2021 Tesla Model Y: sudden unintended acceleration

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Acceleration, Airbags · CA · crash

On September 23, 2026, the vehicle was being driven at low speed when the driver experienced sudden and unexpected acceleration. The vehicle rapidly accelerated and a collision occurred. The driver reports that she did not intentionally accelerate the vehicle to this degree. Vehicle data and the Event Data Recorder (EDR) were subsequently obtained. The data records the vehicle accelerating from approximately 0 mph to approximately 35 mph in about four seconds, with the recorded accelerator-pedal-position signal reaching 100%. The EDR does not record brake application before the first crash trigger. Vehicle data records driver brake application shortly after the initial crash trigger, including ABS activity. The cause of the accelerator-pedal-position signal is UNKNOWN. It has not been determined whether the recorded signal resulted from driver pedal application, the accelerator pedal/sensor system, or another vehicle system. I am reporting this because of the sudden acceleration and severity of the resulting collision and would like the incident reviewed as a potential vehicle safety issue. The EDR also indicates that airbag and seat-belt pretensioner deployment was not commanded during either of the two recorded crash events. Given the severity of the collision, I am also reporting the lack of airbag deployment as a safety concern. I do not know whether the collision met the applicable deployment thresholds. The vehicle is available for inspection. The EDR report and complete raw vehicle-data CSV have been preserved. There were no known warning messages indicating an accelerator problem before the incident.

Filed Apr 15, 2026 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA

Incident Date: April 11, 2026 Approximate Time: 6:30 PM Component(s): Unknown (Suspected: Electronic Stability Control, Steering, ADAS) Description of Incident: On April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:30 PM, I was operating my Tesla Model Y on a highway with a self-driving mode engaged. I experienced what appeared to be a sudden, unintended acceleration combined with an erratic "zig-zag" steering pattern across multiple lanes. I am not certain of the technical cause, but the vehicle’s behavior felt like a loss of system control that was not initiated by me or the road conditions. I had to intervene immediately to prevent an accident. Post-Incident Actions and Manufacturer Contact: I have since contacted Tesla Service, and while they confirmed that data for that date exists, my formal "Privacy Data" requests for those specific logs have come back empty or missing the relevant timeframe. Summary of Concern: I am reporting this because I suspect a serious software or hardware malfunction occurred, though I do not have the technical diagnostic to confirm which system failed. The combination of the vehicle’s erratic movement and the subsequent difficulty in obtaining the data logs for this specific window of time leads me to believe there is a potential safety defect that requires investigation.

Filed Dec 31, 2025 · Brakes · CA · crash · 1 injury

Picked up car from tesla service on 12/30/2025. On [XXX] at around [XXX] I had pressed the car break and suddenly accelerated and lead to crashing into the pole. I am concerned about the safety and if it is drivable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 14, 2025 · CA · crash

I was driving slowly at a parking lot of a supermarket and preparing to park on my right. When I saw a car on my left front backing up, I pressed on the brake pedal immediately and turned the wheel slightly to the right. All of a sudden, the Tesla accelerated on its own with a very strong force and high speed, with the wheel turned sharply on its own toward the right. The Tesla then run through the steel fence of the parking lot, flying past the sidewalk, and finally settled on top of a big rock on the ground (which is placed there to protect the supermarket building). All of these happened so fast with such a strong force and all in an unintended manner. I was not injured and luckily no other persons or vehicles were involved. However, the vehicle was totalled and there were damage of the supermarket property.

Filed Oct 7, 2024 · Brakes, Driver assistance · CA · crash

The issue appears to be an acceleration malfunction and brake failure in my 2021 Tesla Model Y. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. On [XXX] at [XXX], while waiting for the garage door to open, the car experienced an unknown unintended acceleration malfunction, surging forward uncontrollably. It didn't wait for the garage to open, crashed through the garage into the family room, causing significant structural damage to the framing and door. The City of Eastvale declared the house unsafe, sealing it off. I am now homeless and staying with friends temporarily. During the crash, the airbags did not deploy, and the ABS system failed, preventing an emergency stop. The car stopped 4-5 feet away from my wife, who was on the sofa, posing a critical life-threatening situation. Thankfully, [XXX] and I survived, but this incident caused severe mental trauma for my family. We have not reported the incident to Tesla. The dashcam footage appears deleted during the crash and the car seemed to have only recorded footage before the crash and after. This issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by any dealer or service center, but further investigation needs to be done. The vehicle has not been inspected by Tesla or any service center. However, the police and insurance representatives have been involved. We are coordinating further inspections to find the cause of the acceleration and brake failure. We aim to invoke the Tesla Event Data Recorder (EDR) tool to investigate what exactly went wrong with the car. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms before the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 2, 2024 · MA

My wife was driving the car on our downsloping driveway when the car suddenly accelerated without her pressing the accelerator pedal. She slammed on the brakes and was able to bring the car to a stop before colliding with the garage door.

