2025 Tesla Model 3 Driver assistance Problems

I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a severe braking and stability control failure that resulted in unpredictable, highly dangerous vehicle behavior. While driving, the vehicle displayed a cascade of critical system failures, throwing error codes APP_w009 (AEB disabled), DI_a222 (Stability control disabled), DI_a223 (Traction control disabled), ESP_a080, and ESP_a067 (ESP/ABS sensor faults). This concurrent breakdown caused a total loss of critical safety features: Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Automatic Emergency Braking, Traction Control, "Vehicle Hold," and "Hill Start Assist." Because the vehicle completely lost its ability to hold its position, it unexpectedly free-rolled backward on an incline when I anticipated it to remain stationary or move forward. This uncommanded movement created an immediate collision hazard. Of serious concern is that despite a total breakdown of vital braking and stability assists, the vehicle remained fully drivable and only advised me to "drive with caution." Allowing a car to remain operational under these severe fault conditions is an unacceptable risk. A driver expecting normal EV behavior (like vehicle hold and regenerative braking) is placed in immediate danger when the vehicle suddenly free-rolls without warning. The software should classify a multi-system ABS/ESP failure as a critical emergency requiring an immediate safe shutdown, rather than suggesting it is safe to continue driving.

NHTSA ID

11751612

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

My Tesla's FSD turned off midway through a curve at highway speeds. I hit the guard rail and scratched the right side of the car. I could have run straight through the guardrail from the inertia or made the back car hit me due to the slowing down, though thankfully I took control of the vehicle to limit the damage. I visited a Tesla repair center, but they said they didn't address these types of issues and referred me to the Tesla.com/legal page and a body shop they work with. Obviously, every time FSD turns off there is a chime, but that sudden alert for an event that spanned 5 seconds, 2 for me to take control, failed to be enough.

NHTSA ID

11749219

Incident

May 14, 2026

Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) repeatedly ignored the “Avoid Toll Roads” navigation setting and attempted last-second lane changes into Express Toll Lanes at freeway speeds. This has occurred approximately 10 times. I was repeatedly forced to take over steering immediately to avoid entering the toll lane, creating a serious safety risk due to sudden maneuvers in heavy traffic. On several occasions, I could not safely intervene before the lane change was completed. Tesla Service Center inspected the vehicle, found no hardware or camera faults, and stated the behavior appears to be software-related.

NHTSA ID

11747730

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

On May 24, 2026, at approximately 8:28 AM, I activated Actually Smart Summon on my 2025 Tesla Model 3 using the Tesla mobile application to reverse the vehicle from my garage. Before this incident, the vehicle displayed no warnings, alerts, messages, or other indication of a problem, and I had previously usd Actually Smart Summon without similar behavior. Shortly after activation, the Tesla mobile application became unresponsive, and the vehicle did not stop despite my attempts to stop it through the app. I attempted to open the vehicle door during the incident but was unable to do so while the maneuver continued. Because I could no longer stop the vehicle through the app or access the vehicle, I placed my phone in my pocket so I could use both hands to try to stop the vehicle and prevent further damage. At that point, I was no longer pressing or holding the Actually Smart Summon control in the application. As the vehicle continued reversing, I repeatedly repositioned myself behind it and pushed against the rear of the vehicle with my body multiple times. Despite this physical intervention, the vehicle continued reversing and applying rearward force, forcing me to repeatedly move out of its path to avoid being pinned between the vehicle and my neighbor s garage. The vehicle pressed into my neighbor s garage with enough force that the impact transferred to the parked vehicle inside the garage. It did not stop upon the initial impact and continued pressing into the garage afterward. This sustained movement is clearly visible on the preserved TeslaCam footage and independent home-security recordings. I narrowly escaped being crushed between the vehicle and the garage while attempting to stop the vehicle and prevent further damage, sustaining a muscle strain in the process. The incident created a serious risk of bodily injury in addition to substantial property damage. I do not know which specific component or system failed. Based on the sequence of events, the incident

