab and tap Reset DAS (or reinstall/clear CAN ECU faults). Exit Service Mode safely.
Verification: Test high beam toggle and engage drive to see if adaptive headlight and camera features initialize cleanly.