Automatic Emergency Braking Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 1

My Tesla was operating under fsd at 9pm on a dark country road. I was traveling at 45mph and vehicle randomly applied hard emergency braking and I had to take over. It appeared that the vehicle may have been responding to a dark oil stain or possibly a mailbox. Had another vehicle been closely behind me, there would’ve been a collision.

After Tesla pushed software update 2026. 20. 6. 11 or “fsd 14 lite” the self driving feature stopped functioning. Also all of the driver assistance safety features stopped working at the same time, forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection have all stopped working as well. It appears one of the two “self driving” ecu was damaged or disabled by the update. Without these features the drive is not notified in advance of a collision and the emergency braking does not function to stop the car. The car is awaiting inspection and repair by the manufacturer.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Date: xxx, time: 5. 09. 2026 state: [xxx] location: [xxx] we were on full self service driving mode a [xxx] came and hit my car in the passenger side behind the front wheel and front buffer. We were on left/fast moving lane and two semi-trucks were in the right lanes slight ahead of us (one had overweight sign). Something came out of the direction of trucks and hit our car with a big sound (moving object). When we stopped and checked the car later, it was evident that the damage was a sizable, it would have been something solid or heavy. Our concern is the Tesla was on full self driving mode, and it did not generate any alert, recording or more importantly, it did not break, change the driving direction nor try to avoid being hit by the object. This diminishes the reliability of Tesla fsd and raises serious safety concerns. We are in the process of filling insurance claim. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

My 2022 Tesla Model 3 long range has developed a failure of the autopilot/adas computer. The ap computer remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The vehicle operated normally before software update 2026. 26. 6. Following the update, driving visualization and autopilot began going offline, along with automatic headlights, automatic turn signals, emergency braking, collision and traffic warnings. The failures have continued despite software/firmware reinstall, das reset, camera calibration, and hard reset. Tesla service inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the ap computer is defective and recommended replacement at approximately $2,600. I paid $120 for Tesla's diagnostic assessment. Service mode has recorded repeated ap watchdog/kernel-panic events, including aps_w169_turboa_scs_lkup, aps_w134_appmia, aps_w135_appcritical, and pm_a041_dasmia. The vehicle has also recorded simultaneous exits of multiple camera streams, sometimes causing camera feeds to go black while driving. Service mode has shown the ap ecu in coreboot/init, intermittent loss of communication between the ap ecu and infotainment ecu, missing gnss ethernet communication, and unavailable ap temperature telemetry. This creates a safety concern because multiple safety-related driver-assistance and camera-dependent systems can unexpectedly become unavailable while driving. The vehicle remains manually drivable, but the driver must unexpectedly operate without previously available functions. The failure can also affect automatic headlights and turn signals, requiring manual operation. I am reporting this as a potential safety defect because multiple adas/camera systems fail simultaneously and the ap computer repeatedly crashes/reboots. The failure began after a software update, although Tesla has stated that some alerts predated the update. Due to the gps board contacting the autopilot first before the infotainment, precise location is off and navigation is unavailable.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

My car randomly gave me alerts that my steering alignment fault then came the following two days later automatic emergency braking is unavailable feature may be restored on next drive 20:55 | di_a246 automatic vehicle hold disabled use brake pedal when stopping 20:55 | di_a223 traction control disabled drive with caution 20:55 | app_w264 lane departure avoidance features unavailable features may be restored on next drive 20:55 | di_a222 stability control disabled. I take my car to a mechanic and they show me that my lower control arms are damaged. Tesla is more than 2 weeks out for something that has caused my car to act completely unsafe and not normal.

I getting the Tesla phantom braking almost every week.