NHTSA ID

11747470

Incident

May 24, 2026

Tesla FSD out of control and run into a light pole

NHTSA ID

11738196

Incident

May 15, 2026

On March 14, 2026, at 20:54:21 UTC, while the Autopilot system was engaged, the vehicle malfunctioned by initiating a sudden, unprompted right-hand steering command within 0.3 seconds, resulting in a collision with another vehicle traveling in the adjacent right lane. Telemetry data from the event confirms the system failed to maintain the lane despite the Primary Steering Torque Sensor measuring 0.00 Nm, proving no driver input caused the maneuver. This unintended steering event at cruising speed created an immediate safety risk to myself and the occupants of the other vehicle. To date, the manufacturer (Tesla) has declined to perform a technical or remote diagnostic review, redirecting the case to a collision center instead. No warning lamps, audio chimes, or system messages occurred prior to the failure; the vehicle is currently available for inspection and raw CSV telemetry logs can be provided to investigators upon request.

NHTSA ID

11730092

Incident

Mar 14, 2026

While driving at highway speeds, using cruise control, the vehicle occasionally brakes for no apparent reason with no vehicles or obstacles in the way. The braking is severe and could potentially cause me to be rear ended. The dealer inspected the vehicle and could not reproduce the problem. There has been no previous warning to the braking.

NHTSA ID

11728314

Incident

Mar 23, 2026

Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged at the time of the incident. The vehicle was traveling at low speed on a straight roadway when it unexpectedly initiated a sudden steering maneuver out of its lane toward a roadside structure (outdoor restaurant seating area), resulting in a collision. The driver did not provide steering input prior to or during the maneuver. There were no warning messages or alerts indicating a hazard or need for evasive action before the event. Vehicle telemetry data reviewed after the incident indicates that the steering system executed a rapid, large-angle deflection without corresponding driver input, consistent with a system-initiated maneuver. The system continued to apply throttle during the event. The incident created a direct safety risk to the vehicle occupants and nearby pedestrians due to unintended vehicle path deviation toward a fixed structure. Additional Context: When this car was in the repair shop for repairs, we were told that during the replacement of the dashboard/computer system, the technicians observed a persistent system code that would not clear. Tesla technical support was contacted, and the system was ultimately reinstalled to resolve the issue. While the direct connection between this code and the FSD malfunction is unknown, the persistent code may indicate preexisting software system instability. The vehicle has been inspected by repair professionals, and supporting data (telemetry and video) is preserved and available for review upon request. Cause of the malfunction is currently UNKNOWN, but evidence indicates a failure in the driver assistance system’s steering control.

NHTSA ID

11727685

Incident

Mar 8, 2026

Inused tesla to back up from my driveway and it hit my Gate little damage but the car did it . Did not calculate and crash sensor sisnt work car crash the car on fss (automatic pilot)

NHTSA ID

11721994

Incident

Mar 4, 2026

I was using the vehicle's Autopark feature to parallel park on a public street in a normal/spacious parking spot. I selected the parking spot on the center screen and started Autopark. During the maneuver, the vehicle reversed into the parked car behind me and caused a dent (low-speed crash). I was supervising the maneuver and did not press the accelerator or brake before impact. After the incident, I reviewed dashcam footage and vehicle telemetry. The rear vehicle was clearly visible in the rear camera view. Telemetry shows the vehicle had already shifted to Drive before impact, but it continued moving backward for about 1 second and then contacted the parked car behind. Telemetry also shows accelerator pedal position was 0 and brake was not applied during the impact sequence. This appears to be an automated parking/close-range obstacle stopping failure or delayed stopping response. No warning lamp or prior vehicle fault message was observed before the incident. The issue has not been reproduced since the incident. I have dashcam footage and telemetry logs documenting the event.

