2021 Tesla Model 3
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Forward collision avoidance is the leading concern among 663 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 9 Model 3 model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 46 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 19 people were injured and 8 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Exterior lighting, headlightsAug 5, 2026
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Model 3 and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. The headlight low beams may be too bright and exceed the maximum light output. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-17-003.
Campaign 26V507000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, softwareMay 5, 2026
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017, 2021-2023 Model 3, 2020-2023 Model Y, 2021-2023 Model S, and Model X vehicles operating software version 2026.8.6. The rearview camera image may be delayed when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-00-001.
Campaign 26V283000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, pressure monitoring and regulating systemsDec 17, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-018.
Campaign 24V935000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchJul 24, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles. The hood latch assembly may fail to detect an unlatched hood condition after the hood has been opened.
An unlatched hood can fully open, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-012.
Campaign 24V554000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, warning light/devicesMay 28, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Campaign 24V376000 on NHTSA.gov
Forward collision avoidance, warnings, external/pedestrian alertFeb 27, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
Campaign 24V153000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelJan 30, 2024
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Campaign 24V051000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, adas, autonomous/self driving, softwareDec 12, 2023
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Campaign 23V838000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, automated/adaptive steeringFeb 15, 2023
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Campaign 23V085000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/other, anchorageOct 21, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The second-row left seat belt buckle and second-row center seat belt anchor may have been incorrectly reassembled during vehicle service.
An incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchor can impair the performance of the seat belt during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Tesla Service will inspect and reassemble the seat belt anchors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-20-004.
Campaign 22V798000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, power window devices and controlsSep 19, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2022 Model Y, and 2021-2022 Model S and Model X vehicles. The window automatic reversal system may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update of the automatic window reversal system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2032. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-013.
Campaign 22V702000 on NHTSA.gov
Forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency brakingMay 9, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model 3 and 2021 Model Y vehicles. The fisheye and narrow camera cable terminals were incorrectly installed in the cable harness connector, resulting in swapped camera views.
Swapped camera views can prevent the vehicle's cameras from detecting crossing objects and high-curvature lane lines, impairing the Autosteer and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) performance, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla Service will correct the swapped terminals and recalibrate the cameras, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-17-007.
Campaign 22V317000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelApr 18, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Model 3 Performance vehicles. The unit of speed (mph or km/h) may fail to display on the speedometer while in Track Mode. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
The driver may not know how fast the vehicle is traveling without the mph or km/h unit display, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-008.
Campaign 22V263000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareApr 12, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
Campaign 22V235000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareFeb 4, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V-235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
Campaign 22V063000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareFeb 2, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A software error may cause a valve in the heat pump to open unintentionally and trap the refrigerant inside the evaporator, resulting in decreased defrosting performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Decreased defrosting performance may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-18-002.
Campaign 22V050000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareFeb 1, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-002.
Campaign 22V045000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, adas, autonomous/self driving, softwareJan 27, 2022
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Campaign 22V037000 on NHTSA.gov
Forward collision avoidance, sensing system, cameraOct 29, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
Campaign 21V846000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, critical fastenersOct 25, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model Y and 2019-2021 Model 3 vehicles. The front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.
A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla Service will tighten or replace the lateral link fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-31-003.
Campaign 21V835000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtainOct 25, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021, 2023 Model 3 vehicles. The left and/or right side curtain air bag may have been improperly secured to the roof rail, which could result in a twisted air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 214, "Side Impact Protection" and 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
A twisted side curtain air bag may improperly deploy, increasing the risk of injury or occupant ejection during a crash.
Tesla Service will inspect and realign the left and right side curtain air bag as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-20-006.
Campaign 21V834000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperMay 25, 2021
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Model 3 and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles. The brake caliper bolts may be loose, allowing the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim.
Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla Service will inspect and tighten, or replace the caliper bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-33-002.
