2018 Tesla Model 3: adaptive cruise control problems

Filed Aug 20, 2026 · Driver assistance · NY · crash · 1 injury

Adaptive cruise control was on, i was driving on the highway, traffic was speeding up and slowing down, and the tesla was braking accordingly. I was paying attention to the road and noticed, all of a sudden, that the tesla was not braking as traffic in front of us slowed. I immediately slammed my foot on the brake as hard as i could, yet there wasn't enough time or distance, and my car collided with the one in front of me. I wasn't injured, but there's a chance someone in the other car was. The emergency brake did not kick in whatsoever, and the adaptive cruise control completely failed, leading to an accident.

Filed Aug 16, 2026 · Driver assistance · MA

After Tesla pushed software update 2026.20.6.11 or “FSD 14 lite” the self driving feature stopped functioning. Also all of the driver assistance safety features stopped working at the same time, forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection have all stopped working as well. It appears one of the two “self Driving” ECU was damaged or disabled by the update. Without these features the drive is not notified in advance of a collision and the emergency braking does not function to stop the car. The car is awaiting inspection and repair by the manufacturer.

Filed Apr 1, 2026 · Driver assistance · KS

I am submitting this report to the federal safety agency regarding a recurring safety issue with my 2018 Tesla Model 3 involving unintended “phantom braking.” On multiple occasions, my vehicle has abruptly decelerated without any apparent obstacle or hazard present. These incidents have primarily occurred while using driver assistance features such as Autopilot and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control on highways and well-marked roads under normal driving conditions (clear weather, dry pavement, consistent traffic flow). The braking events are sudden and significant, creating a serious safety risk—particularly when other vehicles are following closely. In several instances, the deceleration was forceful enough that I believed a rear-end collision was likely. There were no visible triggers such as overpasses, shadows, vehicles merging, or roadside objects that would reasonably justify the system’s response. Below are details to assist your investigation: •Driver Assistance Features Active: Just cruise control, not auto pilot on these occasions •Weather/Road Conditions: Clear and dry •Frequency of Occurrence: This is an ongoing problem that has occurred dozens of times in the past few years. The March 30th incidents were only the most recent ones. •Any Warning Messages or Alerts: No This behavior appears unpredictable and difficult to anticipate or mitigate, increasing the risk of a crash. Given the potential safety implications, I respectfully request that the federal safety agency review this issue to determine whether it reflects a broader defect affecting other vehicles. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Filed Oct 24, 2025 · Acceleration, Brakes · IA

Repeatedly and randomly, with cruise control (not FSD) engaged, the car would brake, sometimes aggressively. The last time, it braked so hard the tires or brakes squealed and the car swerved slightly before I was able to regain control. This was on the freeway (in Colorado, if I remember correctly) while I was cruising at 70 or 75 MPH. I decided that that was the last time I would use cruise control; it was just not safe. I had an appointment on October 22 to take the car in for service. But then a friend told me this was called "phantom braking" and that there was no fix. A friend suggested that I contact the federal safety agency.

Filed Sep 2, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · CA · crash · 1 injury

Main incident: Time: 2025-08-28 ~12:41 PM PST What happened: After searching for a parking space, the driver was preparing to reverse into the spot, the driver pressed up the stalk to shift the gear into reverse, a sound was heard and something showed up on the screen, the vehicle once again started accelerating and running forward suddenly and sharply (3 mph to 28 mph in 3 secs), driver tried to steer the vehicle away from cars and buildings to minimize danger, the car rushed onto a concrete curb, hit one blue Tesla, then hit the side of a concrete utility pole, and ran over a plant and last crashed into the chain-link french before it finally stops Injuries: * Spine pain for one passenger Damages: ** All tires blown out, tire falls off ** Severe damages throughout the vehicle body * One Tesla parked on the parking lot was severely damaged * The utility pole's base box was scraped and deformed * One plant was knocked down Similar case 3 few mins ago: Time: 2025-08-28 ~12:38 PM PST What happened: The driver entered a oneway parking lot, but found no available spot and was trying to back up, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The driver performed an emergency brake and stopped the vehicle. At the time the vehicle stopped, it was only about 20 inches away from two cars in front of it Injuries and damages: None What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Malfunctioning of the electronic control or braking system leading to abnormal acceleration Conflicting gear shifting and autopilot engagement design The right stalk is used to both shift gears and engage autopilot features, this design makes it very easy for the system to confuse the two actions Autopilot feature safety issues Autopilot features (whether its FSD or cruise control) should not be allowed to initiate abrupt acceleration to a dangerous speed in a low speed area (for example parking lot) Insurance claim filed, number: 25-647243342

