I am submitting this complaint regarding a safety defect in the human-machine interface (HMI) and Driver Monitoring System (DMS) of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. 1. Automation Complacency & Vigilance Degradation: When operating on highways, the system handles dynamic driving tasks in a manner that induces severe automation complacency and driver fatigue. Placing a human operator in an extended passive-monitoring role inevitably leads to degraded situational awareness, delayed reaction capability, and drowsiness. 2. Defective In-Cabin Driver Monitoring: The system's interior cabin camera fails to meet effective driver-monitoring standards. When a driver experiences involuntary micro-sleep, closed eyes, or drooping head posture, the cabin camera repeatedly fails to issue audible alerts, escalation chimes, or forced disengagements in a timely manner. The system permits continuous hands-free operation while the driver is compromised by automation-induced fatigue. 3. Mismatch Between Marketing and Safety Architecture: While the manufacturer classifies the software as SAE Level 2 to disclaim operational liability, the operational behavior and weak attentiveness safeguards encourage disengagement without adequate fail-safes. Because the system creates conditions that promote loss of driver alertness without a reliable monitoring system to detect and correct it, this design presents an unreasonable risk of high-speed collision. I have ceased using this software and request that the federal safety agency evaluate whether the cabin camera monitoring thresholds comply with defect standards under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301.
2023 Tesla Model Y driver assistance complaints
Page 2 of 19: complaints 11 to 40 of 549, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I run FSD 96% of the time. It’s so good that I get somewhat complacent. That’s not a character flaw. That’s what a reliable system does to people. The failure mode is simple. Car is holding a curve. Foot accidently brushes the brake. Autosteer disengages. Assist steering torque goes to zero. Wheel unloads. At speed the path goes straight, worst cases, into barrier, pole, or oncoming lane. A heavy Tesla in that geometry is ugly. Tesla’s answer is always the same: the driver disengaged, so it’s not on us. The accident is losing lateral control because of another control (braking) that should only change speed. Brake pedal grazes are easy and inevitable. I can recover a braking event. But I may not recover an instant straight-line on a bend if my hands weren’t on the wheel. Simple fix: Disengage traction but don’t have FSD disengage AutoSteer until I force the wheel. That way FSD knows I have control instead of only assuming that. I love FSD but always feel there is a suicide/killer stick just inches away from my feet. To answer your question, there is no component failure and safety risk is obvious. I can reproduce the scenario by simply tapping the brake on a curve and feel the wheel try to jerk out of my hands. Tesla acknowledges that this is the way the system was designed: complete instant manual takeover. The normal FSD disengagement tone rings. But that is too little, too late for a surprised driver.
The windshield fogs up in front of the front facing camera. It can get dirty such that it is not just a matter of waiting for it to defog. During this time the self driving feature is impaired. The camera should be sealed to the window such that it can not fog up on the inside. The date of incident is the day tesla technician cleaned my camera and I learned how fragile this system is.
Tesla cruise control removed the speed limit functionality as part of its cruise control. I cannot set a maximum speed for the car. Nor can I set a minimum speed for the car. Tesla removed these features through a software update with their autopilot V14. I believe the vehicle is unsafe for myself and others as it does not allow me to set the speed using Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC). Tesla is intentionally removing this feature.
2023 Tesla Model Y – HW3 Autopilot computer/camera system failure My 2023 Tesla Model Y has approximately 54,000 miles and is equipped with the Tesla Hardware 3 (HW3) Autopilot computer. After receiving Tesla's FSD v14 Lite software, the vehicle began intermittently losing camera-based driver-assistance functionality. I observed an APP_w141 ECU Thermal Issue alert. The vehicle subsequently experienced APS_w134_appMia and APS_w135_appCritical alerts indicating that the Autopilot Processor Secondary was losing communication with and detecting a malfunction of the Autopilot Processor Primary. When the problem occurs, camera/vision functions and driving visualization become unavailable or degraded, and the vehicle has reported Self-Driving Features Limited, Cruise Control Unavailable, Adaptive Headlight Features Unavailable, and other driver-assistance limitations. In Tesla Service Mode I have documented the primary Autopilot processor repeatedly changing between INIT, CRITICAL and COREBOOT while the secondary processor remains NOMINAL. A DAS reset can temporarily restore communication, but the failure returns. Tesla has proposed replacing the entire HW3 car computer at a cost of approximately $3,120. I am concerned that this may represent a safety-related HW3 computer failure, particularly because I observed an ECU thermal alert and because the failure removes multiple camera-based driver-assistance and safety functions. I have photographs documenting the alerts and processor states and have an open Tesla service case.
