Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 Tesla Model Y submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 145 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 145, in the owner's own words
The vehicle FSD drove towards to closed toll roads and hit the gates . None of the vehicle safety feature worked . There’s over $3k damage and some scars due to the shedding windshield glasses
I was driving a 2020 Tesla Model Y with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged when another vehicle unexpectedly turned into my path, resulting in a heavy initial collision. However, the most critical safety failures occurred immediately after this first impact: FSD Failure to Disengage: Despite the severe physical impact of the collision, the Tesla FSD system completely failed to detect the crash or automatically disengage. It did not apply the brakes. Instead, the system continued to actively propel the vehicle forward for approximately 5 to 10 meters, steering it directly into a concrete traffic median and causing a severe secondary collision. -Airbag Non-Deployment: Despite enduring two distinct physical impacts—the initial crash and the secondary median collision which resulted in a broken axle—none of the airbags deployed to protect the cabin. -The vehicle was rendered a total loss. It has been inspected by the responding police officer (who cited the other driver for the initial crash) and my insurance company's total loss adjusters. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. A driver assistance system that continues to independently drive a vehicle after a structural crash, coupled with a complete failure of airbag deployment, poses a severe risk of further injury or fatalities to the occupants and the public. Tesla Customer Service has opened an internal investigation , but I am filing this report directly with NHTSA because a driver assistance system that continues to independently drive a vehicle after a structural crash, coupled with a complete failure of passive safety deployment, represents a catastrophic safety defect. I urge NHTSA to investigate Tesla’s FSD post-collision disengagement protocols and airbag sensor reliability to prevent future fatalities. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The vehicle is experiencing an active, recurring safety hazard caused by a manufacturer software bug that triggers unprovoked alignment parameter and steering angle plausibility resets. This defect directly compromises the vehicle’s primary handling characteristics and stability control systems. This specific firmware vulnerability is officially documented and acknowledged by the manufacturer under Tesla Internal Toolbox Article 8368100. The unprovoked resetting of steering and alignment parameters degrades the vehicle's driving stability, alters steering feedback, and can cause sudden, unexpected disengagements of advanced driver-assistance systems (Autopilot/FSD). This sudden loss of driver assist functionality and changes to steering plausibility while operating at highway speeds pose a severe, immediate risk of a crash or loss of vehicle control. Tesla's standard remedy for this defect is a newer firmware deployment (branch .32 or later). However, due to a severe firmware gap, the vehicle's automated Over-The-Air (OTA) download architecture is corrupted, consistently freezing and failing mid-stream at precise milestones (50%, 67%, and 83%). While non-critical data packets (such as Map and Navigation updates) download successfully, the core safety-critical OS update cannot be processed over the air. Tesla Service has been formally notified of the active safety hazard and the corresponding internal technical article (Toolbox Article 8368100). Because the vehicle's automated OTA path is blocked by a software-induced cache loop, a physical, local hardware tether via Tesla Toolbox is required to bypass the download block. Tesla Service has refused to perform this critical safety patch or tether the vehicle unless the consumer pays an out-of-pocket, mandatory "formal diagnostic fee." Forcing a consumer to pay a fee to resolve a documented, manufacturer-created code defect that compromises steering safety constitutes a failure to remediate a known safety hazard.
Critical FSD Lane Change - 2020 Tesla Model Y Software 2026.26.6.5 and FSD v14.1 Lite changed lanes suddenly and violently at freeway speed while entering an express lane with flexible lane delineators between the express lanes and the freeway. The automation made the lane change at the very last second, narrowly avoiding impact with the plastic posts, and swerving back into the left-most freeway lane. The action of the FSD could have caused a loss of control of the vehicle as it compensated for the weight shift caused by suddenly swerving. There was space between the Tesla and other vehicles at the time but this could have been catastrophic with only slight changes to the road condition etc... Reported to Tesla FSD Beta team. No known failures, warning lights or other issues with the car.
