3,250 of the 7,374 complaints filed about the Tesla Model Y are about the driver-assist systems — 44% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2021.
3,250
Complaints
44%
Share of all complaints
435
Crashes
12
Fires
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Phantom braking while using the TACC on the tesla
NHTSA complaint #11758931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Phantom braking while using the TACC on the tesla
NHTSA complaint #11758931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On 8/22/2026, my 2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range with approximately 81,000 miles developed an Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) fault immediately after I felt a brief jerk while reversing. The vehicle displayed “Steering assist reduced / Steering may require increased effort.” Manual steering currently feels normal, but Full Self-Driving/Autosteer and Lane Departure/Lane Keeping functions became unavailable. Tesla Service Mode shows repeated faults EPAS3P_a072_motFeedFwdError, EPAS3P_a049_piCtrlError, and UI_a020_SteeringReduced. For EPAS3P_a072, Tesla’s diagnostic screen describes a “Motor control feed-forward correlation error,” lists the potential impact as “Reduced steering assist and EAC inhibited,” and specifically lists “Replace EPAS” as the clear condition. The faults return after vehicle power-off and reboot. The vehicle was updated to software 2026.21.6 / FSD v14 Lite approximately two weeks before this occurred. There were no previous steering warnings. I am not claiming the update caused the failure, but I believe the timing warrants investigation. NHTSA Complaint 11749826 describes a 2021 Model Y with the same EPAS3P_a072 and UI_a020 faults, including Tesla Service Mode stating “Replace EPAS.” Complaint 11758026 describes another 2021 Model Y steering gear failure and requests expansion of Recall 25V-092 to earlier Model Ys. My vehicle has not yet been physically inspected by Tesla. The vehicle and diagnostic information are available for inspection. I request NHTSA investigate whether this EPAS failure extends beyond the current recall population and whether recent software changes may be contributing.
NHTSA complaint #11758818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
On 8/22/2026, my 2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range with approximately 81,000 miles developed an Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) fault immediately after I felt a brief jerk while reversing. The vehicle displayed “Steering assist reduced / Steering may require increased effort.” Manual steering currently feels normal, but Full Self-Driving/Autosteer and Lane Departure/Lane Keeping functions became unavailable. Tesla Service Mode shows repeated faults EPAS3P_a072_motFeedFwdError, EPAS3P_a049_piCtrlError, and UI_a020_SteeringReduced. For EPAS3P_a072, Tesla’s diagnostic screen describes a “Motor control feed-forward correlation error,” lists the potential impact as “Reduced steering assist and EAC inhibited,” and specifically lists “Replace EPAS” as the clear condition. The faults return after vehicle power-off and reboot. The vehicle was updated to software 2026.21.6 / FSD v14 Lite approximately two weeks before this occurred. There were no previous steering warnings. I am not claiming the update caused the failure, but I believe the timing warrants investigation. NHTSA Complaint 11749826 describes a 2021 Model Y with the same EPAS3P_a072 and UI_a020 faults, including Tesla Service Mode stating “Replace EPAS.” Complaint 11758026 describes another 2021 Model Y steering gear failure and requests expansion of Recall 25V-092 to earlier Model Ys. My vehicle has not yet been physically inspected by Tesla. The vehicle and diagnostic information are available for inspection. I request NHTSA investigate whether this EPAS failure extends beyond the current recall population and whether recent software changes may be contributing.
NHTSA complaint #11758818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
On I95 by the Secaucus Train station there is something sending a signal to my Tesla and other Teslas to disable all of its ADAS systems. All of the functionality related to ADAS gets disabled thus making the car very unsafe to drive. Due to this disability it also disables the camera systems in the car. So if an accident were to occur there would be no way to record.
NHTSA complaint #11758746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On I95 by the Secaucus Train station there is something sending a signal to my Tesla and other Teslas to disable all of its ADAS systems. All of the functionality related to ADAS gets disabled thus making the car very unsafe to drive. Due to this disability it also disables the camera systems in the car. So if an accident were to occur there would be no way to record.