NHTSA ID

11719945

Incident

Feb 22, 2026

Tesla’s Obstruction of Repairs Tesla deleted my original service complaint and annotations regarding these delivery defects. The associated service appointment was cancelled without notice or rescheduling. No repairs were performed despite the issues being raised during the warranty period. This prevented reasonable repair attempts and allowed the defects to persist. Current Nonconformities and Repair History The same or substantially similar defects continue and have worsened: • Recurring misalignment/alignment issues from delivery, impairing value and potentially safety. • Safety-related camera system failures: Persistent error codes on the camera(s) [specify if known, e.g., front/rear/ADAS-related], reducing visibility and affecting safe operation (e.g., backup, navigation, Autopilot/FSD if equipped). These are known Tesla issues potentially subject to recall (e.g., rearview camera display loss). • Power windows failure: Unresolved for at least 2 weeks despite service request; windows do not operate properly, impairing use and safety (e.g., emergency egress). Cumulative out-of-service time and failed repair attempts (including the obstructed initial one) meet or approach presumptions under § 1793.22(b): multiple attempts for the same nonconformities, with safety impacts. The vehicle remains nonconforming despite reasonable opportunity for Tesla to repair. nonconformities in the above vehicle that qualify it as a “lemon” under California Civil Code §§ 1793.2(d) and 1793.22 (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act). These defects originated at delivery, were reported within the express warranty period, but Tesla failed to repair them—by deleting my original service complaint, annotating delivery issues without resolution, and cancelling the associated appointment—preventing conformity to warranty. The same issues persist and recur post-warranty expiration, substantially impairing the vehicle’s use, value, and safety

NHTSA ID

11713524

Incident

Oct 16, 2025

This is a new one but not new for me as this vehicle was the first under my own registration/not rental. Had passenger in car and with music down the passenger heard a very clear odd word which I can only assume was its desire, we declined. This is the umpteenth of many odd and offensive remarks that can cause odd distortion to within the immersive sound system and was what I previously attributed to rental vehicle blue tooths or dysfunctional family raising. Its offensive, distracting, and sometime low-level so unhealthy. Im awaiting the response from tesla but it should be documented as ive seen ISAC section on this website, and ive dealt with it since 2018 , and ended up having to put boxing gloves in my trunk for potentially violent followers trying to pair and talk obscene. Im not sure what but its been confirmed and im awaiting the reply from manufacturer.

NHTSA ID

11705606

Incident

Dec 16, 2025

The steering was hard to turn, and the fully supervised driving mode didn't work. This has happened twice, and both times the issue went away on its own after a few minutes. I performed a soft reset both times, but it did not resolve the issue. The first time, the steering was very heavy, i.e., hard to turn. The second time was less difficult, but in both cases, FSD (Full Self-Driving) did not function. General Guideline questions: 1. The steering system malfunctioned. The car is available for inspection. 2. The car was very difficult to drive. I was able to turn the wheel, but I won't let my wife drive it. 3. No. The nearest service center is 90 miles away, and so far, they want me to bring the car to them. I am still working to resolve this, as I believe this issue requires mobile service. 4. No inspections have been done. 5. Yes. An alert message on the main display stated: "Alerts - Steering & Braking - Steering assist reduced/Steering may require increased effort."

NHTSA ID

11704827

Incident

Nov 29, 2025

The Tesla FSD performed in a dangerous way. It came into a left lane when a speeding truck was in the lane and nearly hit my car. This occurred on Nov 12 around 5:30 pm near floor and decor at Kolb and Broadway Intersection in Tucson AZ. I engaged FSD to return home in Oro Valley. First the car did not follow straight path going from the parking store lot to make a right trun and enter Kolb road. It made right turn and left turn and then right to Kolb road to turn right. It was a busy time in the evening. When an opening was found it entered Kolb road and then rapidly zig zagged to change lanes to try to enter left turn lane only on Kolb to turn on Broadway. In the left most lane, it did not detect a fast approaching truck. The truck honked, and I took control of the car and sped through the intersection to avoid collision.

NHTSA ID

11699445

Incident

Nov 12, 2025

I was driving on a straight interstate road between 60-70 mph using Full-Self Driving around 4:15pm and there was no traffic in front, behind, or next to me. Suddenly, the car tried to make a sharp right turn that felt like more than an obstacle avoidant move or lane keeping move. I had to grab the wheel even harder than I was (my hands were fortunately on the wheel) and force it back into the lane. If i did not make this intervention, I would've gone off the road and crashed.

