2024 Tesla Model Y Driver Assist & ADAS Problems

NHTSA COMPLAINT NARRATIVE — SAFERCAR.GOV Vehicle: 2024 Tesla Model Y Component/System: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Software, Version 14.2.2.5 On March 14, 2026, at approximately 5:22 PM, a 2024 Tesla Model Y was traveling on U.S. Route 3 in Franconia, New Hampshire, at approximately 45 mph within the posted speed limit. The vehicle was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software version 14.2.2.5 actively engaged. Three occupants were present in the vehicle, including two minor passengers. All occupants were properly restrained with seat belts. Component/System That Failed: The Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system, version 14.2.2.5, failed to safely detect and respond to a snow-covered road surface. The system lost control of the vehicle upon encountering a snow patch on the roadway, causing the vehicle to strike a tree. The FSD system is the primary failed component. The vehicle has been towed and is available for inspection upon request. How Safety Was Put at Risk: The FSD system was in active control of the vehicle's steering, braking, and acceleration at the time of the failure. The system provided no auditory alert, no visual warning, and no driver takeover request prior to the loss of control event. The failure occurred without any warning whatsoever, leaving insufficient time for the driver to intervene and prevent the collision, despite the driver actively supervising the system in full compliance with Tesla's own supervision requirements. Three occupants were placed in immediate risk of serious injury or death. The vehicle struck a tree and was totaled. Emergency services responded and evaluated all occupants on scene. An official police report was filed. Prior Warning Lamps, Messages, or Symptoms: None. The FSD system issued zero warnings — no auditory alerts, no visual prompts, no haptic feedback, and no takeover requests — at any point prior to or during the loss of control event. The system was operating normally by all displayed indicato

Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model Y VIN: [XXX] Mileage: Approximately 40,531 miles Software Version: 2025.45.9 FSD (Supervised) Version: v14.2.2.4 While driving on [XXX] near the [XXX] entrance in Mission Viejo, California, the vehicle was operating under Full Self-Driving (Supervised) mode. As the freeway lane ended/merged, the vehicle unexpectedly performed a sudden full stop at freeway speed. There was no visible obstruction in front of the vehicle. Multiple vehicles behind me had to brake abruptly to avoid a rear-end collision. The system did not provide any audible or visual warning before the sudden braking. This has created a serious safety risk due to the high-speed freeway environment. This issue appears to be related to lane-ending or merge interpretation by the FSD system. I am concerned that this behavior could result in a rear-end collision. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tesla's full self-driving software continues to malfunction. On January 30th at 9:50 a.m. mountain standard Time I was parked at work and discovered my vehicle was left unlocked with a partial window unrolled. This was my first indicator of many faulty problems signaling the vehicle was not operating properly. The vehicle has a proximity sensor via Bluetooth that locks and unlocks the vehicle on the owners approach was not properly working. On January 31st I experience a catastrophic failure with the software of the vehicle as I was locked out of my vehicle after utilizing summons feature that stopped the vehicle in the middle of the intersection obstructing traffic. Police arrived on scene within 30 minutes and we were unable to put the car in any gear to either drive the vehicle or place it in neutral to roll it out of the way. I have detailed video of the incident which is a better accounting of the incident on both occasions, the 30th and 31st of January. This is roughly the third or fourth occasion of Tesla's system producing a catastrophic failure resulting in damage to the vehicle or property damage.

Incident Description (in my own words): We were driving southbound on [XXX] from New Hampshire back to Boston in our Tesla Model Y. Traffic became increasingly congested and slowed to a crawl. My wife was driving, and I was in the front passenger seat working on my laptop. As traffic built up, my wife became momentarily distracted and did not apply the brakes in time. I noticed, in my peripheral vision, the vehicle ahead of us—a truck—suddenly filling the windshield. At that point, I heard the forward collision warning alert, but it activated extremely late, essentially at the moment of impact. The vehicle did not automatically brake or stop, despite the low speed, close proximity, and clear visibility of the truck ahead. We collided with the truck in front of us. Damage was minimal (license plate damage and a small dimple on the front of the vehicle), but the safety concern is significant. Both of our Teslas are configured with forward collision warning set to “Early.” Under normal circumstances, this alert triggers frequently, sometimes conservatively. In this incident, however, the warning activated far later than expected, and there was no automatic braking intervention prior to impact. The front camera appeared clean and unobstructed. I am filing this complaint because this behavior undermines my confidence in the vehicle’s collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking systems. I am also filing a similar complaint for our Tesla Model 3. I am now anxious about whether the software will perform as expected in situations where driver attention lapses briefly—precisely the scenario these safety systems are designed to mitigate. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue, as the system did not behave in a manner consistent with its intended safety function. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Autopilot was engaged and active at the time of the incident. The vehicle failed to detect a stationary piece of road debris (appearing to be a dropped vehicle part) located in the driving lane. The system did not provide any warning, slow the vehicle, or attempt an avoidance maneuver. The vehicle drove directly over the debris, resulting in damage to the lower exterior/body panel. Road and traffic conditions were normal. This raises concerns about Autopilot’s object detection and hazard response capabilities.