I have been driving Tesla using fsd from [xxx] to [xxx] and passing [xxx] (xxx around 5 pm). We took an exit for rest room break near gas station. As soon as car took exit using fsd, the car completely stopped suddenly in the middle of the road without any reason and warning. There was not any rain, visibility issue or driver distraction. There was not any alert or recording. As far as I remember, there was not a vehicle on the front 100ft. It was on a small bridge. My family was in the car (with [xxx]). This was a scary moment (had it happened on the highway or a vehicle behind crash) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

Incident involving my 2026 Tesla Model 3 equipped with hw4 hardware and the latest fsd (supervised) software. During a garage reverse maneuver performed under fsd supervision, the vehicle had sufficient time to assess the surrounding environment before initiating the maneuver. There were no pedestrians or moving obstacles nearby. An adjacent parked vehicle was present next to the intended reversing path. During the maneuver, the vehicle made initial contact with the adjacent vehicle. At no point did the vehicle provide any collision warning, alert, or indication that a collision had occurred. After the initial contact, the vehicle continued moving and a second impact occurred shortly afterward, resulting in additional damage. Immediately after the second impact, the driver intervened and took control of the vehicle to stop the maneuver, before further damage is caused. My main concerns are: 1. Why did fsd fail to identify the adjacent vehicle before the maneuver? 2. Why was no collision warning provided before or after the initial contact? 3. Why did the vehicle continue the reversing maneuver after the first impact instead of stopping till driver intervention? 4. What if is pediatrician who qualify ada, children, elder was in the position of the adjacent vehicle, this failed sensing would cause imparable result. I would appreciate a technical review of this event and a detailed explanation of Tesla’s findings.

The vehicle was purchased pre-owned directly from Tesla. On the day of pickup and five days later, while operating on full self-driving (fsd), the vehicle phantom-braked abruptly and then dangerously accelerated through a solid red light into cross-traffic intersections. The driver had to forcefully override the vehicle to prevent a crash. Tesla service center was notified but dismissed the issue, performing only a camera recalibration and charging a fee. Following the service appointment, the red-light running behavior stopped, but the vehicle continues to suffer from aggressive, sudden phantom braking multiple times on every single trip, creating a severe and continuous risk of a rear-end collision on public highways.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The forward-facing camera and autopilot computer system on my 2021 Tesla Model 3 has failed. The dashboard first showed intermittent warnings that "automatic emergency braking is currently unavailable" and "adaptive headlight features are unavailable. " over several weeks the problem worsened from intermittent to constant, and the vehicle progressively lost its forward road visualization and all active safety features. Using the vehicle's service mode diagnostics, the autopilot computer's primary (a) processing node reports a "critical" status. The fault log records repeated alerts including dasmia (driver-assistance system not responding), aebfault (automatic emergency braking fault), and fisheyecaminitfault and fisheyecamerastreamexit (forward camera initialization and stream failures). The cameras themselves are physically clean and unobstructed. Safety risk: the failure disables automatic emergency braking and forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping/driver assistance, and the adaptive auto high-beam headlights. Aeb is a critical crash-avoidance system; losing it leaves the vehicle unable to brake automatically for an imminent collision, and the loss of adaptive headlights reduces nighttime visibility. A Tesla service center inspected the vehicle, confirmed the diagnosis, and determined the autopilot computer — a sealed, solid-state control unit — had failed and required full replacement at approximately $3,400. The vehicle is well under 50,000 miles. This failure appears consistent with the same car-computer power-component shorting failure for which Tesla issued a recall on its newer model-year vehicles. The vehicle and the failed component are available for inspection on request. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The vehicle's full self-driving (fsd) system was actively controlling the vehicle while executing a reverse maneuver into a residential garage — a routine the system had successfully performed on multiple prior occasions. During this session, the fsd system misjudged the maneuver and the vehicle struck the wall of the garage, causing damage. The failed component is the fsd software/sensor system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety was put at risk because the system was in full control of vehicle movement in a confined space. The unexpected behavior did not provide sufficient time for the supervising driver to intervene before impact. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior to the failure. The system gave no indication it would behave differently from previous successful executions of the same maneuver. The incident has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or inspected by the manufacturer, though a vehicle incident data report has been requested from Tesla.

Pantom braking happening frequently after latest software update. Fsd version 12. 6. 4 software version 2026. 8. 6 happening on single lane road.

