2018 Tesla Model S Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about forward collision avoidance problems on the 2018 Tesla Model S, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 40,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (38% of reports).
- 50forward collision avoidance complaints
- 40,500median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 72%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 19 of 50 complaints (38%)
- Phantom braking: mentioned in 9 of 50 complaints (18%)
- Auto pilot: mentioned in 6 of 50 complaints (12%)
- Service center: mentioned in 5 of 50 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do forward collision avoidance problems happen?
Based on 4 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 4 an injury.
Tesla Model S forward collision avoidance complaints by model year
| Model year | Forward Collision Avoidance complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model S | 2 | 29% | — |
| 2024 Model S | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Model S | 17 | 15% | — |
| 2022 Model S | 34 | 24% | 2,236 |
| 2021 Model S | 48 | 27% | 6,000 |
| 2020 Model S | 23 | 29% | 100 |
| 2019 Model S | 12 | 27% | 24,500 |
| 2018 Model S | 50 | 30% | 40,500 |
| 2017 Model S | 67 | 16% | 33,000 |
| 2016 Model S | 39 | 6% | 71,000 |
| 2015 Model S | 31 | 5% | 64,000 |
| 2014 Model S | 9 | 2% | 72,547 |
| 2013 Model S | 3 | 1% | 95,143 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
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.
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera; forward collision avoidance:software; forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking; forward collision avoidance: warnings
Problem: 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.
Risk: Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Full self driving mode floored the accelerator on our vehicle and after a few seconds immediately cut off the self driving feature display a fault code.
Car was in summon mode and crashed into a fence . Caused damage to frond end of the car
Recently right side blind spot monitor camera stopped working. As result, majority of safety features in vehicle has been disabled to include forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and many other safety features of the vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Tesla Model Ss have forward collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about forward collision avoidance for the 2018 Tesla Model S (30% of the 169 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 2018 Tesla Model S forward collision avoidance?
Yes: 2 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 40,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about forward collision avoidance problems on the 2018 Tesla Model S?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 19 of 50 complaints, followed by “phantom braking” (9).
See all 2018 Tesla Model S problems or forward collision avoidance problems across all Model S years.