Vehicle Speed Control Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 2

Tesla Model 3 owners have reported 532 problems related to vehicle speed control (under the vehicle speed control category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Tesla Model 3 based on all problems reported for the Model 3.

36 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 11/03/2024

Cruising at 75 and speed dropped to 55. There are at least 3 fsd/beta features in the driver set cruise control, did Tesla get approval to add those features to the cruise control?.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

37 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 11/01/2024

Cruising at 75 the speed suddenly drops to 55, the worst I had was changed from 75 to 40. This is dangerous and needs to be changed. It drops speeds every day and before I can correct it the car usually drops a minimum of 5mph. If allowed I will start to report this every day until it is corrected as it is a huge safety issue for other drivers and potentially a deadly crash or road rage incident.

38 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/31/2024

See attached document for complaint.

39 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/27/2024

Using cruise control to go with the flow of traffic the vehicle will slow down for any random flashing lights far away or vehicle in next lane causing all vehicles to slow down unnecessarily. Fsd and beta programming does not belong in driver set cruise control.

40 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/25/2024

My Tesla was operating in full-self-driving beta when it experienced a sudden uncontrolled accelration event. I was driving on [xxx] at approximatley [xxx] this morning. The road speed limit was 40 mph. The car display was correctly showing that the road speed limit was 40mph. The speed offset in the cars setting was limited to 5 mph max above the speed limit. While the car was driving it suddenly accelerated very hard from approximately 40 mph to over 60mph before I was able to stab the brake pedal and kick the car out of full self driving mode. There were no errors, warnings, or signs that anything was wrong with the car. I have also notified Tesla via the service request function in the Tesla app under the section for "software performance". Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

41 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/20/2024

While using traffic aware cruise control the vehicle would rapidly decelerate with no warnings of potential collision and with no actual emergency situation existing on the road. In a single trip that spanned both day and night there were three rapid declaration events occurring both when light or dark outside. Vehicle display wouldn't show any messages as to the reason for declaration.

42 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/18/2024

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph the braking system had erroneously activated causing the vehicle to abruptly reduce speed. The contact indicated that the failure was due to a software problem in which the vehicle's computer identified the speed limit as 45 mph instead of 65 mph. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.

43 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/13/2024

Driver set cruise control has fsd imbedded that causes the vehicle to slow down drastically on its own. The car has brake tested several following vehicles so far. I’ve seen this before many times of other Teslas but thought it was the driver and now I know it was not. This causes a chain reaction of braking and smoking tires. I am positive this has created accidents but the ones involved have no idea how it started many vehicles ahead. The lane keep assist pillar cameras do not work in the dark, this has taken me by surprise already. The phantom braking on highways is awful, it is so bad that I am afraid to drive in the winter. The torque of the wheel sensor is not safe, when auto steer disables it can take you by surprise causing you to swerve into on coming traffic. The car accused me of using a cheat device one time so I decided to try it and surprisingly I found that it is actually much safer than using my body weight. These are extremely unsafe for busy traffic and slippery roads. I have videos showing it and will get more.

44 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2020 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/11/2024

I am filing a complaint regarding a serious safety issue with my 2020 Tesla Model 3 standard range plus. While driving on the freeway, the car displayed a “power limited - ok to drive” message, followed by “power reduced,” and then automatically limited my speed to 60 mph. This happened unexpectedly on a busy freeway, nearly causing an accident with a car behind me. The message advised that “exiting and re-entering the vehicle may restore operations. ” I took the freeway exit and exited the car, re-entered, and resumed driving, but the error returned, reducing my speed further to 58 mph, and at one point, down to 7 mph. This behavior makes the car unsafe for freeway driving, as the speed can drop suddenly, putting me at risk of a collision. This issue persists on city roads as well, with speed reductions happening within a mile of driving, restricting the speed anywhere between 7-60 mph. I scheduled a service appointment with Tesla on 10/12/2024, but the earliest available date is 11/1/2024. I contacted Tesla’s customer service to prioritize my appointment or perform a remote diagnosis, but they refused to accommodate my request. During my own online research, I found that the car log indicates a “reardrive inverter sensor” detecting high temperatures, likely causing the speed restrictions, along with a non-functional powertrain pump. Although my car is under an 8-year warranty for the battery and drive unit, Tesla has sent me a pre-approval bill for the upcoming service, making me concerned they may try to classify these issues as non-warranty and charge me hefty amounts for repairs. Currently, I cannot safely use my vehicle, especially on freeways, and I have no other repair options outside of Tesla. This ongoing issue is urgent and impacts my safety and ability to drive the car reliably.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