Campaign 21V387000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: forward collision avoidance
407 reports, newest first. Show all
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 14, 2021
We continue to have issues with Tesla's autopilot feature. The Model 3 with autopilot activated or just with the adaptive cruise control activated, will "phantom" brake for zero reason. Today, 12/14/2021, it happened three times within 90 minutes. All three times there was no reason for the car to make emergency actions. Once I had a truck with a trailer behind me, forcing them to brake hard to avoid hitting the rear of the car. I submitted a service request to Tesla and this is what they told me: Incidents like the one you are describing where the vehicle slowdowns for apparently no reason are generally caused by a few reason such as: Map data inaccuracy, Speed limit data inaccuracies, the vehicle reacting to an upcoming event, GPS position inaccuracies, and predicative driving anomalies. In all of these situations the computer is trying to make the safest determination of what to do with the information that it being fed. To us as drivers, it would seem like a bad decision, but the computer uses our input following these events to get better at predicting how it should respond. Anytime you intervene with an autopilot behavior decision you are helping the system as whole get better. There are no faults with any of the hardware in the vehicle and at this time these behaviors are a limitation of software in the system. Our engineering team is working to improve auto pilot with every firmware update and we hope to see improvements in future updates. I'm sorry you feel that was Justin. Future firmware updates will improve functionality. You always have the options of not using your AutoPilot until they do. Thank you
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Dec 10, 2021
On a daily basis while using the Adaptive Cruise Control or Tesla Autopilot, I will experience multiple erroneous automatic braking events. The car generally slams the brakes on when it is cresting a hill, attempting to pass a semi truck, or when sun angles produce large shadows in the road. The automatic braking events are sometimes very aggressive and can be extremely dangerous, especially if someone is following behind you in high speed traffic. My wife has requested that I don’t use cruise control or autopilot while she’s in the car, as we experienced an unwarranted, aggressive automatic braking episode which caused great pressure against her pregnant belly on a previous road trip. Additionally, the cameras on my vehicle will often produce warning/error messages stating “X camera is blocked or blinded” for absolutely no reason other than headlights from oncoming traffic shining into my lane. I am unsure if this contributes to the automatic braking issue.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 4, 2021
My Tesla Model 3 is brand new and delivered in 2021, the vehicle has had no recalls or issues report by the manufacture and is running the latest software updates provided by Tesla, which as of this date is: 2021.36.8 I have driven the car since delivery a total of 5,596 miles, which includes a cross country road trip from CA to FL. During this trip I used "Autopilot" a feature which is touted as safe, however after my experience and reading and hearing other users reports I believe this is not the case. I had numerous cases of "phantom braking" which is where the vehicle believes there is an object that it will collide with and it slams the brakes on, usually dropping around ~20 MPH extremely rapidly. Many of these events occurred in lower light scenarios (night time) and almost all of them occurred when I had no vehicles in any direction for over half a mile, which means that there should have been no indicators flagging an emergency braking event. Here are some other reports, including a well known publisher CNET: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2021-tesla-model-y-review/ The Model Y and 3 share a lot of common design and technical elements, including their lack of a forward radar system, which is think is likely why this issue is occurring for these vehicles and not for the Model S and X. Here is a full user report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxvh60zBl70&t=1s I am writing this report in order to add myself to a growing list of Tesla customers that have not been listened to about this issue, it is a massive safety issue and should likely trigger a full investigation, this issue can easily be replicated with and 2020-2021 Model 3 and/or Y. And likely should trigger an immediate call for either a software patch, disabling of the feature, and/or recall of all affected vehicles, either to retrofit a radar system, or to fix the camera system.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2021
Driving normally, with cruise control (not auto steering) engaged vehicle will spontaneously and dangerously apply emergency breaking. This happens regularly to the point I won’t use it. It’s going to cause accidents, especially when slippery conditions exist.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 28, 2021
Vehicle will randomly have phantom braking and braking events when using adaptive cruise control. It happens more often when a vehicle has recently passed and it 150+ feet in front of the vehicle. This poses a safety risk for vehicles behind as the car will randomly slow down. The adaptive function becomes unusable.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 28, 2021
