Tesla Model Y Collision Avoidance Problems

Owners have filed 2,215 complaints about driver assistance problems with the Tesla Model Y — 52% of all Model Y complaints. The worst model years are 2021 (625), 2023 (545) and 2022 (530). Problems typically start around 5,000 miles. 7 related recalls have been issued.

2,215complaints
2021worst year
5ktypical miles
7related recalls
284crashes
10fires

Collision Avoidance complaints by model year

2019202020212022202320242025202612762553054517457157
Collision Avoidance complaints per model year, Tesla Model Y.
YearComplaintsShare of year's complaintsTypical mileage
202615738%0 miles
20255754%—
202417453%45,000 miles
202354546%4,000 miles
202253061%4,000 miles
202162557%4,000 miles
202012745%4,000 miles

Which parts fail

  • Adaptive cruise control
    1,299
  • Automatic emergency braking
    1,029
  • Warnings
    480
  • Assist
    239
  • Blind spot detection
    99
  • Warning
    89
  • Sensing system › Camera
    53

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

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    8686%
  • 25k–50k
    1111%
  • 50k–75k
    33%
  • 75k–100k
    00%
  • 100k–150k
    00%
  • 150k+
    00%

What owners report

The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Full Self Driving Mode activated, the vehicle struck the garage wall, damaging the rear passenger's side door. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the dealer had previously provided mobile service to replace the camera and that a second dealer, Tesla White Plains (250 Tarrytown Rd, White Plains, NY 10607), had performed a hard reset on the vehicle due to phantom braking; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was made aware of the failure but canceled an upcoming appointment and informed the contact that there was no failure found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,001.

2026 Model Y · Automatic emergency braking · 13,000 miles · Jul 2026 · crash

On November 4, 2025, I believe my New Tesla (only 2 month old) had just updated to a new software version. That morning, when I tried to start the car to drive to Walgreens Pharmacy, the vehicle did not start - the screen was locked. I pressed the brake pedal several times, but there was no response. Then I pressed the accelerator and the brake again, and the car finally started. I believe i turned on the Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode as usual. The car backed out of my garage and moved only about ten houses down our street when I suddenly felt it was out of control, and within seconds, it hit a stationary vehicle on our street. I did not hear Forward Collision Warning or feel the Automatic Braking system engage. The tesla report told me that the collision warning failure and the Safety systems are affected, and the passage side (front right) tire shows 0 psi) . …

2026 Model Y · Warnings · Nov 2025 · crash

On November 10, 2025 while my 2025 Tesla Model Y was being driven, in Miami, Florida, around 2:55-3:05 PM, the brakes failed completely. Despite firm brake pedal pressure, the vehicle did not slow down or stop as expected and continued forward until a collision occurred. The brake pedal felt normal with no loss of resistance, but the car did not decelerate as expected. No forward collision warning (FCW) or automatic emergency braking (AEB) activated prior to impact. There were no audible or visual alerts displayed before or during braking. After the collision, the vehicle's screen displayed messages stating "Airbags Deployed" and "Automatic Emergency Braking is unavailable. Feature may be restored on next drive." However, the airbags did not deploy. A burst of white particulate dust, consistent with airbag propellant or deployment powder, was released inside the cabin. …

2025 Model Y · Automatic emergency braking · Nov 2025 · crash

My vehicle experienced multiple safety system malfunctions before a minor collision occurred. While driving, the car displayed warnings indicating that traction control had been disabled, followed immediately by a warning that the automatic vehicle hold/brake hold was disabled. These failures happened before any impact. At the same time, the vehicle's cameras were not functioning correctly, and the vehicle did not provide any forward collision warning. The automatic emergency braking system also did not activate. Because these systems failed, the vehicle did not warn, slow down, or brake to avoid a collision. After the collision, the vehicle showed several additional safety system failures. These included automatic emergency braking unavailable, and repeated safety restraint system faults affecting both the front left and front right restraint systems. …

2025 Model Y · Automatic emergency braking · Nov 2025 · crash

The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that as he was driving forward at approximately 5 MPH after having stopped for a traffic signal his vehicle was crashed into the driver's right front fender by another vehicle. The contact stated the vehicle's front collision sensor did not detect the other vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's side front fender and the hood on his vehicle had to be replaced. The contact was not sure about the damage to the other vehicle, but there were no injuries. The police arrived on scene and wrote a report but he was not given the report number. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and the body damage was repaired, however, the failure of the front collision avoidance sensor was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. …

2024 Model Y · 45,000 miles · Oct 2024 · crash

The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with auto-polite activated, the vehicle suddenly pulled in the left direction across three lanes of traffic. As a result, the vehicle collided with the passenger-side front headlight and came to a complete stop in the roadway. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact transported himself to his primary care doctor, who treated him for nondescript injuries to his neck, shoulders, right hand, and hips. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 9,000.

2024 Model Y · Lane keep › Automatic steering · 9,000 miles · Jul 2024 · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while his grand-son was driving 40 MPH with his friend in the front passenger's seat, he depressed the brake pedal as he was approaching a stopped-occupied vehicle. A light indicating that the brakes were engaged illuminated, but the vehicle failed to respond. Additionally, the automatic emergency braking system failed to engage, and the vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front of him. The air bags deployed. The contact's grandson and his friend were able to exit the vehicle. The vehicle then turned off and locked, which rendered the vehicle unnoticeable by oncoming drivers. Another driver who noticed the incident parked behind the vehicle and activated the hazard lights to prevent other drivers from crashing into the vehicle. …

2023 Model Y · Automatic emergency braking · 8,000 miles · Nov 2023 · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH in light rain, the vehicle suddenly braked and causing the vehicle to lose control. The contact stated that the vehicle was on cruise control and auto drive assist. The contact stated that the vehicle veered to the left, crossed two lanes of traffic, and crashed into the highway divider wall. The contact stated that there were no warning lights. The contact stated that the left front end had crashed first, and then the driver's door and left front fender had crashed into the dividing wall. The contact stated that the driver's front air bag had deployed and burst; there was a large tear starting from the top of the air bag all the way to the steering wheel. The contact stated that he had burns on his hands due to the air bag explosion, bruises on his chest, and right arm. …

2023 Model Y · Adaptive cruise control › Software · 45,000 miles · Dec 2025 · crash · 1 injury

Related recalls (7)

Back over prevention › Software

NHTSA recall 26V-283 · May 4, 2026 · 218,868 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 24V-153 · Feb 27, 2024 · 6,557 vehicles

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 › Sensing system › Camera

NHTSA recall 24V-035 · Jan 22, 2024 · 199,575 vehicles

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model S, X, and Y vehicles equipped with full self-driving computer 4.0 and running a software release version 2023.44.30 through 2023.44.30.6 or 2023.44.100. Software instability may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.

Remedy: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.

Forward collision avoidance › Sensing system › Camera

NHTSA recall 23V-489 · Jul 14, 2023 · 1,337 vehicles

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The forward-facing camera may be misaligned, causing some of the active safety features such as emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane assist to become unavailable without alerting the driver.

Remedy: Tesla Service will inspect and adjust the pitch angle, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.

Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking

NHTSA recall 22V-317 · May 9, 2022 · 7 vehicles

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model 3 and 2021 Model Y vehicles. The fisheye and narrow camera cable terminals were incorrectly installed in the cable harness connector, resulting in swapped camera views.

Remedy: Tesla Service will correct the swapped terminals and recalibrate the cameras, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.

Show 2 more recalls

Forward collision avoidance › Warnings › External/pedestrian alert

NHTSA recall 22V-063 · Feb 4, 2022 · 578,607 vehicles

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.

Forward collision avoidance › Software

NHTSA recall 21V-846 · Oct 29, 2021 · 11,728 vehicles

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

Unexpected Brake Activation

NHTSA investigation PE22002 · opened Feb 16, 2022 · closed Jun 29, 2026

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).

Frequently asked questions

Which Tesla Model Y years have collision avoidance problems?

By NHTSA complaints, the 2021 (625), 2023 (545), 2022 (530), 2024 (174) and 2026 (157) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 57% of all complaints for the 2021.

Is there a recall for Tesla Model Y collision avoidance problems?

Yes — 7 recalls, including 26V-283 (software, May 4, 2026); 24V-153 (external/pedestrian alert, Feb 27, 2024); 24V-035 (camera, Jan 22, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.

At what mileage do Tesla Model Y collision avoidance problems start?

Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles; 97% happened before 50,000 miles.

What part fails most often?

Owners most often name the adaptive cruise control (1,299 mentions), followed by the automatic emergency braking (1,029).

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.