I own a 2023 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX]) equipped with Full Self-Driving and Hardware 3 (HW3) computer. Over the last couple of years, while using Autopilot/FSD, my vehicle has repeatedly exhibited phantom braking, including sometimes coming to a complete stop for no reason. My vehicle has also swerved into the lane of oncoming traffic on many occasions. On one occasion, this happened three separate times in one day, and the following day the vehicle swerved off the side of the road while FSD was engaged. I have reported these incidents to Tesla Service repeatedly for years, including photos of related screen malfunctions and "What Happened" incident data, documented in the Tesla app as well as in-person at service center visits. August 2026 was the first time Tesla told my husband and me that this was a known hardware/software (Hardware 3) issue, despite years of prior reports. Tesla has given conflicting information about whether a hardware upgrade is possible: I was told the HW3 computer cannot be upgraded and was encouraged to purchase a new vehicle instead, while a service representative separately mentioned a $3,000 upgrade option that "probably wouldn't fix the issue anyway." I am concerned this vehicle poses an ongoing risk of a head-on collision or road departure to myself and other drivers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2023 Tesla Model Y suffered a critical factory safety defect: under-torqued front suspension lateral link bolts, causing dangerous clunking noises under Autopilot. The official Tesla Invoice verified the defect and noted it was re-torqued to spec. Crucially, a close friend owning an identical 2023 Model Y in [XXX] experienced the exact same suspension noise. Upon inspecting his car, the Littleton facility attempted to exploit his lack of information by issuing a deceptive out-of-pocket diagnosis estimate of $240.00 instead of honoring the active bumper-to-bumper warranty. Tesla only backed down and waived the fee to $0.00 after being confronted with my personal repair invoice as leverage. This proves Tesla is actively executing predatory billing and hiding a systemic batch safety hazard from uninformed consumers. Regulatory investigators can verify this pattern by auditing the Littleton Service Center's internal torque check logs and warranty waiver histories for 2023 Model Y vehicles. Furthermore, after touchless app-pickup on XXX, Tesla staff omitted any key card communication. Two weeks later, after discovering my physical key cards were missing, I initiated a brand-new service request to inquire, and agent Tony admitted they were left at the front desk, exposing that Advisor Luis Rodriguez falsified records on XXX by logging that the vehicle was retrieved on XXX. This constitutes bad-faith warranty denial, record alteration, and predatory consumer deception. I formally reported this severe failure directly to Tesla Global Compliance on XXX, but have received absolutely zero response to date. Full PDF report of my personal logs provided. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On August 26, 2026, the vehicle’s Full Self-Driving system was involved in three separate incidents. Between approximately 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, while exiting a parking lot onto a main major street with Full Self-Driving engaged, the vehicle struck the curb. At approximately 6:20 PM, while driving approximately 40 mph on a local road, one street before turning onto the highway, the vehicle began drifting out of its lane without warning for no apparent reason — it is unknown whether this was an attempted automated lane change or a system error. There was oncoming traffic in the adjacent lane at the time; I immediately took manual control of the steering wheel and applied the brakes to correct the vehicle’s path and avoid a collision. At approximately 6:45 PM, while exiting a different parking lot onto a main major street with Full Self-Driving engaged, the vehicle struck the curb a second time. No warning lamp, alert, or message preceded any of these events, and no collision with another vehicle occurred in any of the three incidents. The vehicle has since been returned to the dealer where it was purchased. I am uncertain whether the dealer has separately reported these incidents.
On Wednesday, August 12 around 6:30 am the vehicle applied AEB while I was making a left turn on green. It landed me in the middle of the intersection while a car going straight from the opposite direction was speeding towards me to go before the light turned yellow/red. I escaped a collision only because the other driver managed to slow down.
Our car phantom brakes when traveling through shadows frequently and occasionally at random. This occurs at high speed as well as low speed.
