2021 Tesla Model 3
midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan
Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2017-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Mid Range 4-door
The Tesla Model 3 was introduced in the 2017 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's overall survival space was maintained well, despite moderate intrusion of the lower part of the door hinge pillar and buckling of the door sill.
The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.
Although intrusion overall into the driver's space was minimal, door hinge pillar intrusion contributed to a moderate risk of injury to the left lower leg.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEN1906 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 21 |
| Footrest (cm) | 12 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 6 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 2 |
| Parking brake (cm) | |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 0 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Steering column | 1 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 7 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 6 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 5 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEN1906 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 88 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 7 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.15 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 18 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.1 |
| Right | 0.0 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.87 |
| Right | 0.68 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 2.8 |
| Right | 0.6 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 60 |
| Right | 33 |
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Rating applies to 2017-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus 4-door
The Tesla Model 3 was introduced in the 2017 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2019 Model 3 conducted by Tesla.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side
| Test ID | VTP1925 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 3 |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 2 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 2 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 0 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Center dash (cm) | 2 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 2 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 2 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 2 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTP1925 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 54 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.6 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 15 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.16 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 17 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.5 |
| Right | 0.2 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.47 |
| Right | 0.29 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 2.0 |
| Right | 0.9 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 37 |
| Right | 44 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTP1925 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 66 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.7 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 7 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 19 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.4 |
| Right | 0.1 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 1 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.40 |
| Right | 0.39 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 0.7 |
| Right | 0.4 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 29 |
| Right | 27 |
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2017-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus 4-door
The Tesla Model 3 was introduced in the 2017 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the moderate overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.
Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head contacted the side curtain airbag during rebound.
Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF1904 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 1 |
| Left (cm) | 1 |
| Center (cm) | 2 |
| Right (cm) | 2 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 1 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -3 |
| Rearward (cm) | -9 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF1904 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 177 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 7 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.18 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 18 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 0.3 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 0.2 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 1 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.32 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.32 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.8 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 1.7 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 42 |
| Right | 38 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2017-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus 4-door
The Tesla Model 3 was introduced in the 2017 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES1905 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -22.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES1905 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 237 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.7 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.2 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 34 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 39 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 32 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 5.27 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.97 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.7 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Combined force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.1 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 52 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -28 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES1905 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 78 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.4 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 29 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.4 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 26 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 18 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.89 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.30 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.3 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.3 |
| Combined force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.7 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 65 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -19 |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2017-23 models
Tested vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus 4-door
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 3,563 lbs |
| Peak force | 20,835 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.85 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Power leatherette seat
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Power leatherette seat |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 15 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | -3 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 13.6 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 55 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 0 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 155 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.
Headlights
Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.
Trim level(s)
- All trims; built after December 2020
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and both right curves and fair on the sharp left curve.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and gradual right curves and fair on the sharp left and sharp right curves.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and on both left curves.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2021-23 models built after December 2020 |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 92.6 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 65.7 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 85.0 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 66.1 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 67.7 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 49.2 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 160.1 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 159.9 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 83.5 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 82.5 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 63.2 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 63.7 m |
Trim level(s)
- All trims; built before January 2021
| Low-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
|---|---|
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating | |
| Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination: | |
Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the sharp right curve, fair on the gradual right and sharp left curves, and inadequate on the gradual left curve.
The low beams never exceeded glare limits.
High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and both right curves and fair on the sharp left curve.
High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway, on both left curves and on both right curves.
| Trim level(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Low-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
|
Overall rating Applies to 2018-21 models built before January 2021 |
| LOW BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
Amount glare exceeded threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 100.4 m | None |
| Straightaway left edge | 57.6 m | None |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 64.5 m | None |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 52.0 m | None |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 55.4 m | None |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 45.7 m | None |
| HIGH BEAMS | Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux) |
|---|---|
| Straightaway right edge | 178.3 m |
| Straightaway left edge | 168.6 m |
| 250m radius right curve, right edge | 85.4 m |
| 250m radius left curve, left edge | 81.0 m |
| 150m radius right curve, right edge | 66.7 m |
| 150m radius left curve, left edge | 61.4 m |
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Ratings are given for 2 different trim variations available on this vehicle.
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)
Ratings are given for 2 different systems available on this vehicle.
Child seat anchors
Rating applies to 2019-24 models
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | Standard Range Plus |
| Seat type | leatherette |
This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.
It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.
| Overall evaluation | |
| Vehicle trim | Standard Range Plus |
| Seat type | leatherette |
| G | Good |
| A | Acceptable |
| M | Marginal |
| P | Poor |
| Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated. | |
thether anchor symbol | Tether anchor |
lower anchor symbol | Lower anchors |
| Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s) | |
| No hardware available |
Details by seating position
| 1 | |
|---|---|
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors | |
| 2 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| none available | |
| 3 | |
| Tether anchor | |
| easy-to-find location | |
| no other hardware could be confused for anchor | |
| Lower anchors | |
| too deep in seat | |
| not too much force needed to attach | |
| easy to maneuver around anchors |
Seat position 21
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 21 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 64 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 26 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 64 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Rear deck |
| Confusing hardware present | No |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
Yes |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 22
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Lower anchor B | |
| No lower latch for this seat position | |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Rear deck |
| Confusing hardware present | No |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
No |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |
Seat position 23
| Lower anchor A | |
|---|---|
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 19 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 64 |
| Lower anchor B | |
| Open access rated | No |
| Depth (cm) | 2-4 |
| Force (lbs) | 18 |
| Clearance angle (degrees) | 67 |
| Tether anchor | |
| Location | Rear deck |
| Confusing hardware present | No |
| Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor |
Yes |
| Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH |
Not measured |