I was involved in a collision while driving my 2019 Tesla Model 3. The incident occurred on April 2nd 2026 in [xxx] prior to the collision, the vehicle was operating normally the crash resulted in damage to the front driver-side of the vehicle, including a destroyed headlight and body panel damage. At the time of the incident, weather and traffic was light and normal. The vehicle was set and supposed to head straight when suddenly at the intersection it jerked right and headed straight into another vehicle. I attempted to take control but was unable to due to resistance on the wheel and how quickly the incident occurred. There was no warning or emergency braking which should've also been expected from my Tesla. I am submitting this report to document a potential safety concern and request review. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

The components involved are the automatic emergency braking (aeb) system and the airbag system. During the collision, the aeb system did not activate, and the airbags did not deploy. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I was driving on a main roadway with no stop signs or traffic controls in my direction when another driver entered from a side street with a stop sign and pulled directly in front of me. I was unable to avoid the collision, and my vehicle was struck the other vehicle. The failure of the aeb system to engage and the airbags not deploying increased the risk of injury to myself and could have posed a risk to others involved. The issue has not been reproduced, and it has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle has been inspected by police and insurance representatives. The other driver was determined to be at fault. I am in the process of addressing the incident with the manufacturer. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms indicating any issue with the braking or airbag systems before the collision.

On March 21, 2026, the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking (aeb) and traffic-aware cruise control (tacc), suffered a severe "phantom braking" failure. While driving, the vehicle engaged in a violent, full-force emergency brake application without any external hazard or driver input. This unprompted deceleration caused the seatbelt to exert extreme pressure and trauma on my abdomen. As I was [xxx] pregnant, this abrupt stop was medically treated as a high-force accident. The trauma caused pregnancy abnormalities, requiring a 20-hour hospital admission for observation and fetal monitoring. I contacted Tesla customer service multiple times. Initially, I was told a service check was necessary, but the service center stated they could not provide assistance for "automatic behavior" issues. A corporate representative (angel) admitted the vehicle should have been flagged for a formal medical claim and instructed me not to visit the service center. Despite this, I took the vehicle to the service center on April 15, 2026. Technicians confirmed they had no findings or solutions regarding the phantom braking event. No warning lamps, audible alerts, or system messages appeared prior to the failure. Upon requesting the vehicle data logs for the date of the incident, I noticed that the specific timeframe of the event was "missing" from the record. The manufacturer cited a VIN-matching error as the cause for the data gap. On April 20, 2026, Tesla corporate denied that a claim had ever been filed and stated they would not take responsibility for injuries related to pregnancy or a fetus, claiming these do not meet their internal threshold for medical injury. The vehicle remains available for inspection. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

An incident that occurred while full self-driving (fsd) was engaged. During the drive, the vehicle unexpectedly steered toward the curb while making a right turn. I was actively monitoring the vehicle and immediately took control of the steering, but the vehicle still made contact with the curb. After the incident, the vehicle developed steering misalignment, vibration while driving, and abnormal noise, which suggests possible suspension or wheel damage. Since fsd was engaged at the time, I would appreciate it if Tesla could review the vehicle logs and investigate whether there was any system malfunction or unexpected behavior from the fsd system.

A fatal crash occurred involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle departed the roadway, impacted a guardrail, struck a utility pole on the driver’s side, rolled down an embankment, and came to rest upright. The crash resulted in catastrophic intrusion into the driver’s compartment and a fatal injury to the driver. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the crashworthiness and occupant protection performance of this vehicle, including the structural integrity of the occupant compartment, airbag deployment and effectiveness, and the performance of any advanced driver assistance systems, including collision warnings and automatic emergency braking. I am also requesting review and preservation of all available vehicle data, including event data recorder (edr) information, vehicle telemetry, driver assistance system status, warning notifications, braking data, steering data, and any other information recorded before and during the crash. At this time, I do not know whether a vehicle defect or system malfunction occurred. My concern is whether the vehicle’s safety systems and occupant protection systems functioned as intended and whether additional vehicle data may help determine if any safety-related issues contributed to the severity of the crash.

2024 Tesla Model 3 driving on the turnpike heading south of NJ right between exit 5-6 when my vehicle suddenly and spontaneously spun out into the guardrail, while at the same time the automatic emergency brake was disabled. Weather conditions were slightly rainy, there was no signs of traction issues or alerts regarding any concerns. Luckily no other vehicles were hit. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other of the above questioned. No such warning signs, lamps, or symptoms prior to this failure. I do have the dash cam footage that shows the incident.