The FSD failed when it back into garage; the back of passenger side of the car hit the wall of garage. There is no warning before. Beacuse the distance for parking into the garage is small, there is no time to take over the FSD to avoid it happen. It happen around 23:35 on August 07, 2026. We reported as a safety incident to Tesla an hour ago. We updated the the software on August 02, 2026. The car had been succesful back into the garage more than ten times before.
On February 17, 2026, around 4:20 pm, as I was departing my agency's parking garage structure, my 2023 Tesla Y uncontrollably and un-prompted accelerated at a very high speed. I applied the brake and it would not stop. I nearly killed the security guard at the garage who was trying to direct my vehicle to the correct exit lane. The vehicle ran across a sidewalk adjacent to the garage, ran across a street, hit a street parking meter, ran across another sidewalk, ran across and toppled a perimeter fence around a parking lot across from the garage I exited, ran over concrete wheel barriers, and continued running for about 300 feet before it came to a stop on its own. This duration of this terrifying ordeal was 3 to 5 seconds. The air bags did not deploy. I called 911 repeatedly for Police investigation and report but the Police never showed up. I towed the vehicle to a Tesla Collision Center, which inspected and investigated the accident, and the Tesla Center stated that the FSD system was working properly and did not find anything wrong. I informed the Tesla Center that I did not subscribe to the FSD system service and was not using it during the accident, and they stated that they stand by the determination of their engineering division that reviewed the "blackbox", information gathering device of the vehicle. The vehicle was totaled and non-salvageable. Prior to the accident, the Tesla Collision Center, had repaired the vehicle from a previous accident that occurred on September 25, 2025. There were no warnings before the vehicle uncontrollably accelerated at a very high speed. I have copy of the accident videos. Your platform would not allow me to upload the videos.
I want to raise a serious safety concern with a recent Tesla software update related to Full Self-Driving (FSD). When I disengage FSD, a prompt immediately appears on the main screen asking why I intervened, with selectable options. Here is the issue: When I take over from FSD, it is almost always because something requires my full attention in that moment. That is the exact point where I need to be focused entirely on driving, not reading or interacting with a screen. Introducing a pop-up at that precise moment creates a distraction during a potentially critical transition from automated to manual control. From a human factors and safety standpoint, this feels backwards: - The highest-risk moment is the handoff from FSD to driver - The system is adding cognitive load and visual distraction at that exact time - Even if interaction is optional, the visual interruption alone pulls attention This is not just an annoyance—it has real potential to increase risk in already sensitive situations.
I was pushed to complete an update on my 2023 Tesla Y with an over the air update. This happened last week. Following the update i have been getting a slew of errors when driving my car related to the parking break, brake functions, automatic energy braking and steering are affected. The wording on the app / car says, Alerts - Steering & Braking - Parking brake functions degraded / Parking brake may not apply or release / Parking brake may not apply or release. This causes my auto brake to not engage, my hold break to not engage, my parking brake to not engage. This causes my car to roll at stop / red lights. I have to physically slam by brakes to stop. This is extremely unsafe and Tesla is trying to charge me $130 to diagnose the car to see why the update caused the issue. My car went from fully drivable without any FSD, normal driving to a runaway trainwreck. This happens roughly 20-30 minutes randomly into driving. Not immediately and it is completely random.
We recently got a subscription for Tesla's full self driving (FSD) system. While using the system, on several occasions, the car "jerked" momentarily. Like it is hard braking but then the car resumes its previous pace. Again, this is very quick, perhaps taking less than a second. It is an occasional occurrence, but it has happened enough times that I am not using the feature anymore. For a split second, It feels like the car was stopping abruptly, which startled everyone riding in the car. My wife called Tesla and provided the information above to an automated help center. She was told to try the "Hurry" mode in FSD. We've been using the "Standard" mode.
I have reported safety issues on this vehicle before, but a new one has arisen which is related to the same. It is the computer shorting out. While in the past I have reported lack of backup camera, lane keeping, cruise control, collision avoidance, now intermittently the power steering fails. I get an error. Thankfully, this occurs when starting up and not while driving (yet), but it is nearly impossible to turn the wheel. As of now, exiting the car, letting the car doors lock and then coming back to the car has solved the issue, but I worry about this occurring while driving. Tesla knows about the computer issues and should take responsibility via a recall rather than a pricey repair on my own as this is a well reported issue. I have received no communication or feedback despite the complaints I have lodged with you and with Tesla. Please intervene before someone gets hurt.
