What 412 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Tesla Model 3 Bev

My 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN [XXX]) has a recurring safety defect in its driver-assistance system involving two unsafe behaviors. First, “phantom braking”: while driving with Autopilot/FSD engaged, the vehicle decelerates suddenly and without warning when there is no obstacle or threat in its path, creating a rear-end collision risk. This was first reported within the vehicle’s warranty period and has recurred. Second, on the most recent occurrence, with a Tesla service technician riding along to witness the issue, Full Self Driving (Supervised) failed to proceed safely through the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX]. The vehicle stopped mid-turn while another vehicle approached from the opposite direction. I had to take manual control to complete the turn and avoid a hazard. The Tesla technician witnessed this directly, and the service summary states FSD “did not proceed through the intersection properly.” The vehicle has been to a Tesla service center twice for this defect. It has not been resolved. The behavior occurs without warning and is unpredictable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11747048

I was driving today in California, to TopGolf. I had to cross a railway crossing around [XXX] I think, or [XXX] - one of those 2, between [XXX] and [XXX] pm.. I was using Tesla's FSD driving to go on a local road. I was not distracted or occupied - the vehicle was going at a fairly high speed like maybe 35 or so, and in a couple of seconds, it broke the red and white safety gate at a railway crossing, inspite of it being down and the train being on the tracks - I WAS IN SHOCK. The car completely missed the red and white gate, and just blew past it, damaging my windshield completely to smithereens and throwing glass all over the car. I was in such SHOCK and TRAUMA that I literaly wanted to exit the car and sit down somewhere, but i gathered my composure and drove quickly to the nearest safest place I could stop, and got into some office parking garage. I then called the cops and reported it. This was such a shock, and thank the Almighty God that I wasnt hurt and that the train didn't just hit me. This HAS to be recalled, and there is no way this should be allowed on the roads. I used FSD a Lot and i will never use it again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11746850

A fatal crash occurred involving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The vehicle departed the roadway, impacted a guardrail, struck a utility pole on the driver’s side, rolled down an embankment, and came to rest upright. The crash resulted in catastrophic intrusion into the driver’s compartment and a fatal injury to the driver. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the crashworthiness and occupant protection performance of this vehicle, including the structural integrity of the occupant compartment, airbag deployment and effectiveness, and the performance of any advanced driver assistance systems, including collision warnings and automatic emergency braking. I am also requesting review and preservation of all available vehicle data, including Event Data Recorder (EDR) information, vehicle telemetry, driver assistance system status, warning notifications, braking data, steering data, and any other information recorded before and during the crash. At this time, I do not know whether a vehicle defect or system malfunction occurred. My concern is whether the vehicle’s safety systems and occupant protection systems functioned as intended and whether additional vehicle data may help determine if any safety-related issues contributed to the severity of the crash.

NHTSA ODI 11746034

The vehicle was purchased pre-owned directly from Tesla. On the day of pickup and five days later, while operating on Full Self-Driving (FSD), the vehicle phantom-braked abruptly and then dangerously accelerated through a solid red light into cross-traffic intersections. The driver had to forcefully override the vehicle to prevent a crash. Tesla Service Center was notified but dismissed the issue, performing only a camera recalibration and charging a fee. Following the service appointment, the red-light running behavior stopped, but the vehicle continues to suffer from aggressive, sudden phantom braking multiple times on every single trip, creating a severe and continuous risk of a rear-end collision on public highways.

NHTSA ODI 11745364

I am reporting a safety concern involving a Tesla operating with Full Self-Driving Supervised active. On June 5, 2026, at approximately 7:50–7:55 AM Pacific Time, the vehicle was being driven with FSD Supervised engaged. The vehicle was in a turning maneuver when the driver mistakenly applied the accelerator. Vehicle data provided by Tesla appears to show ACTIVE_FSD shortly before the incident, a turning/steering angle, accelerator-pedal input/override, FSD becoming unavailable, and then crash-related/braking/tire-pressure signals shortly afterward. I am not claiming the vehicle accelerated on its own. The data appears to show driver accelerator input. My concern is that while FSD Supervised was active and the vehicle was already turning, the system allowed a strong accelerator override that rapidly worsened the situation. In this case, the vehicle went over a curb/sidewalk area and sustained significant damage. The safety concern I am reporting is whether FSD Supervised should better limit, warn, or manage strong accelerator override during low-speed turning maneuvers, especially where the vehicle may leave the roadway, cross a curb, or enter a sidewalk area. I believe this involved driver error as a mistake pedal acceleration, but the system design may have allowed that error to create a more dangerous outcome.