NHTSA complaint #11758746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On I95 by the Secaucus Train station there is something sending a signal to my Tesla and other Teslas to disable all of its ADAS systems. All of the functionality related to ADAS gets disabled thus making the car very unsafe to drive. Due to this disability it also disables the camera systems in the car. So if an accident were to occur there would be no way to record.
NHTSA complaint #11758746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On July 30, 2026, at approximately 8:10 PM CDT, my 2025 Tesla Model Y was operating with Full Self-Driving engaged when the vehicle descended a private boat launch at a marina in Antioch, IL, and entered the river channel connecting Channel Lake and Lake Marie. Two occupants escaped through the windows. The vehicle was submerged and is a total loss. Lake County Sheriff report #26-104915. The vehicle's incident data export confirms FSD was in an active state during the approach. The vehicle is preserved in storage pending inspection. An incident report has been filed with Tesla.
NHTSA complaint #11758377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On July 30, 2026, at approximately 8:10 PM CDT, my 2025 Tesla Model Y was operating with Full Self-Driving engaged when the vehicle descended a private boat launch at a marina in Antioch, IL, and entered the river channel connecting Channel Lake and Lake Marie. Two occupants escaped through the windows. The vehicle was submerged and is a total loss. Lake County Sheriff report #26-104915. The vehicle's incident data export confirms FSD was in an active state during the approach. The vehicle is preserved in storage pending inspection. An incident report has been filed with Tesla.
NHTSA complaint #11758377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On July 30, 2026, at approximately 8:10 PM CDT, my 2025 Tesla Model Y was operating with Full Self-Driving engaged when the vehicle descended a private boat launch at a marina in Antioch, IL, and entered the river channel connecting Channel Lake and Lake Marie. Two occupants escaped through the windows. The vehicle was submerged and is a total loss. Lake County Sheriff report #26-104915. The vehicle's incident data export confirms FSD was in an active state during the approach. The vehicle is preserved in storage pending inspection. An incident report has been filed with Tesla.
NHTSA complaint #11758377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
i was in FSD mode and my car began parallel parking.As the car was in reverse it automatically accelerated and crashed into the car behind me. I did not step on the accelerator pedal, nor the brake and my hands were not on the steering wheel. I in no way caused this accident. What is most surprising is that there was no warning response. Normally if I get too close to any object a color warning shows up on the screen, if I decide to make a change while driving the screen comes up with 4 options as to why I took control but in this case with the car hitting an object there was no response at all.Teslas standard answer is always that it's my fault. I know what happened and it was not my fault.I now have a repair estimate for $1,897.98 which I must be responsible for
NHTSA complaint #11758297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
This is what happened: While Full Self-Driving (FSD) was engaged, the vehicle approached an intersection and appeared unable to correctly follow the roadway. Instead of following the intended road path, the vehicle continued forward, drove over the curb, and struck a road sign. The impact knocked the sign down, and the sign subsequently struck the vehicle, including the roof glass. The roof glass shattered and small pieces of glass entered the cabin, exposing both the driver and front passenger to a safety risk. Vehicle data obtained after the incident shows that the vehicle was in ACTIVE_FSD leading up to the collision. FSD changed from ACTIVE to UNAVAILABLE approximately 1.5 seconds before the crash algorithm wake-up. Significant braking occurred only very close to the collision, and no Automatic Emergency Braking intervention was recorded during the incident window. The data also shows multiple substantial steering movements shortly before the collision. Accelerator-pedal data does not establish driver acceleration as the cause of the collision. The available samples show an accelerator position of 2.0% shortly before the collision and 0.0% in the next recorded sample. The driver applied the brake shortly before impact. There were no prior warning lamps or messages indicating that FSD was about to become unavailable before the vehicle departed the roadway. The vehicle has been inspected/repaired following the collision, and vehicle data relating to the incident has been obtained and preserved. Police responded to the collision, and the incident was also reported to insurance. A police report was filed, and the case number is 2026-07160174. I have not yet received the formal CR-4 crash report. Following the collision, I experienced significant psychological distress and trauma-related stress symptoms as a result of the incident.