While traveling on the freeway with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged, my vehicle attempted to initiate an automatic lane change to the left. At that exact moment, another vehicle was already traveling parallel to me, fully established in the adjacent left lane. My vehicle signaled and immediately began veering directly into the occupied lane, completely failing to detect the car traveling next to me. The system did not abort the maneuver or yield to the existing traffic. To prevent an immediate sideswipe collision, I had to forcefully grab the steering wheel and wrench the car back into my original lane. The FSD system completely failed to monitor its immediate left blind spot.
On 07/16/2026, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model Y when the vehicle suddenly began swerving rapidly left and right across multiple lanes without my intended steering input. The vehicle became difficult to control, and despite my attempt to correct the direction, it continued to move unpredictably and resulted in a collision. There were no prior warnings or indications of a steering or control issue before the incident. After the collision, I reviewed the Tesla USB drive and found that Dashcam and Sentry Mode recordings from immediately before and during the incident were not available; only recordings after the incident were present. I am concerned that a possible steering, electronic control, or software malfunction may have contributed to the loss of vehicle control.
On XXX I retrieved my 2023 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX]) from Tesla Motors NV, Inc. ([XXX]) after their third attempt to correct a severe panel and component misalignment following a collision repair (Invoice #XXX). The facility replaced major front-end structural components, including the Front Bumper Beam (1687601-00-E), Front Subframe Crush Can (1109193-00-C), and Cast Front Underbody Left Hand Crush Can (1608453-00-D).Tesla's official guidelines require a mandatory 3D structural measurement test whenever these specific cast aluminum underbody and subframe parts are replaced. The repair facility verbally claimed the damage was minor/cosmetic and that only a manual tram measurement was performed. However, a manual tram gauge cannot detect 3D frame twists or height deviations in cast aluminum components, making it wholly insufficient.As a direct result of this unverified structural alignment, the vehicle's front end remains warped. After the first repair, the headlamp shifted and protruded on the right side. After subsequent attempts to fix it, the left headlamp is again protruding outward. Because the structural frame is misaligned, the forward-facing cameras are out of calibration. Under Autopilot, the vehicle exhibits dangerous behavior, including misidentifying a standard bike lane as an extended vehicle lane. Furthermore, the repair facility has since removed or hidden the conversation logs regarding these complaints, and I can no longer find the messages in the Tesla app. Operating a vehicle with unverified structural alignment and compromised driver-assist vision systems poses an immediate, severe safety risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am submitting this report based on my personal experience operating a Tesla Model Y equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD). I have used FSD for approximately four years and have extensive experience with the system. During several recent road trips through heavily forested and mountainous areas, including Yosemite National Park and multiple locations throughout Oregon, I repeatedly observed similar unexpected behavior under the same environmental conditions. On roads where dense tree cover creates alternating bands of sunlight and shadow across the pavement, the vehicle occasionally performs abrupt deceleration, unnecessary braking, or jerky speed adjustments despite there being no visible hazards, obstacles, pedestrians, or animals in the roadway. I cannot determine the technical cause, but based on repeated observations at different locations, it appears that rapidly changing lighting conditions or high-contrast tree shadows may present a perception challenge for the vision-based driving system. This is only my observation and not a technical conclusion. My concern is that unexpected braking or sudden speed changes could surprise following drivers and increase the risk of rear-end collisions, particularly on two-lane highways or winding mountain roads. While I remained attentive and was able to supervise the vehicle, these unexpected reactions occurred multiple times under similar conditions. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency evaluate this type of real-world driving environment as part of its ongoing assessment of advanced driver assistance and automated driving systems. Forested roads and mountain highways are common throughout the United States, and ensuring reliable performance in these challenging lighting conditions is important before wider deployment of autonomous driving technology. I would be happy to provide additional information if needed.
I was driving down a city street near my home and put my Tesla Model Y in Full Self Driving and looked down for 1-2 seconds to retrieve something from my center console and the warning notifications started going off and before I had any time to react, the car drove into a parked car at approximately 39 mph. I have records showing the car was in Full Self Driving for 5 seconds before impact.