NHTSA ID

11698029

Incident

Nov 6, 2025

I love my vehicle and its technology. However after installation of the latest (FSD V14) update, I observed issues I believe pose a risk to the safe operation of the vehicle. I have made dozens of reports for 30+ days to Tesla for these issues. 1. Driving Profiles and Speed The update features multiple driving profiles (e.g., "Sloth", "Chill", "Standard", and Mad Max). Only the "Sloth" profile drives at the “speed limit” (what their outdated map thinks speed limit is). All other profiles drive over the posted speed limit (sometimes significantly). The ability to manually adjust the speed limit setting has been removed or disabled in these profiles. Once the vehicle is in a profile, the system stays in its own selected speed. This behavior prevents the driver from easily controlling the maximum speed when using the system, undermining driver-intent. 2. Incorrect or Outdated Speed Limit Data The vehicle frequently displays incorrect speed limits: for example, school zones, reduced speed zones, temporary speed changes, work zones, and even a busy high way I drive everyday that’s been changed for 3 months now, are often not recognized or updated in the system. On several occasions over the past months, the system continued to use an outdated or incorrect posted speed, despite the road clearly being a lower limit. Because the system uses the erroneous speed data as the basis for its automated driving decision (and without manual override of speed in FSD), this situation increases risk-especially in areas where lower speed limits are enforced for safety (pedestrian zones, near schools). 3. Safety Risk Description The lack of manual speed adjustment under autonomous mode means the driver has less control over vehicle speed when using FSD, reducing the driver's ability to mitigate risk in a dynamic environment. I’m asking for Tesla to either make sure they have constant real time speed limit data, or allow again for manual speed adjusts when in FSD.

NHTSA ID

11696979

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

After upgrading to FSD (sull self driving supervised) v14, The speed limit function HAS BEEN REMOVED. THERE IS NO WAY TO SET A MAX SPEED FOR CRUISE CONTROL. THE CAR SPEEDS UNSAFELY AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN FSD. THERE IS NO WAY TO CONTROL HOW FAST THE CAR CAN GO. It just "thinks" what speed is best. It constantly speeds 7-10 over in every setting above "SLOTH". SLOTH setting still DOES NOT have a speed limit setting. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING A MAX SPEED SETTING.

NHTSA ID

11695786

Incident

Oct 24, 2025

In the New Tesla update to Full Self Drive they removed the ability to adjust the speed control while using FSD yet state "Note: You are responsible for the speed and control of your vehicle at all times, whether FSD (Supervised) is enabled or not."

NHTSA ID

11695166

Incident

Oct 23, 2025

On [XXX] at approximately [XXX], I was driving northbound on [XXX] in Phoenix, Arizona in my 2025 Tesla Model 3 using Tesla's Full Self Driving (FSD) (Supervised) mode, when the incident occurred. I was paying close attention while driving in the left-most, non-HOV lane coming up to a bend just before the [XXX] overpass, when I noticed traffic ahead slowing down and coming to a stop. I monitored FSD as it went through the act of braking; however, it seemed to wait a little longer than I would have expected before it actually started to brake, and when it did, the FSD system had to brake more aggressively than I've previously experienced. As it neared the end of the braking event (while the car was still moving), the FSD system disengaged itself without any input from me (neither by manually applying the brake pedal, applying torque to the steering wheel, or pressing the FSD button). When the FSD system disengaged itself, my vehicle continued forward. Had I not been paying attention, my vehicle would have collided with the rear end of the vehicle in front of me. Since I was paying close attention, I immediately slammed on the brakes after noticing that FSD had disengaged itself. I have dashcam footage of this event from the TeslaCam system; however, it does not include audio or telemetry data. Even without that, you can see in the video that my car noses down while FSD applies the brakes, then noses up when FSD disengages itself, and then noses down again when I apply the brakes manually. (The dashcam footage exceeds the 20MB limit; however, I can provide it via other means upon request.) It should be noted that I am an experienced Tesla FSD user, as I used it for over a year in my prior vehicle (2018 Tesla Model 3, which had been upgraded with the HW3 FSD computer), and this is the first time I have ever experienced a near collision event while using FSD or an event in which FSD disengaged on its own. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11693723

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Tesla Model 3 2025, FSD V13.2.9, red light violation: Video enclosed: [XXX] It just happened and I have no more information can provide. Apparently FSD didn't warn me that it will run a red light. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11692348

Incident

Oct 9, 2025

Vehicle self drove took quick into an off ramp and took flight on cattle guard into a pole. The vehicle never attempted to make a emergency stop and no air bags deployed