The rear camera malfunctions intermittently and causes other errors to happen, like automatic emergency braking unavailable or forward collision warning unavailable. When the camera error happens, it says the camera is unavailable. I took my car to the Tesla dealership three times. The first time, they did a continuity check and said the harness was degraded, and they replaced the harness and the rear camera. A week later, it happened again. The second time they reset the camera calibration and it worked. The day after, it happened again. The car is at the Tesla dealership for the third time (02/20/2026).

While driving at highway speed under normal operating conditions with the accelerator engaged and no braking input, the vehicle suddenly experienced a sustained 6-minute-12-second adas/edr degradation cascade. This included overheat_protect_fanonly activation, repeated aeb_can_state_unavailable toggling, fault 14. 0 brake-signal mismatch, impossible negative brake pressures, and 27+ abs/ebd/esp fault-lamp cycles. No warning lamps, messages, or alerts appeared prior to the cascade. The degradation resulted in loss of braking assist and stability control functions, causing two collision events (right-side t-bone impact followed by curb strike) despite no driver error or input. This failure mode matches the exact adas/edr degradation pattern under active NHTSA engineering analysis ea26002. Full technical details, timestamps, fault logs, sampling gaps, and edr data are provided in the attached narrative pdf and supporting csv files.

The vehicle's fsd system malfunctioned and initiated an unintended reverse toward a closing garage door. To prevent a total-loss event (the door crushing the glass roof and trunk), I was forced to perform an emergency manual takeover. Due to the vehicle's position caused by the malfunction, I had to maneuver through a confined space, resulting in the side-scrape. I am filing this as a malfunction claim because the damage was a direct consequence of the car's autonomous failure.

While driving my Tesla Model 3 with self-driving engaged in excellent conditions, the car suddenly braked to a full stop. There was no apparent reason to do so and the driver did nothing. The road ahead was free of traffic, and no obstacles, pedestrians or animals were visible. It was possible to resume driving by turning self-driving off. Tesla forums online show many instances of others reporting similar problems in various Tesla models over several years. A rear end collision will ultimately be the result of this flaw if it hasn’t yet occurred.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

I was in process of completing a right hand turn, likely doing around 30 - 35 mph, when the vehicle suddenly and significantly applied the brakes, slowing the vehicle almost instantly down to around 12 mph, from what I had noticed. The road was entirely clear of any other vehicles, hazards, pedestrians or cyclists, with exception of a few parked cars along the curbs. There was absolutely no reason for this abrupt braking maneuver, and it is at least the second time it has occurred within the past 11 months, both on a right hand turn. Today's incident jerked my head and neck abruptly, leaving me with a headache. It has undermined my confidence in the vehicle.

The vehicle’s brakes did not work, automatic emergency brakes and collision warning both did not work. I pressed on the brake for about 5 seconds but the brakes did not work, resulting in a collision with the car in front. Everything is available for inspection if needed. Both my safety and the driver of the vehicle in front of me was at risk. The problem has not been confirmed yet. The vehicle is currently at a shop, waiting inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms.

Incident description (in my own words): this incident occurred in the parking lot of the [xxx] in bretton woods, new hampshire. It was evening after sunset. The parking lot was dark but illuminated by overhead parking lights. My Tesla Model 3 headlights and vehicle lights were fully on. I was reversing slowly out of a tight parking space, traveling approximately 2–3 miles per hour. I was intentionally moving cautiously. My attention at the time was focused on the front right corner of the vehicle, as clearance there was tight. While reversing, the rear of my vehicle struck a parked truck behind me. The truck was relatively high (its headlights were positioned high on the vehicle). Neither I nor my passenger heard any rear collision warning, cross-traffic warning, or parking alert prior to impact. The vehicle also did not apply automatic braking. The contact occurred at very low speed and resulted in only minor cosmetic damage (a small dimple/deformation), but I was surprised that no warning or braking intervention occurred. Based on prior experience driving this vehicle, the collision and parking warning systems are typically configured to warn early, and I had confidence that a warning or automatic braking would activate in this scenario. Following the incident, I conducted a simple test by placing cones in front of the vehicle to see whether forward collision warnings would activate. They did not. While I understand cones may not trigger frontal collision alerts, this further contributed to my concern about object detection reliability in low-speed scenarios. The vehicle’s cameras were clean and unobstructed. I regularly clean the camera lenses. I am filing this complaint because my confidence in the vehicle’s collision warning and automatic braking systems has been shaken. I recently submitted a similar complaint regarding a collision involving our Tesla model y, and these two incidents—on two different Tesla vehicles—raise concerns for me information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act.

