Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2022 Tesla Model 3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse into a parking spot, the cameras failed to activate, along with the sensors, which included the backup sensors failed to alert that there was an object. As a result, the contact crashed in reverse into a cement pole on the front driver's side door and mirror. No property damage was reported, and the vehicle came to a stop upon the contact depressing the brake pedal. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was going 5 MPH at the time of the crash. The contact attempted to retrieve the recording of the crash, and there was no record. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. No injuries were reported. The local dealer was contacted, however the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owned a 2022 Telsa Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at 18 MPH, the vehicle veered to the right hitting an electrical pole. The contact stated neither the autopilot nor cruise control was set to on, and the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated it happened so fast he was unable to depress the brake pedal in time. No warning lights were illuminated and the air bags in the vehicle failed to deploy. The contact sustained a knee injury and later received medical attention at an urgent care. However, the contact stated he was traumatized from the crash. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,372.
It was a raining day. When I turned 90 degree to my right into the parking lot from local road, I hit the brake and the car slowed down for turning. FSD or autopilot were off for sure. Then I felt the car was moving down suddenly and made a big noise due to the a slightly slope down when I turned. I saw a parking slot right in front of me. I hit the accelerator a fraction of second to prevent the car to stop. In a fraction of second, the car accelerated like crazy. I immediately hit the brake very hard (95% of my force on brake). I have 30 years of driving experience. I knew that I hit the brake tightly, but the car still kept accelerate like crazy. I could forever remember the feel and moment of my foot was in the brake. Even after the accident, I went to test the Tesla car. …
Something occurred with the steering, automatic braking, or lane keeping assistance on [redacted] at approximately 6:35am while I was driving my 2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range North in the carpool lane just south of [redacted] in Sandy Utah. The roads were a little slick so was proceeding cautiously at around 65 MPH when the car turned to the left slightly, then immediately to the right, which caused it to do a 180 degree turn in the same lane, I wasn't sure what was going on as the car felt like it was driving itself. Before I knew what was happening, the car then veered to the East across three lanes of traffic while driving backwards, it then stopped just as it was struck in front of the wheel on the front drivers side by a two trailer semi-truck which spun the car around. …
This incident is the result of poor operation of safety warning and navigation systems in a Tesla Model 3 leading to an accident. I rented a Tesla Model 3 from Hertz at Seattle Tacoma airport. At a traffic light I followed navigation directions making a left turn into Southcenter Mall in Tukwila WA. This turn placed me in the direction of a Subaru which hit me in the driver side rear side. The Tesla safely warning visual and audible system did not activate as designed. I owned a similar Tesla Model 3 at the time and was very familiar with its operation. The navigation and collision warning systems in this rental vehicle did not in any way act or engage like my personal vehicle, and therefore I was placed in a dangerous situation causing an accident to occur. …
FSD failed to completely stop. I have video footage from Tesla showing the FSD stayed active and never disengaged yet the Tesla disengaged the brake. I can text or email the video pricing the car was actively using FSD until impact. I had the self driving enabled the vehicle decelerated from about 45 mi down to 0 MI but when the vehicle reach 1 mile it disengage the brake allowing the car to roll into the car in front of me I literally had less than one second to react I really believe the car will stop on its own. I have video proof the video was in full self driving mode and we all know the Tesla's are designed not to run into the back of any vehicle. I posted the video online and received numerous comments saying that the gas pedal and the brake were pressed at the same time however per Tesla you cannot press the gas and brake at the same time on any Tesla. …
U.S. registered Tesla operating in [redacted]. Full Self-Driving engaged. Dark, nighttime conditions. Vehicle was traveling toward low traffic zones near the edge of [redacted] when the system made a severe mistake. The car went off the main road. Driver was forced to take control off-road after the system lost control. Damage to the rims occurred. At the time of this incident, manual speed control was still available. The driver could cap the speed. That capability has since been removed by a software update. The current version is more dangerous. If the same incident happened today, the driver would have no way to limit speed or prevent the system from repeating the error. The defect is the progressive removal of driver control from the Full Self-Driving system. Earlier versions allowed manual speed caps. Current software does not. This vehicle is U.S. registered and runs U.S. …
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while her husband was driving 50 mph on cruise control, the vehicle began to decelerate independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated they continue to experience the failure five to ten times on the first trip. The contact stated she also experienced the failure on 9/23/2022, while driving 80 mph on cruise control, the vehicle began to decelerate independently to 70 mph and deactivated the cruise control independently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the force of the deceleration caused the seat belt to retract and caused her to have whiplash and headache left side of her head. The contact did not sought medical attention. The contact continued to experience the failure while driving to her destination. …
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the cruise control activated, the vehicle would independently brake with the Forward Collision Avoidance warning chime being audible. The contact stated that the failure would occur when oncoming large vehicles or as another vehicle in the opposite lane would drive past the vehicle. The contact called a service center where an appointment was made; however, the contact received an email that informed him that the appointment was cancelled. The contact was informed that an internal diagnostic was performed and that no defect was discovered. He was informed that over time the vehicle would adapt and improve its performance over time. The contact stated that the failure had persisted, and no improvement had been made. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 16. …
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH and using the automatic cruise control, the vehicle inadvertently slowed down with a larger vehicle approaching from the opposite lane. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated however, a warning alarm bell chimed and the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact reported that after the larger vehicle went by, the vehicle resumed the pre-set cruising speed. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer; however, several scheduled appointments with the techs at the dealer had been canceled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the failure was a software issue known as Phantom Braking. …
Related recalls
Back over prevention › Software
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017, 2021-2023 Model 3, 2020-2023 Model Y, 2021-2023 Model S, and Model X vehicles operating software version 2026.8.6. The rearview camera image may be delayed when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
Remedy: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Forward collision avoidance › Warnings › External/pedestrian alert
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds.
Remedy: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Forward collision avoidance › Warnings › External/pedestrian alert
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds.
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Unexpected Brake Activation
On February 16, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22002) to investigate reports of unexpected deceleration while driving with the adaptive cruise control system engaged in Model Year (MY) 2021 - 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured by Tesla. The subject systems include Autopilot (all versions), Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC).
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Model 3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2022 Tesla Model 3?
NHTSA has 557 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2022 Tesla Model 3, 72% of the model year's 770 complaints. The component named most often is adaptive cruise control (389 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2022 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 26V-283 (software, May 4, 2026); NHTSA recall 24V-153 (external/pedestrian alert, Feb 27, 2024); NHTSA recall 22V-063 (external/pedestrian alert, Feb 4, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2022 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 3,000 miles, and 93% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 22 crashes, 0 fires and 11 injuries to driver assistance problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.