NHTSA ID

11692315

Incident

Oct 7, 2025

I want to add an update to my previous report # 11690629. I think it would be helpful to provide what the Max Speed should be based on my input. So, I will just resubmit the previous report with some additional information. On December 31, 2024, I purchased a new Tesla Model 3 Long Range with Full Self-Driving (FSD). The problem is the car goes faster than it should when Full Self-Driving is activated. I have attached an example photo of the Tesla screen taken while the car is being controlled by FSD. It shows the actual speed limit of the road is 35 MPH, and the car is traveling at a steady speed of 51 MPH. It also shows a “Max Speed” of 64 MPH which means the car may travel that fast on this road if it chooses to. Since I use an Offset of 10%, the Max Speed in this 35 zone should be 39 MPH. However, the car increased it to 64 MPH, and I certainly did not use the right scroll wheel to increase it. This is clearly a safety issue which can lead to accidents. Tesla has made 5 attempts to fix this without success. On the last attempt (September 24, 2025), they refused to answer my questions such as: Why does the Max Speed suddenly change to a value much higher than my specification? They simply stated that the system was operating as designed. Really? It’s design to drive 51 MPH in a 35 MPH zone? Furthermore, they went on to say I should disengage the FSD system or intervene manually if I believe the car is operating in an unsafe manner. One reason I purchased this car was for FSD. I would expect them to fix it rather than my having to abandon this feature that I pay for. I hope you will encourage Tesla to fix this issue before there are any more FSD-related accidents.

NHTSA ID

11690655

Incident

Aug 20, 2025

On December 31, 2024, I purchased a new Tesla Model 3 Long Range with Full Self-Driving (FSD). The problem is the car goes faster than it should when Full Self-Driving is activated. I have attached an example photo of the Tesla screen taken while the car is being controlled by FSD. It shows that the speed limit of the road is 35 MPH, and the car is traveling at a steady speed of 51 MPH. It also shows a “Max Speed” of 64 MPH which means the car may travel that fast on this road if it chooses to. This is clearly a safety issue which can lead to accidents. Tesla has made 5 attempts to fix this without success. On the last attempt (September 24, 2025), they refused to answer my questions such as: Why does the Max Speed suddenly change to a value much higher than my specification? They simply stated that the system was operating as designed. Really? It’s design to drive 51 MPH in a 35 MPH zone? Furthermore, they went on to say I should disengage the FSD system or intervene manually if I believe the car is operating in an unsafe manner. One reason I purchased this car was for FSD. I would expect them to fix it rather than my having to abandon this feature that I pay for. I hope you will encourage Tesla to fix this issue before there are any more FSD-related accidents.

NHTSA ID

11690629

Incident

Aug 20, 2025

On September 7, 2025 at ~7:53 PM, my 2025 Tesla Model 3 operating with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged performed an aggressive, uncommanded turn while under computer control. The maneuver occurred so abruptly that I could not safely override steering before impact, and a crash resulted. The Tesla app Trip View for Trip 3 (7:34–7:53 PM) shows “Vehicle on FSD” for 18 min 54 sec and records an “Aggressive Turning” event at 7:53 PM (2.0 sec) immediately before the trip ended (screenshot attached). This reflects a steering/driver-assist control defect in FSD’s turning behavior and a failure of collision-mitigation to prevent the crash. I sustained bodily injuries and the vehicle incurred significant damage. I request that this incident be treated as a safety-critical malfunction warranting investigation and corrective action.

NHTSA ID

11686758

Incident

Sep 7, 2025

The car was parked in a campground for a night and several systems issues came up, including traction control disabled, steer assistant disabled, staibility control disabled, and the car was keeping accelerating even though I did not step on the accelerate pedal. The acceleration was out of control. This was happening in a remote area when we drove half way out of the campground to a city. We called the Tesla roadside help and they just told us they could not help because it was too late to find a toll provider and we were left in the middle of nowhere and no help. We searched Google and found a few very similar issues on Tesla cars that had been reported. We don't know what happened but those issues just disappeared themselves in the next morning and we have not get the chance to send it a service center for further investigation. We are certain that this is very serious safety issue and the car was basically out of control.

NHTSA ID

11684553

Incident

Aug 31, 2025