4 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
Costly or dangerous
DJI Air 3 ESC error 16080021 led to permanent loss of the drone
An owner on the PhantomHelp forum reports abnormal behavior on the first flight with an ESC error (code 16080021); DJI support told them to update firmware and calibrate, the problem recurred, and the drone was permanently lost. A moderator notes the ESC error 'could suggest there was a hardware-related issue with one of the ESCs or motors.'
What to check. An ESC error code (16080021, or 30085/30210 per repair guides) points to a hardware fault in the electronic speed controller or motor, and a firmware/calibration fix rarely resolves it. Because this can cause a total loss of the aircraft, treat a recurring ESC error as serious and push DJI for a hardware inspection under warranty rather than accepting a software-only fix.
DJI Air 3 flyaway at altitude confirmed as manufacturing defect by DJI
On the Litchi forum, an owner reports a flyaway of a 3-year-old Air 3 during a waypoint mission; the flight log cut off at 1032m altitude and 3852m distance due to the aircraft disconnecting from the RC, and DJI confirmed it as a manufacturing defect and replaced the unit free even without warranty.
What to check. This incident involved flying far beyond reliable transmission range, so some of it is pilot risk, but DJI itself classified the failure as a manufacturing defect and replaced the aircraft. The practical lesson is that a lost RC link at distance can end in a total flyaway, so keep within line-of-sight/transmission range and do not rely on automatic RTH to save an out-of-range aircraft.
DJI Air 3 gimbal overload error with shaking during video and stiff gimbal
An owner on the DJI official forum reports a persistent 'Gimbal Overload' error, heavy shaking during video, a gimbal that fails its power-on self-test and feels stiff/blocked at one point, plus a strange sound when reaching the zero point. DJI support recommended calibration, which did not resolve it; the unit is out of warranty.
What to check. A gimbal that fails self-test and feels mechanically stiff is usually a hardware fault (damaged gimbal motor or ribbon cable), not a calibration issue. Expect a full gimbal module replacement cost; the Reboot Hub repair guide lists a full gimbal module at $200-280 and identifies the gimbal-to-mainboard ribbon cable (DJI part BC.MA.SS000413.01) as a known failure point in minor collisions.
DJI Air 3 firmware before 01.00.1600 vulnerable to FTP storage exhaustion (CVE-2026-78251)
A documented CVE (CVE-2026-78251) affects the Air 3 on firmware versions before 01.00.1600: a hardcoded-credential FTP service lets an attacker fill onboard storage, blocking flight-log writes and subsequent firmware updates.
What to check. This is a security/software issue rather than an owner-reported flight failure, and it requires physical or network access to the drone, so it is lower practical risk for a typical pilot. Still, keeping the Air 3 on firmware 01.00.1600 or newer closes the vulnerability and avoids the 'firmware update fails' symptom the flaw can cause.
These reports come from the pages linked under each item: owner forums, repair guides and workshops. They are not a diagnosis of any one unit, and a careful check of the one you are buying still applies.
Text from the Kriko Drones catalog, version 0.1.1, under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