I drove into my neighbor’s driveway to drop her off. As I slowed down and applied the brakes to stop, the car failed to respond. It continued forward, running over the flower and plant pots at the edge of the driveway, crossing the backyard, and finally colliding with the trees and bushes at the rear of the property. All airbags deployed, and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair.

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.

While at a red light, my car was stopped with Tesla full self-driving (fsd) on. When the car in front of me nudged forward, my car, still in fsd , accelerated and drove into the car in front. Looking at the event report of my car, the automatic emergency break did engage but too late. This means the sensors in front failed to recognize the vehicle ahead.

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.

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.

Tesla m3 rwd 2022 - 79750k miles. Touchscreen keep restarting throughout the day , in the morning when I am backing out of the garage, while I am driving, while I parked. It is dangerous specially while I am backing out of garage, car will stop sometime, because whole system reboots. I have no visibility I have to wait till its finish restarting. Tesla's main computer handles everything in the car, a/c, turn signals, speedometer, backup cameras, forward collision warning and many more necessary function of the car. Tesla service center diagnose stats "the cause was identified as kernel panics detected in the system. The internal memory of the car computer is corrupt and will not allow enough data transfer and causing the computer to reboot to clear space" they suggested to replace the computer and its a out of warranty fix, since I drove 79k miles. This is a crucial of the car and it should not fail in 3 years, driving 79k in California is not unusual, Tesla service also blamed that we didn't extended our warranty after 50k. We couldn't find any correspondence from Tesla on service app or email regrading warranty extension. $3000 to replace a computer is a very high price.

Driving in the dark I almost had a front end collision and the car had zero reaction. The lights on the oncoming semi truck were bright so as usual I glance away from the lights and generally focus on right lane marker and suddenly I could see an oncoming car out of the corner of my eye cut across the front left corner of my car just barely missing within inches of clearance. Unfortunately I was shaken too much to remember and save the video. Not only does the vehicle software create solid phantom objects but anytime the cameras get blinded the safety system does not work and now you have allowed Tesla to drive unmanned. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

During driving, Tesla car spontaneously stated multiple active safety features and regenerative braking were no longer available and stopped working during driving with multiple warnings appearing. Driver safety at risk during this as well as others safety due to the lack of functioning. The car was taken to Tesla service center and was explained that front lower lateral suspension links were damaged by "impact" although the car was never in an impact or accident preventing proper alignment and functioning of the car. The part has been since repaired and currently undergoing further investigation for warranty dispute.

Component/system involved: advanced driver assistance systems — fsd (supervised)/autosteer (lane keeping assistance) and adaptive cruise control. Possible failure to warn/stop (fcw/aeb). Vehicle and data are available for inspection upon request. I preserved dashcam files and requested Tesla to preserve engineering logs and edr. What happened & safety risk: on Aug 13, 2025 at ~9:30 am pdt on us-101 sb near east palo alto, CA, with fsd (supervised) engaged, the system appeared to misinterpret an exit ramp/gore area as a continuing lane at a highway fork and maintained ~60 mph (posted ~70). As soon as I saw the trajectory was unsafe, I braked and began manual steering takeover, but the vehicle contacted a roadside sign near the gore/shoulder before I could complete the maneuver. I then stopped safely. No other vehicles were struck. Airbags did not deploy. This posed a serious collision risk to me, my passenger, and nearby traffic. Reproduction/confirmation: not reproduced. I have not attempted to reproduce the event. Unknown whether the issue has been reproduced by Tesla or a service center yet. Inspection to date: police responded (report pending). My insurer has opened a claim. I opened a Tesla service request asking to preserve autopilot/fsd engineering logs for the incident window and to coordinate edr extraction; engineering review pending. Vehicle remains drivable. Warnings or symptoms before failure: no audible/visual forward-collision warning was perceived by me and I did not observe automatic emergency braking. No prior warning lamps/messages were noticed before the departure toward the gore. Unknown whether any internal/partial interventions were recorded in logs. . Read more...