45 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 10/04/2024

Full self driving prominently suggests the user enable “automatic set speed offset”. When enabled it tries to guess the speed it should be going, and goes that speed. On city streets and rural highways the driver is unable to lower the speed with the normal cruise control speed dial. It is disabled. It recognizes when the speed limit lowers on the road, but does not adjust to that new limit. The only option is to hit the brakes or otherwise disable the system. On the interstate this resulted in it resetting to the maximum 85 mph as it was setting itself to 86 at every deactivation. Turning cruise control back on, despite having previously set it to the speed limit, causes it to to immediately accelerate regardless of the posted limits or the previous setting.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

46 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 09/20/2024

See attached document for complaint.

47 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 09/13/2024

The noted vehicle is one of 7 Teslas (6 Model 3s and 1 model y) that I have rented from hertz for a round trip from orlando FL to naples FL. Over the last 7 months. Each of the Model 3 vehicles was different, I never got the same Model 3. Each of the vehicles exhibited the same or similar glitch when traveling on [xxx] at [xxx] when either the navigation and/or the adaptive speed control was engaged and traveling at or near the posted speed limit when nearing this specific exit. If only the navigation system is on it will direct the driver to take the exit and then return to the interstate using the on ramp. If the adaptive speed control is engaged, either with or without the navigation feature on, when the vehicle is on [xxx] near or under the overpass it will abruptly try to slow the vehicle to 35 mph, the speed limit for traffic on the overpass. None of the rental vehicles has the full autopilot activated to my knowledge. This event will occur when traveling in either direction and has only occurred at [xxx] on my 200+ mile trip. Having this occur once or twice would be strange, but 7 times at the same location over 7 months in 7 different vehicles is more likely a glitch of some kind, and one that could result in a crash if a driver is unprepared for the unexpected rapid reduction in speed. [xxx] is heavily travelled with both local and out of town drivers in both personal and rental vehicles. I have no idea if this is occurring at other locations but it seems to be consistent here. Since the adaptive speed control must be using information from the navigation system to display and utilize the speed limit to regulate maximum speed, it is likely the problem is in the navigation system. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

48 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 09/06/2024

On 9/6/2024 I was driving on I-10 e going about 70 mph in the left lane. I had engaged the cruise control but not the autopilot because I’ve had dangerous experiences with the autopilot phantom breaking and misinterpreting cracks in the road as lane markers and dangerously changing lanes. So even though inoaid thousands of dollars for autopilot I never use it. So I was driving approaching a big rig in the lane to the left of mine and the sun was low in the sky casting a shadow on the road. The car thought the shadow was a car and slammed on the breaks and almost came to a complete stop until I pressed on the breaks to release the cruise control. We are very lucky the car behind us didn’t hit us. The car behind us almost hit us and my passenger and I both sprained our necks. The same exact thing happened 5 minutes later. After that I am too scared to use cruise control which is very inconvenient when on a road trip. My car is a 2018 Tesla Model 3 that is equipped with lidar radar when I bought it, however Tesla turned this feature off awhile back. I never had issues with cruise control when the lidar was still enabled. I am very angry that a carmaker can turn off a safety feature that I paid for without my consent. I would have bought a different electric car if I had know I’d have to go back in time to the 1990’s before cruise control was invented. Most cars use some kind of radar for their cruise control systems and this seems to much safer. There are many, many complaints on line of other Tesla drivers having lots os problems with phantom braking. This is an important safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

49 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 09/01/2024

The mcu in my 2018 Tesla Model 3 failed after a software update, rendering several key safety features inoperable, including the car’s cameras and autopilot functions. The vehicle currently has 16,600 miles and had previously received an mcu replacement in 2022. This most recent failure occurred during a firmware update, which got stuck at 50%. The Tesla service center confirmed that the mcu needs replacement again, but I was not given clear diagnostic logs or evidence of a pre-existing hardware issue. Due to this failure, the rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, and autopilot features are no longer operational, which directly impacts the safety of driving the vehicle. These features are critical for safe operation and are standard in ensuring driver assistance, situational awareness, and accident avoidance. The issue has been inspected by the Tesla service center, and they proposed replacing the mcu at a significant cost, though no prior warning signs or messages appeared before the failure during the update.