Filed Sep 8, 2024 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · TX

On 9/6/2024 I was driving on I-10 E going about 70 mph in the left lane. I had engaged the cruise control but not the Autopilot because I’ve had dangerous experiences with the Autopilot phantom breaking and misinterpreting cracks in the road as lane markers and dangerously changing lanes. So even though Inoaid thousands of dollars for Autopilot I never use it. So I was driving approaching a big rig in the lane to the left of mine and the sun was low in the sky casting a shadow on the road. The car thought the shadow was a car and slammed on the breaks and almost came to a complete stop until I pressed on the breaks to release the cruise control. We are very lucky the car behind us didn’t hit us. The car behind us almost hit us and my passenger and I both sprained our necks. The same exact thing happened 5 minutes later. After that I am too scared to use cruise control which is very inconvenient when on a road trip. My car is a 2018 Tesla Model 3 that is equipped with LIDAR radar when I bought it, however Tesla turned this feature off awhile back. I never had issues with cruise control when the LIDAR was still enabled. I am very angry that a carmaker can turn off a safety feature that I paid for without my consent. I would have bought a different electric car if I had know I’d have to go back in time to the 1990’s before cruise control was invented. Most cars use some kind of radar for their cruise control systems and this seems to much safer. There are many, many complaints on line of other Tesla drivers having lots os problems with phantom braking. This is an important safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately.

Filed Jan 10, 2024 · Driver assistance · TX

There are two issues. 1) The adaptive cruise control brakes for no reason. If someone was behind me they could've rear ended me. 2) At night the blind spot camera is flooded by the turn signal and it's hard to see the blind spot warning. When the turn signal is on the blind spot camera shows on the screen and blind spot warning shows up as a red shaded area. It's hard to see the warning itself because the turn signal light floods the screen.

Filed Nov 19, 2023 · Acceleration, Brakes · TX

The adaptive cruise control (Autopilot) suddenly applied the brakes while I was traveling about 70 MPH on a major interstate highway. There was no reason for the sudden and rapid braking. No obstacles of any kind. I suspect the Autopilot was confused with the shade of the road from asphalt to concrete as I approached a small bridge. Software version on the vehicle is 2023.38.6.

Filed Oct 19, 2023 · Driver assistance · 27,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds with the Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the vehicle to stop abruptly in the middle of the highway. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on four separate occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 27,000.

Filed Jul 14, 2023 · Driver assistance · IL

Vehicle has experienced dramatic increase in so-called phantom braking incidents when adaptive cruise control is turned on. The vehicle suddenly and forcefully brakes for no apparent reason even when there are no vehicles or other hazards in front or on the sides of it. I have revisited sites where the incidents have occurred to see if there is some environmental factor such as reflective signs that might have triggered the incidents but have been unable to replicate them. They are completely random. I am aware that this phantom braking issue has previously been reported but based on a review of various Internet sites such as Reddit, owners have reported a dramatic increase in incidents over the past month or so.

Filed Jul 14, 2023 · Driver assistance · FL

I have owned my Tesla Model 3 since early 2019. The adaptive cruise control worked incredibly beautifully for years up until a few weeks ago - I think sometime in June 2023 (could have been May 2023). All of the sudden, I was *frequently* experiencing phantom braking, ie. braking with no explanation, while using adaptive cruise control. Sometimes the braking was gradual, other times more forceful. It would happen at random places - Sometimes in/near intersections or around other vehicles, other times just out on the open road with no vehicles or stoplights anywhere in sight. Even on a 20 minute drive, it can happen three or four times. To me, this is a severe hazard. I have a disability, and I purchased this vehicle because of the incredible safety features. Prior to this, it has 100% lived up to what people said about it - just amazing. But now, the very reason I purchased this vehicle, its advanced safety features, I find not just unreliable but somewhat terrifying. I *believe* that Tesla may have (effectively / unintentionally) disabled the built-in radar in vehicles like mine. This is because I've read online accounts of people with the same year having the same problems as mine, also at around the same time that mine started. Specifically, my model year has radar built in. But I understand that newer Teslas rely solely on cameras, ie. "Tesla Vision." I understood that because my vehicle physically has radar installed, that my adaptive cruise control would still work at least as good as it had in the past - certainly not worse. If this can't be fixed I'll be forced to sell the car, which I desperately don't want to do, as I love the car and I think the world of Tesla. I just want it to work properly again.

Filed Jul 1, 2023 · Driver assistance · MA

Driving on the highways in cruise control. Car auto braked when going under an under pass. No other cars in front to trigger.