I am writing to report critical safety issues I’ve experienced while using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software version 14.1.3. The recent update has introduced several dangerous behaviors that were not present in previous versions. One issue occurs frequently on neighborhood roads: the vehicle performs sudden emergency braking for no valid reason. For example, during one drive, it abruptly stopped because a few leaves blew across the road. There were no pedestrians, vehicles, or real obstacles present. These false-positive braking events are alarming and could easily cause a rear-end collision. An even more concerning issue arises during highway driving. The car now repeatedly swerves partially into adjacent lanes—without signaling—and then abruptly returns to its original lane. This happens constantly, even in light traffic, and it did not occur in previous versions of the software. This erratic behavior is incredibly dangerous and could easily cause sideswipe accidents or create confusion for surrounding drivers. It is clear that version 14.1.3 is a regression from earlier versions. The system’s decisions are more erratic, less confident, and frequently unsafe. I no longer trust the FSD to operate reliably in environments where it previously performed well. I urge your agency to investigate this software update as it presents a real and growing hazard on public roads.

While driving ~40 mph with no Autopilot or cruise control active, my 2024 Model Y suddenly braked itself from 40 → 0 mph for no reason. The road ahead was clear. I did not touch the brake. My 3-year-old was in the car. We were nearly rear-ended and could have been seriously injured. When I went to Tesla Service, the manager insisted I must pay a $270 diagnostic fee unless they “find a problem,” while also saying the incident was likely caused by “shadows.” This makes me believe they will simply say “no issue found” and charge me despite this being a severe safety malfunction. When I reached out to Tesla Customer Support, they stated it was a known issue. This poses a serious risk of rear-end collisions, injuries, or fatality, and Tesla is not addressing it.

New update to ASDS software allows the vehicle to do 15-25+ over the speed limit and no ability to control. This is unsafe and Tesla took away the ability to control speed. Either engaged or not, this is completely unacceptable and they seem set on this being the only way to go.

My 2024 Tesla Model Y hit a parked vehicle on the right side of the street during FSD self driving. The car suddently slanted to the right and hit the parked vehicle. During FSD drive, it did not give any warning before the accident. My dauther was injured on her face. Clearly the new version FSD v14.1 software is very defective. I am located in San Jose, CA.

When in reverse, the reverse camera disappears if the driver turns the air conditioner on. I was in reverse, pushed the air conditioner button, the camera disappeared and I hit a car behind me. There were also no warning sensors when I got close to the car. It seems to be a safety issue for the reverse camera to ever disappear while in reverse. I’ve had many other cars and while in reverse, you can still turn on the radio or the air conditioner without losing the reverse camera visibility. a child could easily be run over because of this

I would like to report an incident where Tesla FSD got confused by tire marks on a bridge deck and, soon after, by shadows on pavement. On both occasions, FSD steered the car across the double yellow before returning to its lane. There was no traffic and the car slowed down, so I let it play to see what would happen. Your site does not allow uploading videos so I'm providing Youtube links to the videos showing the incidents. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Traveling today using the cruise control function in Tesla Model Y, the car took over the control of the car and applied braking for no clear reason. Was going 70 miles an hour, had been using the cruise control for about 30 minutes when incident occurred. There were semi trucks in the slow lane, I was in the fast lane. There were no vehicles in front of my car. The car suddenly lunged forward as the brakes were automatically applied. Simultaneously, the steering wheel began to jerk back and forth causing the car to veer back and forth. Vehicles around me began braking as well to avoid rear ending my car and to avert hitting my car as it veered back and forth. I had to fight the steering wheel in an attempt to pull it off the active roadway and then the car suddenly gave all control back to me at which time I was able to disable the cruise control and take full control.