NHTSA ODI 11742926

While driving at highway speed under normal operating conditions with the accelerator engaged and no braking input, the vehicle suddenly experienced a sustained 6-minute-12-second ADAS/EDR degradation cascade. This included OVERHEAT_PROTECT_FANONLY activation, repeated AEB_CAN_STATE_UNAVAILABLE toggling, FAULT 14.0 brake-signal mismatch, impossible negative brake pressures, and 27+ ABS/EBD/ESP fault-lamp cycles. No warning lamps, messages, or alerts appeared prior to the cascade. The degradation resulted in loss of braking assist and stability control functions, causing two collision events (right-side T-bone impact followed by curb strike) despite no driver error or input. This failure mode matches the exact ADAS/EDR degradation pattern under active NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA26002. Full technical details, timestamps, fault logs, sampling gaps, and EDR data are provided in the attached narrative PDF and supporting CSV files.

NHTSA ODI 11732616

The Full Self Driving (Supervised) system (FSD(S)) failed by running a red light. Video is available for inspection upon request. My safety was not at risk - this time - because the system waited until there was no cross traffic to resume motion, even though the light was still red. I have not tried to reproduce the problem for a dealer since it happens infrequently. (This is the third time in perhaps 6 months of subscription to TESLA's FSD(S). TESLA has not informed me of any inspections they have performed, even though they have been notified through the channel they provide. There was no indication from the car that it perceived any failure. It stopped only when I applied the brake. Prior symptoms include two previous incidents of stopping for a red traffic light, waiting until there was no cross traffic, then resuming motion while the traffic light was red. This is the first time I thought to save dash cam video.

NHTSA ODI 11726564

An incident that occurred while Full Self-Driving (FSD) was engaged. During the drive, the vehicle unexpectedly steered toward the curb while making a right turn. I was actively monitoring the vehicle and immediately took control of the steering, but the vehicle still made contact with the curb. After the incident, the vehicle developed steering misalignment, vibration while driving, and abnormal noise, which suggests possible suspension or wheel damage. Since FSD was engaged at the time, I would appreciate it if Tesla could review the vehicle logs and investigate whether there was any system malfunction or unexpected behavior from the FSD system.

NHTSA ODI 11721846

In autopilot mode on 1/28/26 the vehicle without any warnings went through a red light causing an accident. A week prior it failed to adjust speed in a 35 mile per hour zone maintaining 71.

NHTSA ODI 11720413

The vehicle’s brakes did not work, automatic emergency brakes and collision warning both did not work. I pressed on the brake for about 5 seconds but the brakes did not work, resulting in a collision with the car in front. Everything is available for inspection if needed. Both my safety and the driver of the vehicle in front of me was at risk. The problem has not been confirmed yet. The vehicle is currently at a shop, waiting inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms.

NHTSA ODI 11697065

On August 7th, 2025 at around 8 AM in the morning, my vehicles mobile phone car key was in-operable and I was unable to get in the car which led me to trouble shoot how to fix this issue with the car. Upon researching I was directed by Tesla to directly complete a soft reset of the vehicle holding down both buttons on the vehicle once I was inside, and pushing on the brake pedal. Upon completion, my vehicle booted up and I realized that all camera systems were down, my navigation systems were down, my safety features were down, my auto pilot, lane keeping assist and auto brake were down, sensors were down and I was no longer able to pre heat my battery to charge my vehicle due to issues with the navigation. I then took the vehicle to Tesla Service Center Irvine where a service advisor quoted me 2900 for a new ECU and Bolts and told me that I needed to replace my whole unit and that I was to cover the cost of the repair even though my vehicle is only 2 years of age and this failure is due to the quality control and software of the vehicle. I have been driving around a vehicle with absolutely no safety features whatsoever such as no cameras, sensors, auto braking, or full self driving due to this ECU failure and I fear for my safety and well being while driving this car.