NHTSA complaint #11758061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I am reporting multiple safety‑critical incidents involving my Tesla Model Y equipped with FSD (Supervised). The vehicle has repeatedly performed sudden braking in active traffic without any obstacles present, causing physical jolting and creating a risk of collision. These incidents occurred on [XXX] and XXX including a sudden hard brake at approximately 2:18 p.m. on XXX. Additionally, the vehicle has shown lane‑centering instability on the highway. On XXX at approximately 1:51 p.m., the vehicle drifted within the lane and failed to maintain proper centering while FSD was engaged, requiring immediate manual intervention to avoid unsafe movement. Tesla service has stated that no error codes were detected, but also acknowledged known FSD software behaviors affecting Hardware 3 vehicles. This indicates the system may be performing unsafe maneuvers without logging faults. I am reporting these incidents because they pose a direct safety risk to me, other drivers, and pedestrians. I request that NHTSA review these behaviors as potential safety defects in Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757733 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On Wednesday, August 12 around 6:30 am the vehicle applied AEB while I was making a left turn on green. It landed me in the middle of the intersection while a car going straight from the opposite direction was speeding towards me to go before the light turned yellow/red. I escaped a collision only because the other driver managed to slow down.
NHTSA complaint #11757758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On XXX, while driving southbound on XXX from [XXX] toward [XXX], my vehicle’s center display (MCU) crashed and rebooted at highway speed, leaving me with no screen for approximately 5–10 minutes. Sequence of events: 1.Earlier in the drive, while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 Lite, the vehicle exhibited phantom braking and speed oscillation (repeatedly cycling between approximately 73, 70, and 72 mph without cause). I disengaged FSD and switched to standard Autopilot. 2.During this portion of the drive, three alert codes appeared: UI_a111, APP_w207, and DI_a175 (the latter twice). 3.I stopped to Supercharge in [XXX] at 1:17 PM (33-minute session ending approximately 1:50 PM), then resumed driving on XXX [XXX]. 4.Shortly after resuming the drive, at approximately 1:53 PM, I tapped on one of the displayed alerts on the touchscreen to view details. The screen opened an in-car help/browser page, then the entire MCU crashed and went dark. 5.The display remained black for approximately 5–10 minutes while I was traveling at highway speed. During this time I had NO speedometer, NO navigation/GPS, NO touch controls, and NO visibility into vehicle alerts or state. In a Tesla Model Y, the center display is the ONLY instrument display — there is no separate gauge cluster. 6.The MCU eventually rebooted on its own and the display returned. The incident time is corroborated by a text message my wife sent me from inside the vehicle at 1:53 PM at my request, specifically to create a contemporaneous timestamped record. Safety concern: A driver-initiated tap on a safety alert — an action the interface invites — triggered a total display failure at highway speed. Loss of the sole speedometer and all vehicle status information while traveling at approximately 70+ mph is an unreasonable safety risk. This occurred on the same drive as continued phantom braking and speed oscillation events previously reported in ODI #XXX, o INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On XXX, while driving southbound on XXX from [XXX] toward [XXX], my vehicle’s center display (MCU) crashed and rebooted at highway speed, leaving me with no screen for approximately 5–10 minutes. Sequence of events: 1.Earlier in the drive, while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 Lite, the vehicle exhibited phantom braking and speed oscillation (repeatedly cycling between approximately 73, 70, and 72 mph without cause). I disengaged FSD and switched to standard Autopilot. 2.During this portion of the drive, three alert codes appeared: UI_a111, APP_w207, and DI_a175 (the latter twice). 3.I stopped to Supercharge in [XXX] at 1:17 PM (33-minute session ending approximately 1:50 PM), then resumed driving on XXX [XXX]. 4.Shortly after resuming the drive, at approximately 1:53 PM, I tapped on one of the displayed alerts on the touchscreen to view details. The screen opened an in-car help/browser page, then the entire MCU crashed and went dark. 5.The display remained black for approximately 5–10 minutes while I was traveling at highway speed. During this time I had NO speedometer, NO navigation/GPS, NO touch controls, and NO visibility into vehicle alerts or state. In a Tesla Model Y, the center display is the ONLY instrument display — there is no separate gauge cluster. 