2022 Tesla Model 3 Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
Owners have filed 532 complaints with NHTSA about forward collision avoidance problems on the 2022 Tesla Model 3, 69% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 1,850 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (59% of reports).
- 532forward collision avoidance complaints
- 1,850median miles at failure
- 15mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 90%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 316 of 532 complaints (59%)
- Phantom braking: mentioned in 165 of 532 complaints (31%)
- Auto pilot: mentioned in 40 of 532 complaints (8%)
- Using adaptive: mentioned in 36 of 532 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do forward collision avoidance problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 532 complaints, 15 mention a crash, 7 an injury.
Tesla Model 3 forward collision avoidance complaints by model year
| Model year | Forward Collision Avoidance complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model 3 | 7 | 24% | — |
| 2025 Model 3 | 30 | 25% | — |
| 2024 Model 3 | 49 | 22% | — |
| 2023 Model 3 | 179 | 42% | 4,000 |
| 2022 Model 3 | 532 | 69% | 1,850 |
| 2021 Model 3 | 408 | 61% | 10,000 |
| 2020 Model 3 | 156 | 35% | 10,000 |
| 2019 Model 3 | 170 | 28% | 26,155 |
| 2018 Model 3 | 202 | 20% | 27,000 |
| 2017 Model 3 | 8 | 31% | 39,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert; electrical system:software
Problem: 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
Electrical system:software; forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert; electrical system:software
Problem: 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V-235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range has developed a failure of the Autopilot/ADAS computer. The AP computer remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The vehicle operated normally before software update 2026.26.6. Following the update, Driving Visualization and Autopilot began…
With its latest upgrade, 2026.20.6.11 with full self-driving V14 Light, Tesla no longer allows users to set a max speed. This is very dangerous, especially in school zones where the vehicle, with Full Self-Driving, consistently misreads the speed limit. There is no way to revert this "upgrade."…
The horn on the steering wheel rarely works UNLESS it is pressed directly in the middle. I have tried to honk the horn when there is a safety event but it rarely works. This is definitely a safety issue. This has been going on since I bought the car June 2022. Full self drive is also unsafe and it…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2022 Tesla Model 3s have forward collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA has 532 owner complaints about forward collision avoidance for the 2022 Tesla Model 3 (69% of the 767 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2022 Tesla Model 3 forward collision avoidance?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list forward collision avoidance. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do forward collision avoidance problems start?
The median reported mileage is 1,850 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about forward collision avoidance problems on the 2022 Tesla Model 3?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 316 of 532 complaints, followed by “phantom braking” (165).
Other 2022 Tesla Model 3 problems
See all 2022 Tesla Model 3 problems or forward collision avoidance problems across all Model 3 years.