2026 Tesla Model 3 Forward collision avoidance Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 24%of 29 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the forward collision avoidance of the 2026 Tesla Model 3, 24% of the 29 complaints for this model year. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My Tesla was operating under FSD at 9pm on a dark country road. I was traveling at 45mph and vehicle randomly applied hard emergency braking and I had to take over. It appeared that the vehicle may have been responding to a dark oil stain or possibly a mailbox. Had another vehicle been closely behind me, there would’ve been a collision.”
NHTSA complaint #11762324, filed 2026-09“The vehicle's FSD system malfunctioned and initiated an unintended reverse toward a closing garage door. To prevent a total-loss event (the door crushing the glass roof and trunk), I was forced to perform an emergency manual takeover. Due to the vehicle's position caused by the malfunction, I had to maneuver through a confined space, resulting in the side-scrape. I am filing this as a malfunction claim because the damage was a direct consequence of the car's autonomous failure”
NHTSA complaint #11711494, filed 2026-01“After a recent Tesla software update, a mandatory Full Self-Driving disengagement feedback window appears every time I disengage FSD while the vehicle is still moving. The feedback window covers a large portion of the display with a black overlay, noticeable enough something popped up. There is no setting to disable it, dismiss it immediately, or postpone the response until the vehicle is stopped. I am required to select a disengagement reason before I can access the controls and information behind the overlay. …”
NHTSA complaint #11752822, filed 2026-07“Driving on a 2 lane road going 65 with Traffic-Aware Cruise Control enabled at 65 MPH with a car behind and no car in front of us. the car phantom braked for no reason going from 65 to 40 mph in a matter of seconds. Luckily we were able to accelerate to avoid being rear ended”
NHTSA complaint #11758118, filed 2026-08“The vehicle is experiencing severe, unpredictable software and hardware regressions related to the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system (v14.3.7, Software build 2026.21.5) that create an immediate, active traffic hazard and a high risk of rear-end collisions. Primary Safety Issues: 1. TRAFFIC STALLS UPON DISENGAGEMENT: When Full Self-Driving (FSD) is engaged, auxiliary sensors malfunction, causing the headlights to cycle on/off and windshield wipers to run at full speed in clear, dry, midday daylight. …”
NHTSA complaint #11757060, filed 2026-08Forward collision avoidance: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 24% |
| 2025 | 30 | 24% |
| 2024 | 49 | 22% |
| 2023 | 179 | 42% |
| 2022 | 535 | 69% |
| 2021 | 411 | 61% |
| 2020 | 157 | 35% |
| 2019 | 170 | 27% |
| 2018 | 203 | 20% |
| 2017 | 8 | 30% |
Other parts of the 2026 Tesla Model 3
10 complaintsSteering
7 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
4 complaintsLane departure
4 complaintsElectrical system
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsSeat belts
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2026 Tesla Model 3
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology