2022 Tesla Model 3: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Aug 31, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · CO

My 2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range has developed a failure of the Autopilot/ADAS computer. The AP computer remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. The vehicle operated normally before software update 2026.26.6. Following the update, Driving Visualization and Autopilot began going offline, along with automatic headlights, automatic turn signals, emergency braking, collision and traffic warnings. The failures have continued despite software/firmware reinstall, DAS reset, camera calibration, and hard reset. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the AP computer is defective and recommended replacement at approximately $2,600. I paid $120 for Tesla's diagnostic assessment. Service Mode has recorded repeated AP watchdog/kernel-panic events, including APS_w169_TurboA_SCS_LKUP, APS_w134_appMIA, APS_w135_appCritical, and PM_a041_dasMIA. The vehicle has also recorded simultaneous exits of multiple camera streams, sometimes causing camera feeds to go black while driving. Service Mode has shown the AP ECU in Coreboot/INIT, intermittent loss of communication between the AP ECU and infotainment ECU, missing GNSS Ethernet communication, and unavailable AP temperature telemetry. This creates a safety concern because multiple safety-related driver-assistance and camera-dependent systems can unexpectedly become unavailable while driving. The vehicle remains manually drivable, but the driver must unexpectedly operate without previously available functions. The failure can also affect automatic headlights and turn signals, requiring manual operation. I am reporting this as a potential safety defect because multiple ADAS/camera systems fail simultaneously and the AP computer repeatedly crashes/reboots. The failure began after a software update, although Tesla has stated that some alerts predated the update. Due to the GPS board contacting the autopilot first before the infotainment, precise location is off and navigation is unavailable.

Filed Aug 7, 2026 · Electrical, Lights · 100,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of camera and safety feature functionality for eight hours daily. The message "Adaptive Headlights Feature Unavailable" was displayed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The contact was referred to a service center that was over an hour away. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Dec 2, 2025 · Visibility · WI

This car uses auto-dimming rear view and side mirrors. However, the rear view mirror is only able to be dimmed automatically, or be disabled in the settings. The issue is that the dimming is not based on a light sensor at all, it is merely timed to dim around 30 minutes after sunset and return to normal 30 minutes before sunrise. I have confirmed this timing on many drives and it is repeatable. The safety concern is that there is no way to manually dim the rear view mirror, which is a big issue around sunrise and sunset when cars headlights turn on before the mirrors dim. This is especially an issue with larger trucks behind a sedan like my Model 3. The only option I have to fight the blinding glare from headlights is to manually move my mirror so that I can no longer see out of the rear window, which makes lane changes much more dangerous.

Filed Feb 6, 2025 · Lights · FL

My car just made 50k and is out of warranty and the headlight fail. I contacted Tesla and they quote $1800 to fix it. When I went on the internet and found out that this is very common and seems to be a bad design. Can you do anything so they redesign and recall so we consumers are not ripped off by Tesla? I know is a long shot now that Elon is running the government but I have nowhere else to complain. Thank you

Filed Jun 27, 2024 · Lights · OR

i was driving after dark on a country highway with my wife. She was choosing music while I was driving. An oncoming car went by and afterwards I flipped to high beams... at the exact same moment she tapped to play a song on the display. Turns out the skip/play songs menu is exactly where the headlight adjust menu pops up when you switch from high to low beams. This caused her to turn the headlights off on the car while we were travelling at highway speeds. This causes an obvious significant safety risk because of a poorly thought-out UI design and could cause a crash very easily. I am including two photos of the UI problem one with music playing, and the second popup for headlight control when the light beam is changed from low-beams to high-beams.

Filed Dec 23, 2022 · AZ

2022 tesla 3. Consumer writes in regard to design defects on vehicle. The consumer stated the tesla has 2 design defects when the headlights are on auto mode they cant be turned on with voice command and the top line of the LED screen was illegible.

Filed Mar 7, 2022 · Driver assistance · MO

Potential computer system/programming issue. TACC autopilot issue. Highly numerous amount of 'phantom braking' events, potentially could cause loss of vehicle control and/or rear end collision. Also, auto-dimming headlights issue, in that oncoming drivers could experience blinding high-beam lights due to the fact that the lights do not dim automatically until the oncoming vehicle is very close. This is potentially a high risk for auto accidents. Again, high amount of phantom braking!!! These issues are ongoing issues, and started upon delivery of my vehicle, new, in December 2021. Tesla service will not address these issues.

Filed Feb 23, 2022 · Lights · CA

My car is less than two months NEW. The headlight assembly, which includes blinker and running light, has been defective and not working for over a month. NO blinker, no headlight, no running light. This is a safety issue and can be issued a traffic citation, yet Tesla has NOT repaired/replaced this part.

Filed Feb 23, 2022 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · IN

Phantom braking keeps occurring when my cruise control is set. If there is oncoming traffic with their headlights on in the opposite lane, my car will begin to brake. It also occurs sometimes when there are no other cars nearby.

Filed Feb 18, 2022 · Brakes, Driver assistance · CA

The vehicle suddenly brakes quite significantly and without warning periodically when cruise control or automatic steering is in place. It happens most often on two lane roads when a truck or a vehicle with headlights on approaches in oncoming traffic. There is no warning and it is so startling that it causes the driver to overcorrect or worry that the car will completely stop with traffic moving behind us. It is totally unpredictable and unanticipated. Once the vehicle has passed, it rapidly resumes speed. It feels as if the car has total control, not the driver. I have not notified Tesla, but plan to. Very dangerous and unnerving.

Filed Feb 14, 2022 · Lights · CA

Less than a month after I purchased my car, the whole diver's side headlight assembly stopped functioning, no blinker, no headlight, no running light. It's been over a month and Tesla keeps moving my service appointment to a later date. Tesla states it's a part issue, yet you continue to build cars with headlights ignoring current customers. I still have no working Headlight assembly.

Filed Jan 5, 2022 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · IN

VERY AGGRESSIVE phantom braking on two lane highways and at night with oncoming headlights. Car will reduce speed by 30mph or more in seconds. This is a new car, a month old. Tesla says cruise is part of autopilot, but we turn autopilot off and just use cruise and it still does it very often. It is extremely unsafe. The internet is full of similar complaints. We need NHSTB to pressure Tesla to fix this. It is a major safety hazard.