50 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 08/28/2024

There is a a very dangerous software issue with new Tesla models where there is a 1-2 second lag between when cruise control is disengaged and when it actually disengages. Especially, at high speeds this is dangerous because the car can continue maintaining acceleration for several hundred feet against driver controls. I’ve had to slam on the breaks several times because of this. This is not a glitch, and this is not unique to my Tesla. It’s a known issue reported by the community that needs Tesla’s attention.

51 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 08/12/2024

My 2022 Tesla Model 3 has a major issue that should be widely addressed and because the computer screen has completely turned off although there was never any damage done to the vehicle. The cost to fix this issue is $3,052. 30. I went on a three day vacation and came back to the screen not turning on but the vehicle can still drive, the major issue is that the screen controls all major functions of the vehicle and is a major danger driving the car if you cant see how fast your going, how much battery is left or will basic safety equipment will deploy? how can a vehicle be driven under these basic safety standards and conditions when it’s a faulty manufacturing issue. In addition come to find out that the computer tried to update it’s software with out my consent and causing the computer to fail there fore leaving me in danger situation of driving the vehicle under these conditions and then having me to pay the financial repercussions although I caused no damage to the vehicle.

52 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 07/26/2024

This car will suddenly slow down for no apparent reason when driving with the speed control set. I have experienced this multiple times at 2 specific intersections. It has also happened at other times but on roads I have traveled on less often. Traffic aware cruise control is always enabled on this car. There isn't an option to turn it off. I scheduled a service visit with Tesla explaining what was happening at these 2 specific intersections (I included the intersection specific information). They responded and said they performed a remote diagnosis on the autopilot system in the vehicle and its affiliated hardware and all checks came back in good standing with no faults. They went on to state "just as a reminder as autopilot/traffic aware cruise control is under beta, per owners manual, many factors can impact the performance of autopilot/traffic aware cruise control components. Autopilot/traffic aware cruise control may occasionally cause vehicle to brake when not required or when you are not expecting it. " they referred me to the owners manual where these warnings/limitations were reiterated. I replied and asked what Tesla was doing to improve this situation. I did not get a response. I am very concerned about this sudden braking/deceleration as it may result in a rear end collision if someone is following closely when it occurs. I believe Tesla should be more transparent about what they are doing to resolve the issue. They should also provide an option to turn off the traffic aware cruise control until the issue is resolved.

53 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2023 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 07/14/2024

On several occasions, the last being July 19,2024, auto correct on steering took control of my vehicle when no correction was needed. I’ve been taken by surprise and struggled on all occasions to gain full control of the vehicle. In addition, my car is not able to receive the over-air update to address the hood latch recall which leaves me more vulnerable to a catastrophic event. I can not reach a person in service as Tesla pushes every communication through the app. My appointment was pushed out over three weeks and I still have not heard from Tesla to confirm this appointment nor reach out with any concern whatsoever regarding this horrific safety concern.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

54 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2020 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 07/07/2024

The Tesla is reflecting an error “dir_a126” that is reducing the speed below the speed limit and with no rhyme or reason. Tesla services are not available and the problem is intermittent. Additionally, based on research it is found to not have consistent resolutions and reasonings.

55 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 07/02/2024

While driving on the highway with fsd on, the car severely amalfunctioned with sudden deceleration at 4 separate ocassions. At 68 mph when changing lanes, the car suddenly decelerated. There were several cars behind us and it could have been a major multi car collision. At all 4 ocassions, I immediately took over control on steering and acceleration, thus avoiding any accident. This problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center yet. My vehicle or component(s) have also not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others yet. Additionally, there were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

56 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 06/20/2024

Ever since Tesla rolled out an update for everyone to beta test fsd, the adaptive cruise control has been changing speeds when near interstate type exits and entrances. I've had it change from 75 down to 40 mph which is dangerous in traffic. This change in speed some times is just a drop to the next 5mph increment, such as from 73 to 70. Sometimes it is more from 73 to 65 at the same place/exit. It is not consistent. The only thing consistent is it's near exits even when not in an exit lane or nearest lane to the exit. This "feature" needs to be removed as it is unpredictable which makes it dangerous. . Read more...