NHTSA ODI 11694965

The Tesla ran a red light on two separate occasions while in full self driving mode. The first time it went through without me being able to intervene. Given it had done it before, the second time I was able to stop it. Both times occurred at the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] . It has not done it at other intersections. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11692335

During driving, Tesla car spontaneously stated multiple active safety features and regenerative braking were no longer available and stopped working during driving with multiple warnings appearing. Driver safety at risk during this as well as others safety due to the lack of functioning. The car was taken to Tesla service center and was explained that front lower lateral suspension links were damaged by "impact" although the car was never in an impact or accident preventing proper alignment and functioning of the car. The part has been since repaired and currently undergoing further investigation for warranty dispute.

NHTSA ODI 11691087

While driving my Tesla equipped with Autopilot/Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, I experienced an unexpected and abrupt braking event. A vehicle had entered the center turn lane and had already cleared my lane, posing no obstruction to my path. Despite this, my Tesla suddenly applied the brakes without warning, causing a rapid deceleration that could have led to a rear-end collision had another vehicle been following closely. There were no visible hazards, warning messages, or alerts prior to the braking. The incident occurred in clear daylight conditions on a dry road, and the vehicle in the center turn lane was stationary or turning away from my lane. This appears to be a case of phantom braking, possibly due to misclassification of the adjacent vehicle or overcautious object detection by the vehicle’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This issue has occurred more than once in similar scenarios, and I believe it poses a serious safety risk. I have not yet had the issue inspected by Tesla or a service center, but I am submitting this report to raise awareness and request investigation into the reliability of Tesla’s braking logic in these situations.

NHTSA ODI 11689066

On [XXX], my 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: [XXX] ) suddenly accelerated on its own and the brakes failed to respond despite repeated pressing. To avoid hitting other vehicles, I turned into a property driveway and struck a tree. The airbags deployed. This was a case of sudden unintended acceleration combined with complete brake failure, creating a serious safety hazard. Forward Collision Warning also did not prevent the impact. A police report was filed by the Dekalb County Police Department, GA, USA (Report #[XXX], Case #[XXX]), which specifically documented brake failure as the cause of the accident. The report also notes that the driver was injured by the airbag and that the vehicle had to be towed from the scene. A copy of the police report can be provided upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11688608

Autopilot (adaptive cruise control) will freak out and slam on the brakes when a motorcycle passes by splitting lanes. This is a serious safety issue as cars and motorcycles behind me may not be able to react in time and cause a rear end collision or into the wall or vehicles next to them. It is impossible to override the braking with the accelerator as it will be too late by the time the car accelerates. Flooring the accelerator is also not a safe option.

NHTSA ODI 11676617

My Tesla Model 3 disengaged cruise control while going 68 mph and braked hard for no apparent reason. I was driving northbound on I-405 at 3:45 a.m. going to LAX airport in the number 3 or 4 of six or seven lanes. Cruise control had been activated for at least 10 minutes before the incident at a speed of 68 mph. There was no traffic within half a mile before or after me due to the time of day. Neither my left or right foot were near either the brake or acceleration pedal, nor were they in motion. Both hands were on the steering wheel and no control was being activated. The only noticeable environmental condition is that the road surface had just changed from a dark gray asphalt to a bright white new concrete roadway. No emergency braking alert was seen or heard, so I do not think it was a false collision detection, and there was no car within a half mile. However, I do believe the severity of braking could have caused an accident if there had been someone behind me. Tesla Model 3 Software Version was v12 (2025.20.6 046c4575d120).

NHTSA ODI 11674647

The contact rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH in the rain, a vehicle in front of him abruptly slowed down. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle jerked to the side. The contact stated that the emergency braking system unexpectedly activated ("slams on") while he was driving due to the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system falsely detecting a potential collision. There were large rocks in the roadway, and there was no traction, causing him to crash into an embankment. The driver's side airbag did not deploy. The other airbags in the vehicle had deployed. The contact sustained a fractured rib, and medical attention was provided at the hospital. The vehicle was towed to a towing company. There were no reported fires. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown diagnosis was completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11673405

Description of Problem: While driving under normal highway conditions on July 2, 2025, my Tesla suddenly and violently phantom braked — meaning it rapidly and without cause applied the brakes forcefully. There were no obstacles, vehicles, or hazards present. The sudden deceleration caused a severe flare-up of a recent cervical disc replacement surgery I had undergone. I experienced extreme neck and spinal pain and had to seek emergency medical attention. I am now under medical supervision, on pain medication, and unable to work. I contacted Tesla requesting the logs from the incident and have received no response. I’m deeply concerned about the safety of this vehicle and the lack of accountability for this known and previously investigated issue. I am in the process of retaining legal counsel and intend to pursue this further as a product liability and injury case.