6.The MCU eventually rebooted on its own and the display returned. The incident time is corroborated by a text message my wife sent me from inside the vehicle at 1:53 PM at my request, specifically to create a contemporaneous timestamped record. Safety concern: A driver-initiated tap on a safety alert — an action the interface invites — triggered a total display failure at highway speed. Loss of the sole speedometer and all vehicle status information while traveling at approximately 70+ mph is an unreasonable safety risk. This occurred on the same drive as continued phantom braking and speed oscillation events previously reported in ODI #XXX, o INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On August 15, 2026, at approximately 5:00 PM, the vehicle was being driven with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged during light rain. As the vehicle approached traffic ahead, it did not slow or brake as expected. The driver recognized that the vehicle was not slowing and attempted to intervene manually by pressing the brake pedal multiple times. The driver reports that despite these attempts, the vehicle did not slow or respond to the brake pedal as expected, and a collision occurred. There were no known warning lamps or warning messages indicating a braking-system problem prior to the incident. The vehicle has not yet been inspected to determine the cause of the reported braking behavior. The incident has been reported to the manufacturer, and a request has been made to preserve and review available vehicle data surrounding the collision, including braking inputs, vehicle speed, Full Self-Driving status/actions, warnings, diagnostic information, and safety/event data. The vehicle is available for inspection. At this time, the cause of the failure to slow as expected is UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #11757356 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On August 15, 2026, at approximately 5:00 PM, the vehicle was being driven with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged during light rain. As the vehicle approached traffic ahead, it did not slow or brake as expected. The driver recognized that the vehicle was not slowing and attempted to intervene manually by pressing the brake pedal multiple times. The driver reports that despite these attempts, the vehicle did not slow or respond to the brake pedal as expected, and a collision occurred. There were no known warning lamps or warning messages indicating a braking-system problem prior to the incident. The vehicle has not yet been inspected to determine the cause of the reported braking behavior. The incident has been reported to the manufacturer, and a request has been made to preserve and review available vehicle data surrounding the collision, including braking inputs, vehicle speed, Full Self-Driving status/actions, warnings, diagnostic information, and safety/event data. The vehicle is available for inspection. At this time, the cause of the failure to slow as expected is UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #11757356 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Full Self Driving Mode activated, the vehicle struck the garage wall, damaging the rear passenger’s side door. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the dealer had previously provided mobile service to replace the camera and that a second dealer, Tesla White Plains (250 Tarrytown Rd, White Plains, NY 10607), had performed a hard reset on the vehicle due to phantom braking; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was made aware of the failure but canceled an upcoming appointment and informed the contact that there was no failure found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,001.
NHTSA complaint #11757495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Component: Suspension: Front — lower lateral and compliance link assemblies; missing and backed-out lateral-link-to-subframe fasteners; torn bushings Beginning in XXX, the vehicle produced a reproducible knocking noise from the front end when reversing and turning at parking-lot speeds, with no dashboard warnings. Tesla Service ([XXX], invoice XXX) verified the noise and documented on the invoice that the cause was: 1. A front left lateral-link-to-subframe mounting bolt MISSING entirely; 2. A second lateral-link fastener significantly backed out; 3. Torn bushings in both front lower compliance links. The technician replaced both front lower lateral link assemblies and both front lower compliance link assemblies with new hardware (invoice line items: XXX lateral links; XXX and XXX compliance links). Total customer cost for the suspension work: $1,539, out of warranty; goodwill and defect coverage were denied in writing as "wear and tear." A structural fastener missing entirely from a primary front suspension link is not ordinary wear. It is the precursor condition to the lateral-link separation investigated under PE26006, which covers this vehicle by year and model. With one bolt absent and the second backed out at under 30,000 miles, this vehicle was effectively one fastener away from the detachment event the investigation documents. The contemporaneous torn bushings in both compliance links reinforce premature component failure, not age-related degradation. No crash, fire, or injury occurred, and the vehicle remained drivable. However, the failure occurred without warning on a safety-critical steering and suspension load path. Evidence retained by owner and referenced in this complaint: -Pre-repair inspection photographs & post-repair invoice INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11756800 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.