57 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2019 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 06/18/2024

Tesla has combined cruise control with their auto pilot feature. Now there is no human override to what speed limit to use, Tesla determines the speed to used based on certain criteria. This puts the driver at risk who may want to lower or increase the speed limit based on certain conditions Tesla may not be able to detect. For me it was a 9 pm run to the store thru an area that had temporary road construction and known to be a speed trap zone.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model 3 🔎.

58 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 06/16/2024

Autopilot fsd 12. 3. 6 in ohio is interpreting state route signs as speed limit signs. In milford ohio, the speed limit is 25mph. While traveling on sr 50, each state route sign had the max speed jump to 50mph. Then back to 25 at the next actual speed limit sign. An sr 28 sign was interpreted as 20mph. Errors is speed are dangerous in either the car going too fast or risking a rear end collision by incorrectly slowing down.

59 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 06/11/2024

While driving with the cruise control set, at times the care must sense that there is an issue ahead and slams the brakes on. This has happened on numerous occasions. This had led to cars following to do the same (hard braking). Although this has not caused an accident for me, I don't trust the system. I'm waiting for a rear end collision when this happens.

60 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 06/01/2024

I recently took my car in for a recall for the trunk wiring harness and have never had any major issues since I purchased it in 2018. Since replacing the recalled harness, I’m starting to receive several alerts from my driver assistance system (emergency brakes, camera failure). I called a service tech who mentioned there’s either a failed camera or a failed wiring harness. Looking online, I was shocked to see hundreds of other owners with a 2018 Model 3 also experiencing the same issue in 2024 (assuming after they replaced the recently recalled harness). I strongly believe that these two issues are related and that the camera should be replaced alongside the wiring harness. Several people on this forum have been quoted hundreds or thousands from Tesla to replace the harness (including myself) and are taking matters into their own hands by replacing with after market parts. This is a serious safety issue since the cameras control all self driving functionality. I’m shocked that it’s not already been addressed through a recall! the first time my system had gone out while on autopilot, the car flashed and sirened and asked that I take over. Since then all my driver assistance features including my rear camera are no longer functional. Please see this forum where several others are experiencing the same issue on their 2018 Model 3s [xxx] attached are error messages from my car and screenshots from the forum above where people have described the diy fix and the costs quoted by Tesla. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

61 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2023 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 05/28/2024

On 5/28/24, while pulling up the driveway, the car suddenly accelerated and it’s so fast that we couldn’t react. The car crashed into the garage, knocked down one wall along with the main electrical panel. It stopped because it got stuck on 10 in foundation’s of garage structure. The collision mitigation feature did not get triggered and didn’t give any alert or helped to stop the car from crashing into the garage. Airbags on both driver and passenger sides did not deploy. Prior to this accident, the car already had issue with the driver’s profiles and the seat just moved back and stuck at the easy entry mode. The car became inoperable because the driver’s seat can’t be moved forward to a position where I could reach the gas and brake pedal. I contacted Tesla service and was told to delete the driver’s profile and create new one , power off the screen, power cycled the car. I’ve done all of that but the problem kept happening on and off. The car was scheduled to be looked at by Tesla on 6-20-24 but the accident happened on 5-28-24. We’d like to find out the root cause of the accident whether the car has any malfunction that could’ve triggered the sudden unintended acceleration. We’ve reported the accident to both Tesla and my insurance company. Tesla confirmed that the data was downloaded and being reviewed and there is no available information to be shared with me at this time.