There is a Tesla software defect. 1. I stepped into my Tesla Model Y. There was no vehicle in front of my driveway. A delivery van came to park in front of my driveway temporarily. It is a traffic violation according to the California Vehicle Code Section 22500(e). 2. I put my foot on the brake and put my car in the reverse gear. 3. Then I made an adjustment on the CONTROL screen. 4. I put my foot on the accelerator to continue to back up my car. The screen doesn't show the rear view anymore. This is a Tesla software defect that the screen should display the rear view as soon as I push the accelerator in this case.

shortly after i purchased this car it began to put itself into park while the car was moving slowly and even when it was in car wash mode going through a brush carwash that requires cars to be in neutral. i reached out to tesla support to investigate and they explained this is a safety feature that engages if the driver leaves the seat while the car is not in park. i explained to them that in both cases i had been sitting firmly in the seat and there should have been no reason for the car to put itself in park and asked them how i turn this auto feature off. they said there was no way to turn it off. i explained to them that ALL automation features should be optional, they argued with me. came to find out some sensor in my driver's seat was malfunctioning. they took the car to replace the seat/sensor, but i reiterated that all these auto features should be optional and a consumer should be able to turn them off. my car was rendered unsafe to drive due to the malfunctioning sensor, i should have had a way to turn off the feature, i asked them to open a ticket with their engineers to add settings to turn off this automation feature. fast forward to 6/25/25, as i am pulling my car into a parking space at a store the car SLAMS itself in park, so hard that i thought maybe i had hit something hard with one of my wheels. i followed back up with Tesla support and am being told there is still no way for me to turn off this automation feature. no automation feature should EVER be hard coded into a motor vehicle. the risk presented by malfunctioning automation features is too great, and if i want to completely control every aspect of my car i should be able to, regardless of how much automation it is capable of. i am filing a complaint now because Tesla is clearly not taking these concerns seriously

The backup camera system is not available, no camera visibility on any of the cameras, no sensors detection, blinkers only lit for 2 seconds and after that they are turned off automatically. Vehicle is not safe to drive with the risk of system failure while driving.

FSD failed to break when another vehicle was making a right turn. I had to take over is a split second. I have dashcam footage but unable to upload in this form.

Incident Details: Date & Time: [XXX] Driver: My spouse, Purpose of Trip: Personal (heading to a nearby soccer park) Location: [XXX] Weather & Road Conditions: Clear weather, dry roads, normal traffic conditions Driver Safety: The driver was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident Incident Description: My spouse was driving to the nearby soccer park with the vehicle in FSD mode. Upon approaching a railway crossing, the signal was green, indicating it was safe to proceed. However, instead of maintaining a controlled speed, the car suddenly accelerated while attempting to cross. Before my spouse could take control, the vehicle struck the boom barrier, which was either lowering or had already lowered at that moment. The incident happened so suddenly that she did not have enough time to react and override the system. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, but the vehicle sustained damage to the front bumper, windshield, and frame. The unexpected behavior of FSD at a railway crossing raises serious safety concerns regarding its decision-making. Safety Concerns: I have been a long-time appreciative user of FSD, but this incident has shaken my confidence in the system. I now fear using FSD. Given the serious nature of this incident, I request an urgent review and response regarding my concerns, as well as coverage for the necessary repairs. Request for Investigation & Cost Coverage: Access to Vehicle Logs: I request access to the vehicle's telemetry and camera recordings to determine why this happened. FSD System Review: Please investigate whether this was an FSD-related miscalculation and what corrective actions are necessary. Cost of Repairs: As this incident was caused by an unexpected FSD action, I request Tesla to cover the repair costs for the vehicle and any associated damages. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving on a three-lane highway (I-495) using the adaptive cruise control (autosteer) when I suddenly noticed the car to my right dangerously veering toward my vehicle. In an attempt to change lanes to the left, my car wildly overcorrected to the left, nearly sending me into the highway median, followed by another overcorrection to the right. The steering wheel felt almost uncontrollable. Luckily no collision.

After update 2024.38.2 they introduced a "Active Curve Assist" which can't be disabled while using the cruise control. This has caused the car to excessively brake (70mph to 45mph), a couple times while a vehicle is following resulting in a near rear end collision and has created dangerous situations

When using FSD, I've noticed that on occasion at a red light, the car will start moving, albeit very slowly, a fraction of a second before the light turns green. I've assumed the car was watching the traffic lights from the other direction using its cameras. So on the [XXX] when this happened, and the car started moving I let it go thinking the light was about to turn green. But I was shocked that the car drove through the red light. Admittedly there were red lights in all directions. I know I'm supposed to be keeping control but it was so shocking that by the time I reacted the car was already in the intersection so I let it go. I downloaded a recording of it. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)