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)
This is about a 2020 Tesla Model Y, with HardWare3 (HW3) Full-Self-Driving (FSD) feature. The older HW3 FSD-enabled Model Y cars started getting the new "v14 Lite" FSD updates recently - I got mine a few days ago. I immediately noticed a safety concern with the v14 Lite. Previous versions of FSD allowed me to set the maximum speed that the car would drive in the FSD mode - I can adjust it using the "wheel button" on my right thumb on the steering wheel, and the car would not exceed the maximum speed I choose. However, after the update to v14 Lite, the wheel button no longer controlled the maximum speed. Instead, it controlled the "speed profile" ("Sloth", "Chill", "Standard", "Hurry" are the options in my car). Regularly in highway driving, even in the Standard mode, the car would speed up to go well past the speed limit, more than 10mph over the speed limit, seemingly to match the speed of the rest of the traffic (69mph on a 55mph highway). This felt very uncomfortable. I tried to adjust the max speed down like I was used to, but the car instead switched to a different profile, "Chill", and rapidly slowed down to 4mph below the speed limit (51mph in this case=. The speed reduction was so sudden that it also felt dangerous (car behind me would have to break quickly to not hit me), and I didn't want to be driving well below the speed limit (also dangerous). Under "Self Driving" settings menu, there is also a feature called "Speed Limit", that used to allow you to set the "default" speed limit for FSD driving (for instance, +3mph above the speed limit). You can adjust it up and down with the right thumb wheel beyond that, but it set the default basic max speed limit for FSD. After the v14 Lite update, the FSD completely ignores this speed limit, and happily accelerates well beyond that. Not it seems like the "speed limit" feature is simply for warning the driver to not exceed the pre-determined speed limit when controlling the car. FSD simply ignores it.
My Tesla Model Y 2020 (VIN: [XXX] ) is stuck on software version 2023.44.1 for more than 2 years and has four incomplete NHTSA safety recalls: • 23V838 – Autosteer driver monitoring improvements • 24V051 – Brake/Park/ABS warning font size too small • 24V153 – Muted Pedestrian Warning System • 24V554 – Hood not detected as unlatched Tesla Service in the Baltic region and Tesla Service in Warsaw (Poland) both refused to deliver the required OTA safety recall updates. They classified the vehicle as “unsupported” because it is a US-market vehicle located in Latvia. I am unable to bring the vehicle to any Tesla Service Center. Tesla is not fulfilling its legal obligation to provide the free safety recall remedies. Please require Tesla to deliver the updates or provide a proper solution. Attached: screenshots of refusals from Tesla Service (Baltic + Warsaw). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The full self-driving (FSD) stopped working although it was fully paid for at the time of vehicle purchase. Along with that, the car stopped receiving/installing over the air software updates, the lane markings in the display disappeared, and the automatic cancelling turn signals stopped working (requiring me to manually cancel them). I took it to Tesla service and was told that the car needs a new computer at a cost of approximately $2,300. To answer the bullet points above: 1. The main vehicle computer malfunctioned. 2. I paid for FSD for the safety it provides - without FSD, the car is simply less safe in traffic. 3. The Tesla service center confirmed that the vehicle computer has malfunctioned. 4. There was no indication of any kind, until suddenly the FSD stopped working and I noticed subsequently that downloading/installing software updates failed, lane markings disappeared, and automatic cancelling turn signals stopped working requiring manual operation.
Car was on complete auto pilot on mayland highway 270 and car suddenly took exit with any command and notification. Car was very close , few feet away from the guardrail at 55 mile per hour. This could have been a life threatening event with such decisions made by car. I saved all the dash cam videos of such two occurrence. I no longer have any trust in auto pilot software after too many mishaps with recent updates.
On Tuesday, [XXX], around [XXX] returning home and in my driveway when the following happened. Pulling into the left side of the driveway because a utility van was parked on the right side of the driveway with the rear door and driver’s side door opened with no one in the vicinity. There was not enough room to go forward into the garage. I was almost at a complete stop with the intention of getting out of the car to shut the drivers side door. That was when the car sped up at full speed and turned to the right into the van and continued in the right direction into the garage. The car was headed to the right back corner of the garage smashing into paint cans, a freezer, sink and cabinets. I had no control over the car from the time the car sped up and smashed into the back of the garage and it all happened in a matter of a few seconds. The vehicle has been totaled by the insurance company. This incident was recorded in the vehicle’s computer. The police department was called the same day and a police officer came to the house to record the incident. The car was towed to Gerber Collision & Glass, 10491 Corkscrew Commons Dr., Estero, FL 33928, phone (239) 947-6050. The car computer system should have recorded the event. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My Advance Driving assist (FSD for Tesla) stop working randomly. Adaptive Cruse control stoped working, forward collision stopped working. Backup camera randomly disconnect when parking. All of this happened right after a software update. I have contacted Tesla several times. They quoted me $2,666.96 to address the issue. Isn't this a Safety feature of the Car Specially when I paid $10,000.00 extra when I purchase the car to have FSD? All of the advanced driving assistance and collision warning stopped working as well.
