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 2018 Tesla Model S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the forward collision avoidance feature was inoperable. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle crashed into the guard rail. The contact stated that damage was done to the front driver's side and rear driver's side of the fender. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Multiple components failed or malfunctioned. FSD beta, lane keeping assistance, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and Automatic emergency braking, all failed or malfunctioned. I have requested TESLA to provide me the details on what happened, but after multiple attempts of reaching out to them, they are not providing any answers. I was driving with my son and we both got injured, my son was admitted to the hospital for 4 days. I am not sure if TESLA inspected it, they are not answering my questions. There was no warning or there were no symptoms of the problem before the failure. This is what happened, I was driving on FSD beta on a 2-way street with one lane in both directions, The car suddenly drifted, crossed the opposite lane, went over the sidewalk, and hit a tree. The airbags were released, and the front of the car was destroyed. …
On [redacted], my 2018 Tesla Model S (VIN [redacted] ) experienced a complete brake system failure while in motion. The brake pedal was pressed multiple times, but the vehicle did not stop, resulting in a collision. The emergency brake also failed to engage. 1. Component/System Failure: The braking system, including both the standard hydraulic brakes and the electronic emergency brake, failed to operate. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: This put my safety and the safety of others at immediate risk, as I was unable to stop the vehicle to avoid an accident. 3. Confirmation of Problem: The problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a Tesla service center since the accident, but the vehicle previously had recalls in 2021 and January 2024 for brake and emergency brake issues that Tesla claimed to have remedied. 4. …
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Self-Driving feature activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
While driving in Autopilot mode, approx 70 mph in light rain the vhicle began to drift side to side almost crossing over the lane dividing line. Upon grabbing the wheel to take control the vehicle entered multiple 360 degree spins crashing into "K" rail. In the past I have noticed when taking control of the vehicle from Autopilot the wheel jerks.
I purchase a used 2018 Tesla Model S about two months ago. Braking is very "jerky, causing me and my passenger to "lurch forward" unnecessarily. I run into this "phantom braking" issue numerous times every time I drive. It happens both on Automatic Cruise Control and FSD and under different circumstances" and encompasses: (1) Sudden braking for no apparent reason; (2) Sudden braking that is unnecessary or is too forceful for the circumstances; (23 If the car is on automatic cruise control or FSD, it will slow down and stop too far away from the car in front. So, I push the accelerator to close the gap. When I left my foot off the accelerator, the software apparently thinks it's too close the car in front, and jams on the brakes unnecessarily. …
On 3/15/2022, I was driving on I405 with auto-pilot engaged. My car (Tesla Model S) suddenly braked hard for no apparent reason. I had to disengage auto-pilot and quickly accelerate to avoid the car behind me from rear ending my car. Fortunately, I remembered to save the event recorded on Tesla cameras. Take a look at 2022-03-15_12-24/2022-03-15_12-24-53-back.mp4 file around 46 sec ~ 51 sec within the file. You will notice that the car suddenly braked around that time causing the car behind to nearly rear-end my car. If you watch recording from the side+front cameras around the same timeframe, you will notice that there was nothing in the front or on the sides that warranted sudden braking. …
I purchased the Tesla Mold S with Autopilot feature in August 2018, then upgraded it to Full Self Driving for $5,000 and got it through a software update at the end of 2021. But this FSD feature has many defects such as hesitating before turning or stopping at a sign, which makes the car swing around like a drunk; Sometimes it doesn't turn the turn signal on when changing the line, and even enters into the reverse lane. If the above problems can be taken over by switching human drive to avoid accidents, phantom braking is a terrible safety problem that can not avoid accidents. There have been many times in which the vehicle suddenly decelerated and braked without warning while driving by FSD. Fortunately, the rear vehicle did not follow too close or the rear driver took deceleration measures in time to avoid rear-end collisions. …
--- System: Autopilot, emergency braking, collision detection. Vehicle IS available for inspection if requested. --- How safety was put at risk: In 2018, while driving on the interstate at about 70-80 mph with Autopilot enabled the car suddenly braked for no reason. By our estimates the car's velocity changed by about -20 mph in a very short time. There was no debris in the road, obstruction or reason for the car to do this. If there had been a car behind us it would have resulted in an accident. --- Has problem been confirmed by service center: Yes --- Has vehicle been inspected by manufacturer: Yes --- When we contacted Tesla they initially denied anything happened but when we took it to another service center a different engineer confirmed that something happened but would not provide the logs. …
While driving using cruise control, in the space of 9-10 miles, the vehicle had 14-16 instances of sudden, unexpected braking for no reason. Most were moderate braking incidents slowing the car 15-30 mph before I hit the accelerator to get the car back up to speed. 2 incidents were where the car slowed 5-10 mph then resumed speed. Very disconcerting. There was little to no traffic on the road and in every case, there was no other car within a 1/2 mile or more to the front. Finally got fed up with this and turned off cruise. Left cruise control off as I passed through a city then decided to try it again. Soon after engaging cruise at 72 mph, the car suddenly and violently braked for no reason. It was such a hard braking that one of my dogs in the back seat crashed into the front seat. …
Related recalls
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.
Back over prevention › Display function
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to reverse.
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Forward collision avoidance › Software
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Remedy: Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of rearview camera
On June 22, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-010 to investigate incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera in model year (MY) 2012-2015 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device.
Loss of rearview camera
On November 20, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) 20-003 to investigate incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera in model year (MY) 2012-18 Tesla Model S and model year (MY) 2016-2018 Tesla Model X vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Model S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2018 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA has 53 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2018 Tesla Model S, 31% of the model year's 170 complaints. The component named most often is adaptive cruise control (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Tesla Model S collision avoidance problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-153 (external/pedestrian alert, Feb 27, 2024); NHTSA recall 22V-169 (display function, Mar 18, 2022); NHTSA recall 21V-846 (software, Oct 29, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Tesla Model S collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 45,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.