2020 Tesla Model 3 Collision Avoidance Problems

Which parts fail

• Adaptive cruise control
  107
• Automatic emergency braking
  82
• Warnings
  30
• Assist
  24
• Warning
  11
• Blind spot detection
  9

Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1173%
• 25k–50k
  213%
• 50k–75k
  213%
• 75k–100k
  00%
• 100k–150k
  00%
• 150k+
  00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Tesla Model 3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while her granddaughter was reversing, the rearview camera failed to turn on, causing the rear end of the vehicle to crash into a cement post. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla-certified autobody mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not provide any assistance. …

In a private parking lot, within line of sight and ample time to respond to problem I used Tesla Smart Summon. Instead of taking an obvious route through the parking lot, it narrowly hit a parked car, then proceeded to drive over a parking barrier and into a wooded field towards me and a crowded food truck area. I was unable to cancel the feature in time to stop the car from the collision as it accelerated too fast and without any initial signs of an issue. Even after canceling through the app, the car tried to continue for a brief period. If anyone was in the area or we were closer we could have been hit. Tesla replaced the cameras but claimed no responsibility for damages, citing I was "in control". There were no warning lamps or indicators of any defects before the incident. …

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and using Self Driving feature, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and continued to drive the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while reversing, the vehicle inadvertently moved forward and slightly bumped into a guardrail. There was no further information provided. The contact depressed the brake pedal and was able to successfully reverse after several attempts. The contact also stated that the vehicle would fail to make normal beeping sounds and alerts while reversing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that unless he provided the specific time and date of the failure, they could not assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …

In moderate city traffic, the emergency braking system sounded and engaged prematurely and harshly. I was not using any automatic driving features and was driving "manually." A vehicle in front of me stopped, and I intended to slow then stop in a reasonable fashion. I have 25 years' driving experience, and am well-experienced to do this safely. The emergency braking system suddenly engaged at about 25 mph, grinding my car to a halt. The driver behind me was not expecting such a short stop, and rear-ended my vehicle. No one was injured in this crash. My seatbelt trigger deployed, which tripped the pyro fuse, rendering my car undriveable. I could not move my car off the roadway and caused traffic clogs. The repair bill was roughly $9000 for my vehicle. The weather was clear, the street was dry and the sun was near high noon.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk became inoperable. The contact stated that the trunk latch failed to open when the trunk release was engaged using the mobile application, the instrument panel, or the trunk release button. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed by the dealer that the cable harness was not repaired and that a zip tie was placed on the cable harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after the dealer visit, the trunk failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,125.

I was driving on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey in the right hand lane. I was using basic auto pilot and needed to pass a pick up truck in front of me. I disabled auto pilot and went into the left lane. I re-engaged auto pilot and the vehicle took a hard right and hit the truck. I heard the audible chime once it made contact with the truck indicating that auto pilot disengaged. My car went back into the left lane and I took control. We moved to the shoulder and waited for state police to arrive. Luckily no one was injured. A police report was filed.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rear camera would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact had previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00D000 (Electrical System, Visibility, Back Over Prevention) but stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle. There was a warning message to take control of the vehicle displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V063000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance). The approximate failure mileage was 9,800.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while attempting to exit a parking lot, the rear sensors failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that the rearview sensor failed to provide an audible warning, which resulted in the vehicle bumping into another vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,238.

Driving on Autopilot on a city street at 35 MPH speed limit, while passing next to a UPS truck parked on the right side of the street at the curb, but slightly protruding outside the parking lane, due to its size, my car sideswiped the parked UPS truck, causing scratches on my car and totally obliterating my passenger side mirror. My vehicle did not stop or try to veer away from the parked UPS truck, causing at a minimum $700 damage to my vehicle.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Collision Avoidance complaints in other Model 3 years