After installing Software version 2024.45.25.15 (Full Self Driving software 12.6.2) on my 2020 Tesla Model Y with Autopilot Hardware v3, I experienced unsafe behavior by the autopilot/automatic safety system. On my second drive after the software update, I was unable to engage the autopilot system. Two “Phantom” cars appeared on the full self driving visualization. One “phantom” vehicle was on the left side of the vehicle in my blind spot. A second “phantom” vehicle was shown about 20 feet ahead and 50 feet to the left of my vehicle. (See screen shots). When I attempted to turn left, the automatic lane keep and blind spot warnings took over and attempted to avoid the phantom vehicle. I was able to override the system, but it caused repeated alarms and attempts to move the vehicle back into the lane.
On drives longer than 40 miles, camera faults cause cruise control systems to degrade in function and then when the faults are cleared, full functionality resumes without driver alerts. Side repeater camera feeds and rear camera feeds inconsistently load, or take an extended time period to load (10+ seconds). Tesla has confirmed that the autopilot computer (HW3) likely needs to be replaced, but this error/messaging is not directly accessible to the customer. The inconsistent failure behavior of the vehicle could easily lead less technical owners/drivers to incorrectly interpret how the car is behaving. The only message you receive while driving could be that 'cruise control is not available', and 'automatic emergency braking unavailable' with a message that the features may be restored later in the drive. My coworker has a 2022 Model Y and the same component failed on his vehicle and needed to be replaced under an extended warranty that was purchased from Tesla. I'm unsure how widespread the failure of this critical safety system is; we both purchased FSD and both had the same component fail and need replaced. I don't personally know others who own this vehicle with the FSD package to know for sure.
After being parked on a suburban street for about 3 hours, our Tesla Model Y experienced a complete loss of power-steering assist, requiring extreme hand-over-hand effort to turn the wheel and making it dangerous to drive. Warnings of "Steering assist reduced" and "Lane departure avoidance features unavailable" appeared on the display. After a 3-week wait, we finally got the vehicle to Tesla service, who diagnosed the issue and claimed that it was due to "...rodent damage to steering rack harness". They claim to have repaired the damage and the vehicle is again usable. Repair bill was $990. I have the vehicle and it is available for inspection. I cannot verify cause of the issue nor the repairs as they are not visible without a partial disassembly of the vehicle. No parts were returned to me (as I requested), so I must assume that none were actually replaced.
I own a 2020 Tesla Y with Hardware version 3 and after a few weeks of a free trial, purchased Tesla's Full Self-Driving Software (FSD) version 12.3.6. Since then, the FSD software was updated to version 12.5.4 and then 12.5.4.1. FSD version 12.3.6 had some safety issues. But version 12.5.4 and 12.5.4.1 has had more issues that have resulted in nearly having accidents that I have had to suddenly avoid. FSD version 12.3.6 issues: 1. Wandering outside of center yellow dividing stripes when on a curvy two-lane roadway 2. Failing to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn and oncoming traffic was not clearly in view due to a curvy two-lane road 3. Attempting to make a left turn into a busy intersection when the turn signal was still red FSD version 12.5.4 and 12.5.4.1 additional issues: 1. Attempting to enter a two-lane roadway from a stop sign, when the perpendicular traffic was active and they had no stop sign, requiring me to slam on the brakes. 2. Sudden and erratic braking on a two-lane roadway, including directly under a signal, when no objects, people or other vehicles were in front of me, which nearly resulted in the vehicle behind me hitting me in the rear 3. Software sending a tone and screen alert to grab the steering wheel immediately, due to a "System Failure." 4. Software sending a tone and screen alert that to grab the steering wheel immediately, due to "one or more cameras blocked," when no cameras were blocked.
I have Tesla’s FSD software that consistently tries to enter closed highway ramps where the flags, lights and barriers are clearly marked as “do not enter”. I have reported this to Tesla a dozen times with no improvement or response. I’m sure there will be retaliation for this but I am sick and tired of swerving to avoid a fatal collision. Too many other safety issues with FSD to document.
The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH in rainy weather, the vehicle inadvertently spun in circles, and he lost control of the vehicle. The contact took his foot off the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle crashed into an embankment and then spun twice before inadvertently driving into the forest and coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact and his father, who was a passenger, were uninjured. There was no medical attention received. The vehicle was first towed to the tow yard, and then the insurance company had it towed to the salvage yard, where it was deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the local dealer for the computer data. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
we were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our vehicle. We are asking that you please look into this safety matter. (Especially since you are part of the push to have us own electric cars, they need to be safe for us). I do not know how much longer the Tesla will be available to inspect.