62 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2023 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 05/02/2024

When using cruise control, my 2023 Tesla Model 3 will aggressively brake without warning or apparent cause. The braking is near maximal - as though the vehicle is attempting to prevent an imminent collision. This defect poses a hazard to occupants of vehicles behind mine as well as myself and my passengers as sudden braking could cause a rear-end collision and cascading loss of control. Inclement weather would have exacerbated the problem. This problem is documented. From my brief research it appears phantom braking has been the subject of a NHTSA investigation previously but for prior model years. The issue persists. When I questioned Tesla service regarding this life and limb threatening problem their staff was aware and well versed at requesting the customer report the issue as though it were a minor software glitch. This is a significantly more serious problem necessitating an appropriate response.

63 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2024 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 05/01/2024

I have my phone mounted to the back of the computer screen, and I also have the phone power cord running from the center console 12v plug up to my phone. I have found that if the power cord comes in contact with the computer screen, it can inadvertently put the car in neutral (it acts like a finger touch). This could be extremely dangerous if, for example, the car is making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic and the car unexpectedly goes into neutral. I think consumers should be aware that a phone power cord can cause changes on the computer screen if there is contact, especially if it switches the car to neutral.

64 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 05/01/2024

After the recent 1-month free trial of fsd, my basic autopilot does not keep speed and will reset the programmed speed. This causes my car to slow rapidly and unexpectedly. This erratic change of speed creates a safety issue on the road due to the car slowing with no warning and without reason. Tesla has evaluated the vehicle remotely and has said it is performing normally despite this behavior just starting with the fsd trial. The previous 2 years of ownership have had no issues. I am told that this is due to different levels of autopilot having different performance and if I upgrade to the fsd this won't be an issue. No warning lamps are present.

65 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 05/01/2024

The vehicle, a 2021 Tesla Model 3, had an episode of sudden unintended acceleration. I was almost stationary waiting to make a left when the car accelerated by itself, left the road, crossed a grass field at high speed and crashed into bushes. The vehicle was not on auto pilot, it resulted in damage of almost $ 20. 000 as estimated by insurance. The vehicle is available for inspection, it will be checked by Tesla service after the damage is fixed. There were no previous warnings, this is the first incident of this kind. It is not clear what component malfunctioned, probably some electric/electronic device in charge of acceleration. It was obviously a very dangerous event that could have jeopardized my safety and/or some others.

66 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2022 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 04/16/2024

The accelerator pedal broke off completely while driving on the highway (this is the second time this has happened). Accelerator pedal felt as if it were stuck when going from full self driving to manual and pedal broke off when more pressure was applied. The car began coming to a rapid stop on the highway due to regenerative braking and I was forced to quickly get to emergency lane, narrowly avoiding other vehicles in the process.

67 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 04/13/2024

The most recent software update v11. 1(2024. 3. 10 9d92fb944d7f) was downloaded automatically and I installed it. The next time I drove, the car made uncommanded and unwanted lane changes, apparently because I could "go faster" if I passed the traffic in front of me. I did not want to go faster due to congestion and aggressive drivers where I live. I then discovered that "full self driving" had been activated after the download and without my knowledge or authorization. I believe that this was an unsafe condition and wish to report it. I immediately turned "fsd" off.

68 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 04/12/2024

This car, like many Teslas, is experiencing what has been come to be known as phantom braking. When in the autopilot or full self driving, this car will occasionally to frequently, depending on the day, suddenly break where it will decelerate from say 65 mph to 45 or 50 in a very short period of time. This can happen in very busy traffic conditions. It seems to happen when I'm going faster rather than slower. For example, I haven't experienced it so much on city street. It seems much more prominent on highways. This is an issue that has many youtube videos about. It has been reported by many Tesla owners as well as the media.

69 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2018 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 04/07/2024

Tesla Model 3 autopilot engaged. The car steered itself off the road and into a tree as it was accelerating on a residential street from 8 mph to approx. 30 mph.

70 Vehicle Speed Control problem of the 2021 Tesla Model 3

Failure Date: 04/06/2024

Latest update changed the cruise control to force inclusion of autopilot. Cruise control function is now unavailable with without this autonomous feature. It's not only distracting, but aggravating. What's worse, is there's no online ability to inform or complain directly to Tesla. This isn't the first safety-related software glitch. Please get them to fix these issues.


Other Common Vehicle Speed Control related problems of Tesla Model 3


Model 3 Service Bulletins
Model 3 Defect Investigations