ADAS systems detect oncoming traffic from the opposing lane on single lane roads and sounds forward collision alarm. If using adaptive cruise control or Autopilot, vehicle will rapidly decelerate. This poses a risk to the occupants and vehicles behind from unexpected changes in speed, which could cause a rear-end accident. The issue can be repeated in the scenario described above. Forward Collision Warning alarm goes off when it sees a oncoming vehicle far off in the distance.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 27, 2021
Tesla cars are having an issue with phantom breaking which is causing the car to slow down or even slam on the brakes for zero reason. Since I have zero control of how close someone follows me, this is a huge safety issue and makes me fear for my life every time it happens. I drove 60 miles today on two lane roads and this happened at least 6 times. Seems to happen more on two lane roads that aren't flat, but I've had it happen other times too.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 26, 2021
My new Tesla 3 deployed automatic emergency braking seven (7) times in a 5 hour period. The Tesla Autopilot was turned off due to reports of phantom braking like this from many other drivers in a Tesla online forum. Regardless, the car slammed on the brakes when there were no obstructions or cars in front of me. I almost suffered a rear end collision during one of these phantom emergency braking events, where the car suddenly braked from 70MPH to less than 40MPH. The malfunctioning component is likely the Tesla software that works with the forward-facing cameras which are installed as part of the Full Self Driving feature. While I did not pay the $10,000 for FSD, this system still operates for automated braking and lane departure. I have requested Tesla inspect the car, which has 482 miles on it, but am filing with you anyway due to the similarity between this experience today and the dozens of other complaints I have read about on the Tesla Owners forum called TOO.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 25, 2021
Terrible phantom braking. On a road trip, flat straight open roads, little to no traffic in front of me, and consistent full on hard braking from 75mph down to 35mph in a split second. Multiple times and so consistent I had to stop using the cruise control completely. This never happened like this in my day to day city driving. But as is, the cruise control is nerve wracking and dangerous. Thankfully no cars behind me because it could very easily cause a serious and deadly accident.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 23, 2021
Recurrent, frequent, and unpredictable sudden braking while vehicle is being driven in TACC (Traffic Aware Cruise Control). These event, or "phantom brakes", occur when there is no visible obstruction ahead of the car (i.e. crossing vehicle or object), nor any environmental explanation (sun glare, heavy rain, etc.). Events occur in all conditions, including daytime, clear sky, with or without traffic. Frequently the collision warning will sound during these events. Given the episodes occur during highway driving, the unexpected hard braking is a set-up for being rear ended by cars behind me. These events are most common on 2 lane divided highways, and can occur as frequently as every 2-5 minutes. Brought in for evaluation at Tesla service center, and they refused to acknowledge any problem, stating the car is "operating as designed." This was based on the fact that they did not reproduce symptoms on their test drive. Although I had logged >20 of these events for them to review on the automated records, it was not clear this was done.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 22, 2021
Whenever TACC (cruise control) is engaged and the car is on a two lane highway with no divider, it will aggressively brake and trigger the collision warning system when a semi-truck passes going the opposite direction.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 20, 2021
While using autopilot feature on interstate highway the vehicle independently applied braking while traveling at 70 mph although no other vehicle nor any other physical object was observed. Also while using the same feature and traveling on a two lane highway at 55 mph the car independently applied braking when an large truck approached in the opposite on-coming lane. This exact event happened a second time when another large truck while traveling the same two lane highway. Autopilot was no longer used.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 18, 2021
The “traffic aware cruise control” feature is flawed to the point of being unusable add dangerous. My Model 3 (leased in late September 2021) exhibits very frequent “phantom braking” problems when TACC is active. Some are mild, the car applying the brakes and slowing down despite the absence of nearby cars or hazards. Some are dramatic, the car slamming on its brakes and sounding an alarm — again, with no hazards. I have a service appointment scheduled for Dec 3 but I’m not optimistic.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 17, 2021
TRAFFIC AWARE CRUISE CONTROL WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS OPERATING, DRIVING AT 70 MPH OR HIGHER, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, NO VEHICLES AHEAD OF ME, THE CAR BRAKES SUDDENLY. THIS HAPPENED AT LEAST SIX TIMES ON A 1000 MILE TRIP. IF A CAR HAD BEEN FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY, MY SUDDEN BRAKING COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT HOW TO CONTACT TESLA ABOUT THIS. NO ONE HAS INSPECTED MY CAR. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS. AFTER I GOT HOME, I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND SAW THAT OTHERS HAD EXPERIENCED IT TOO. I'M WRITING IN THE HOPE THAT YOU WILL TELL TESLA TO FIX THE PROBLEM, OR AT LEAST TO OFFER THEIR CUSTOMERS PLAIN CRUISE CONTROL WITHOUT THE TRAFFIC AWARE FEATURE. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE HOURS, MOST RECENTLY ON OCTOBER 31, 2021.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 17, 2021