On July 26 2023, FSD, camera and navigation were working fine untill i was told to update software in my car. Then the next day everything stop working. I could not use navigation, crusie control, FSD, and all cameras. So, I brought in service to check but they could not fix the issue and want to replace car computer which i have to pay for the issue i did not cause. This is unresponsible that i got it from them. I am not sure if this manufacter defect or firmware issue that cause it. But this is not something that i have ability to cause it. Now with this safey recall i could not update software since there is no option for to do so.
I am writing to formally file a complaint against Tesla, Inc. concerning a significant issue that has arisen following a software update issued to Model Y and Model 3 vehicles in early December. I am a Tesla Model Y owner, and following this update, I have experienced complete failure of critical vehicle systems including cameras, navigation, lane departure warnings, auto braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, windshield wipers, self-driving features, and car location data. The malfunction of these essential features not only compromises the safety and functionality of the vehicle but also indicates a severe underlying problem with the vehicle's computer system. The cost to replace the affected computer in my vehicle amounted to $2,400. However, upon reviewing discussions on Tesla forums, I have discovered that this is not an isolated incident; numerous other owners are facing similar failures, with some repair bills exceeding $3,000. Given the widespread nature of these issues and their chronological association with the December software update, there appears to be a high correlation between the update and the catastrophic failure of the vehicle computers. The financial burden of these repairs has unjustly fallen on consumers, although it is my belief that Tesla should be held accountable for these failures, given the direct link to their software update. I urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoroughly. It is critical to ascertain whether the December software update directly caused the failures of the vehicle's computer systems and to ensure that Tesla takes appropriate responsibility for the safety and reliability of their vehicles. This includes compensating owners for the costs incurred due to these failures and implementing measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.
The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while reversing at low speed from his driveway, the accelerator pedal inadvertently depressed into the floorboard, resulting in sudden unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle struck two other parked vehicles in another driveway before crashing into a residence. The residents were not injured. The contact sustained a fractured neck, and shoulder pain from his seat belt, and head pain from striking the steering wheel. The contact's front passenger sustained a bruised shoulder, and the rear passenger, who was laying down on the rear seats, rolled over during impact and hit the rear seats, sustaining back and leg pain. The contact and his passengers were transported by ambulance to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that after reviewing the event data recorder (EDR), the data showed that the contact had his foot depressed on the accelerator pedal during the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Failure of all cameras, gps, and lane keeping system. It is available for inspection. It occurred after software update was pushed to the car. Tesla service has seen the vehicle and says that the internal computer has a fault and needs to be replaced. Yet, oddly enough, there are a lot of identical failures reported in Tesla owner forums. Around the same time as my failure in mid-December 2023. No prior indication of computer failure occurred. And the computer is still operational for items not related to the cameras and GPS. Safety concerns: The rear windshield has limited visibility, which is not an issue when the cameras are functioning. The safety notification when changing lanes does not work without the cameras and sensors. The lane keeping and adaptive cruise control do not work without the cameras and sensors. Tesla should investigate if a software update they sent over the air created the problem with cameras and lane keeping assist.
The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V838000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was driving at an undisclosed mph up a driveway with autopilot on, the contact engaged autosteer by veering to the left before the vehicle crashed into the mailbox. There were no injuries and no police report. The lane departure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Collision Center to be diagnosed. The technician stated the following components failed, steering, the land departure warning, and the avoidance warning, however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
All the cameras in the vehicle are inoperable which causes autopilot not to work. The lane assist feature of the vehicle has stopped working. Driver has to constantly adjust to keep the vehicle from veering into traffic. The navigational system in the vehicle does not work. These safety issues require Tesla's immediate attention as this may lead to a fatal accident.
The incident happened on October 23, 2023 at 3:02 PM. The car is being parked between two vehicles and the car triggered automatic emergency breaking, after the emergency breaking there were error on screen about “Automatic Emergency Breaking Unavailable, ABS disabled and Automatic vehicles hold disabled”. After seeing this error on screen the car did sudden uncontrolled acceleration which caused it to crash in to buildings. I have contacted Tesla to investigate this issue, provided error message and vedio recordings of the incident. After two months investigation, I have been told they did not find issue in the car and can’t go any further details to explain error on screen, sudden emergency stop and sudden acceleration on the car. The car has been deemed total by the insurance company. I would like to share my data with you so proper investigation can be done and prevent similar situation in future.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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