Filed Feb 14, 2024 · Acceleration, Brakes · TX · crash · 2 injuries

On 6/25/22 our 2021 Tesla Model Y with 16,163 miles had a sudden unintended acceleration, it didn't responded to the breaks and within seconds hit a parked car and finally stopped when it crashed to a large tree. It was a "Total Lost" by the insurance. Around 1pm on a clear sky day, driving out of a small gated residential community, before exiting I pulled over the side of the road for a few minutes, when I resumed the car suddenly accelerated to what felt like full speed. While I stopped by the side of the road the car remained in "D" mode, when I resumed I forgot that it was already on "D" and pushed the shift level down; we think the car went to Cruise Control to the last used speed which was probably a highway speed. The breaks didn't stopped the car and didn't cancel the accelaration. It traveled out of control less than 150 feet before it crashed to a large tree. For some "unknown" reason, the footage of the 4 cameras got erased from my usb memory stick. The only video left was the front camera and that video was cut a couple of seconds before the first crash. Tesla took almost a year on their "investigation" and the result was a long technical BS indicating that they didn't found anything abnormal. Driver airbag deployed.

Filed Aug 4, 2023 · MD

While driving on highway, my Tesla all of a sudden accelerated unintentionally and violently swiveled, not letting me take control of the steering wheel. My car spun 180 degrees and I had to drive to the grass on the side to stop the car. Autopilot was not on, cruise control was not on, I was driving normally. My entire family was in the car and they witnessed the situation. This was extremely scary and could have caused injuries or even death. This is the second time it happened to my Tesla (similar situation, my wife was driving that time).

Filed Jun 5, 2023 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA

While driving eastbound on the CA60 freeway and merging onto the Interstate 10 freeway, on a clear sunny day and on a dry road, without another vehicle beside the car, with the 'autopilot' (not full version) engaged, the car suddenly initiated an uncommanded acceleration which required the driver to aggressively depress the brake pedal to stop the acceleration and to disengage the automated driving feature. This sudden acceleration brought the vehicle dangerously close to another vehicle traveling in front before it could be stopped. Witnesses were in the car when this incident occurred.

Filed Jun 5, 2023 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA

While driving northbound on the CA111 freeway along an elevated ramp leading to the Interstate 10 freeway, in the evening after sunset, and on a dry road, without another vehicle beside the car, with the 'autopilot' (not full version) engaged, the car suddenly initiated an uncommanded acceleration which required the driver to aggressively depress the brake pedal to stop the acceleration and to disengage the automated driving feature. This sudden acceleration placed the driver and occupants at risk to the car traveling around an elevated tight curve with a ramp speed limit that the car exceeded. Witnesses were in the car when this incident occurred.

Filed Feb 1, 2023 · Acceleration, Brakes · NV · crash · 1 injury

Tesla Y Unintended Acceleration! Driving my Tesla I got a phone call that did not show up on screen then 1-3 seconds later my car took control of itself and rapidly accelerated. I had NO control with no steering or brakes. Powerless inside an accelerating vehicle! The car then crashed up on the median through a private community light post and into a tree. The car did not stop until the battery was severed and destroyed by the tree. All airbags went off and all glass shattered. There was no prior warning at all. Insurance adjuster deemed the car a complete total; not worth repair.

Filed Oct 27, 2022 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · NV

I drove from Flagstaff, AZ to Las Vegas, NV on 10/26/2022. I attempted to put my car in AutoPilot (adaptive cruise control) around a dozen times during this 260 mile trip. Every 10-25 miles the car would brake extremely hard forcing the passengers to lunge forward as if the brakes were being slammed. In every case, the car was in the same lane (no lane changes) with nothing but open road ahead. In most cases there wasn't a vehicle in front or to either side of me (only behind me). No corrective messages or indications appeared on the screen to explain this action. The only corrective action I could take was to hit the accelerator to avoid a rear end collision. When I contacted Tesla about the issue, they checked the logs during this trip and found no faults in the system to explain this behavior.