Tesla Model S Forward Collision Avoidance Problems
Owners have filed 337 complaints with NHTSA about forward collision avoidance problems on the Tesla Model S across 13 model years. The 2017 model year has the most (67). The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (28% of reports).
- 337forward collision avoidance complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 40mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- 78%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 96 of 337 complaints (28%)
- Phantom braking: mentioned in 55 of 337 complaints (16%)
- Full self: mentioned in 33 of 337 complaints (10%)
- Auto pilot: mentioned in 19 of 337 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do forward collision avoidance problems happen?
Based on 54 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 337 complaints, 40 mention a crash, 7 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 (5)
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert; electrical system:software
Model years: 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
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
Model years: 2023
Problem: 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.
Risk: Safety features that are unavailable without any warning to the driver may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-17-006.
Electrical system:software; forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
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
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
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.
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera; forward collision avoidance:software; forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking; forward collision avoidance: warnings
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
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.
The new defects with audible chimes and safety alerts are a direct consequence of the 8GB eMMC safety recall service performed by Tesla my car is now not warning me with any chimes or sounds related with safety features of the car. Tesla are attempting to charge me to correct safety defects…
Tesla removed speed control from their "full self-driving" product. They have removed the ability to conveniently switch to normal cruise control (have to pull over on freeway or get off freeway to park first) and speed profiles use outdated map data and frequently suddenly change speeds. Sometimes…
Tesla has taken away the ability to set maximum speed when using their Full Self Driving. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!!!! Now, the car can and will do 85 on a 60mph freeway! Sometimes you can't even tell you're speeding that fast until it's too late. INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS! They used to have that feature…
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.
Since a XXX Tesla software update, Full Self-Driving on VIN [XXX] applies the brakes suddenly with no visible obstacle. This phantom braking occurs at least 5â6 times every day. Vehicles behind me have slammed on their brakes and I have had near rear-end collisions. I purchased FSD outright. I…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Tesla Model Ss have forward collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA has 337 owner complaints about forward collision avoidance for the Tesla Model S. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Tesla Model S forward collision avoidance?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list forward collision avoidance. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about forward collision avoidance problems on the Tesla Model S?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 96 of 337 complaints, followed by “phantom braking” (55).
Other Tesla Model S problems
- Electrical System problems (998)
- Suspension problems (732)
- Steering problems (346)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (276)
- Service Brakes problems (203)
- Exterior Lighting problems (197)
- Structure problems (158)
- Power Train problems (148)
See all Tesla Model S problems.