NHTSA ODI 11671398

While driving with the Adaptive Cruise Control enabled, on California highway 5 on Aug 28, 2023, the vehicle applied the brakes very aggressively and suddenly, shy of making a complete stop, without any object or shadow requiring it to do so - known as the "Phantom Breaking". It was so dangerous that if it was a weekend with many cars behind me, I would've been violently rear-ended and perhaps not lived to report this incident. This happened twice in two hours, to the point that I have never engaged the cruise system again. The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system (which is part of the Auto Pilot system) on this vehicle is dangerous and should be avoided. I wish the vehicle had the [old fashioned] non-adaptive cruise control but it doesn't. Answering the questions: Nothing failed but the ACC clearly malfunctioned since there was no object, shadow, road animal, change in asphalt color, etc. to cause it to abruptly break. It was a clear sunny day. Any accident at such highway speed could've been deadly to multiple drivers on the road. When I informed the dealer, they "verbally" acknowledged and informed me of the term "Phantom Breaking" that they had heard of the problem being reported by others but nothing to worry about and they didn't inspect the vehicle. There we no warning lamps, messages or symptoms prior to the problem. Again, this issue happened twice within a two hour period and I have not used the ACC system again. My spouse was with me in the car in both cases and witnessed the scary situation.

NHTSA ODI 11670497

Curvature Assist feature agressively brakes while driving at highway speeds. This is supposed to slow down for curves, but frequently intervenes for straight, clearly marked lanes. Feature cannot be turned off. Drivers behind me have gotten agitated several times for the sudden, harsh braking, and I do not feel comfortable driving this car.

NHTSA ODI 11667324

I was traveling at highway speeds on a highway with no vehicles or other obstacles in front of me. I had adaptive cruise control on. Then, the emergency brakes deployed for no reason (so called “phantom braking”), decelerating the car quickly. I turned off adaptive cruise control as fast as I could and nothing bad happened. But the situation was dangerous, as if a car was close behind me it could have rear ended my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11667354

The full self driving is very dangerous. I had several events that put me in danger. Like, going to the wrong lane. Going to the wrong way. Changing lanes that almost hit a car good thing I took over right away. It made the other car upset and honk at me.

NHTSA ODI 11640269

Software updates caused failure notifications (seat restraint system) and disabled cameras/emergency brakes, happened immediately right after software updates. All hardware performed and properly functioned before the software updates. 1. First failure noticed on the begin of March 2024, component affected : " Rear center safety restraint system fault". Second failure noticed on [XXX] component affected: " Autopilot cameras unavailable", "Automatic emergency braking is unavailable" 2. I feel extremely unsafe now when using the vehicle with failure notification of the car's components, especially while driving my children to school. I am unsure if the system failure that could causes accidents and put my kids at risk or danger. 3. First issue was notified Tesla representative immediately right after the software update (happened over night). They scheduled an appointment, but I saw a charge bill that I have to approve before taking the car in for an inspection. It happened when my car is just out of warranty. I called Tesla dealership in Buena Park, CA to discuss about my safety concerns and got told it might be just a software glitch and I should be ok to drive. (??). Second issue was also notified Tesla and got a schedule for an inspection/service on December 10th, 2024, and again with an approval of $650 that I might got charged for ahead of the service ???? (Why do I get charged for something that wasn't my false until Tesla pushed a bad software to make us pay for their bad scripts?) 4. There was no failure notification "at all" before the last 2 or 3 software updates. Tesla offered some kind of 1 month free FSD then software updates to remove the FSD then everything started to fall apart. I am very concerned with Tesla software updates now and failures it might cause that put our family at risk because of their bad scripts or batches. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11628010

If a Tesla software update fails it causes an APB version mismatch causing all safety features to become disabled until you schedule service for repairs. It is not covered outside of warranty even though it’s an issue caused by their update. If you google APB Version Mismatch, a lot of people have experienced it. Out of warranty repair is $2-3k for a computer replacement even though it was working fine before the update.

NHTSA ODI 11627183