For the past week, my car phantom braked with no obvious danger from a parked car. It just happens on a city road, not a freeway. Ithappened about 4 times
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 16, 2021
While driving on C-470 westbound going 70 MPH with the car on Autopilot, the car braked hard dropping the speed to 40 MPH. If a car would have been behind me, they would have hit the back of my car. This issue is happening frequently, from neighborhood side streets, city streets, and on the interstate highway.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 16, 2021
"Traffic Aware Cruise Control" (aka Autopilot) applied full braking and sounded collision warning when no collision was imminent. Had traffic been following closely, a rear-end collision could have occurred. Several other similar "ghost braking" incidents have occurred but this was the worst and most dangerous. Vehicle has not yet been taken to a repair facility. Vehicle has not needed inspection by law enforcement nor insurance company.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 16, 2021
Traffic Aware Cruise Control in the 2021 Model 3 is down right dangerous. Constant random braking for no reason at all. Happens multiple times if I use TACC on 2 lane roads. Happens nearly every time I use TACC on a 4 lane road. If I have traffic behind me I cannot use TACC at all for fear I would be rear ended.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 15, 2021
I was using auto pilot. The road was pretty empty single lane road. There was no car in front of me or coming in opposite direction. The car automatically slammed the brake pretty hard. We were lucky enough no one rear ended us. Looks like a software bug in Tesla. Please investigate. I will never ever again use this [XXX] auto pilot and risk my family life. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 15, 2021
I have been experiencing very frequent adaptive cruise control breaking for no reason. It is getting worse with every software update. It seems like the car is very scared of oncoming traffic and will hit the breaks or slow down for no reason. Sometimes there will be no traffic at all and it happens. If a car is following closely I’m afraid I will be hit. I wish I could turn off adaptive cruise control but there is no option. This is a serious safety issue.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 15, 2021
Starting in June 2021, Tesla removed the radar sensing on their vehicles and switched to a vision-only (camera) system for adaptive cruise control and "auto pilot" operation. On my 2021 Model 3 Performance, I can not use either system without constant "phantom braking" events. Sometimes it will only gently pulse the brake pedal, but often it is very hard braking along with a beep and message on-screen saying I need to take immediate control of the car. This happens daily and is not hard to reproduce. If there is a car behind you, it can be quite dangerous. Even if they don't rear end you, often it will cause them to think you're doing a "brake check" and can lead to road rage incidents. My previous car (a 2018 Model 3 RWD) had a radar sensor and experienced mild (not hard) phantom braking roughly 2~3 times over an 18 month period. I still have access to that car and recently tested it for comparison. Even on the same software revisions, the old car drove flawlessly on ACC and Autopilot modes.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 11, 2021
Autopilot constantly brakes due to automatic emergency braking on two-way highways at night. Every time a car passes in the other direction, the car starts braking, often as soon as the headlights are visible. This is a significant safety issue and resulted in me disabling AEB, which re-enables automatically every time I drive. I needed to go out of my way and ensure no one was tailing me because the car would brake check them. This wasn't an isolated incident. Every time I've been on a two way highway and sometimes even on multi-lane unlit highways, I have these braking issues constantly. I was driving under the speed limit.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 10, 2021
Car hits the brakes and activates the emergency braking and forward collision warning very frequently (10+ instances during a 1 hr drive) in instances that absolutely do not warrant it (no obstacles or cars in the lane of traffic). Product is unsafe in the condition that it is in, and car offers no way to revert to standard cruise control. This type of automatic behavior could cause accidents.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 10, 2021
When driving using the traffic aware cruise control, the vehicle experiences frequent abrupt and random rapid deceleration. This causes a safety issue when other vehicles are behind due to the rapid change in speed. Occasionally the vehicle will produce a forward collision warning with nothing in the path of the vehicle. This makes the cruise control function less usable and no option to disable the adaptive function.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 9, 2021
Vehicle slams brakes on with on coming traffic when cruise control activated. Have attempted to contacted Tesla several times. Tesla actually canceled a mobile service stating they did an update to fix the issue. It did not. In fact it made the problem worse. The are not answering my emails or texts, calling the service line does no good the say they can’t see the issue in their data