My Tesla has repeatedly exhibited dangerous behavior while Full Self-Driving (FSD) is engaged. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has stopped for a red light and then proceeded through the intersection while the traffic signal was still red. This has put my family and others at risk on a public roadway and creates a serious safety concern. One documented incident occurred on June 21, 2026, while my family was in the vehicle. During that event, the car stopped at a red traffic light and then proceeded to attempt to run intersection even though the light remained red. This was alarming and dangerous, and it required close driver supervision because the system did not behave in a safe or reliable manner. This was not an isolated incident. My Tesla has run red lights in this same manner on multiple occasions while FSD was engaged. In addition, the vehicle will suddenly stomp on its brakes on a public roadway, which is another serious and unpredictable safety issue. I have taken the vehicle to Tesla regarding these issues, and I was told that this behavior is considered normal and that nothing would be done about it. Tesla’s response was that the software is still being developed, and that this is essentially part of the risk of using the software. These repeated failures involve traffic signal compliance and erratic vehicle behavior that could easily result in a crash or injury. My family has been placed in danger by these events, and I believe this is a serious safety defect that needs to be investigated immediately. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate Tesla’s FSD system for repeatedly stopping at red lights and then proceeding through the intersection while the signal is still red, as well as for sudden unnecessary braking events on public roadways.
On June 23, 2026, at approximately 7:45 AM Central Time, I was operating my Tesla in full manual drive mode on US Highway 35 westbound between Denton and Fort Worth, Texas. No driver assistance, autopilot, or automated steering system was activated or engaged by me at any point prior to or during this incident. Without warning and without any driver input, the vehicle autonomously activated an automated steering and driving assistance system, assumed full control of the vehicle, and did not return manual control to me despite my attempts to intervene and regain control of the vehicle. The incident occurred during active rainfall and wet road conditions. The vehicle, while operating under its own autonomous system control without driver consent, drifted and struck the guardrail on the driver's left side. Following the initial impact, the vehicle continued moving and did not stop. The automated system remained active and did not disengage following the collision. The vehicle did not return control to me until a wheel separated from the vehicle. This incident was not caused by driver error. The vehicle's automated system activated without driver input or consent, overrode manual driver control, prevented the driver from regaining control of the vehicle, caused a collision with the guardrail, and continued operating after impact until mechanical failure occurred in the form of wheel separation. I am requesting a formal investigation into this uncommanded autonomous system activation as a safety defect. This type of failure poses an extreme and immediate safety risk to drivers, passengers, and the public.
The car's computer shorts out and disables all safety features including navigation, blind spot monitoring, all cameras, emergency braking, autopilot, lanekeeping, auto headlights and wipers. This is a known issue that Tesla will not repair. This resulted in a collision due to poor rear visibility, lack of cameras, and disabled emergency braking. In addition, intermittently there is loss of power steering. Despite this being a known issue, Tesla will not replace my computer, insisting I pay several thousands of dollars for the repair. I feel they must issue a recall and cover this safety defect. The car software cannot be updated, either. Please intervene. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] I do not have the claim information for the other car involved, but can get from State Farm. I do have the repair costs for my vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving in FSD the car is ping ponging between the lane. It didn't used to do this but now does it on any road. Highway, city, turns, etc. The oscillation causes me and my passengers to be sick and it looks like a drunk driver on the road.
Component/Issue Description: Following a recent over-the-air (OTA) software update to the vehicle's Full Self-Driving system, a dangerous user interface defect was introduced. Immediately upon an FSD disengagement—the critical transition window where the operator must resume manual driving control—the center touchscreen populates a mandatory, invasive feedback popup menu. This menu causes a severe driver distraction and creates an immediate safety hazard. The popup blocks vital driving visualizations and navigation data on the screen at a high-stress moment. Furthermore, the UI creates a functional touchscreen lockout, demanding manual and visual interaction from the driver to clear the box while the vehicle is actively in motion. Forcing a driver to divert their eyes from the roadway to navigate a touchscreen menu immediately following a system intervention creates an unreasonable and systemic risk of collision. The manufacturer has provided no setting to disable this dangerous distraction.
1. Failed Component/System: The failed system is the Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD - Supervised) software and its underlying vehicle control logic, specifically resulting in an uncommanded torque request (Sudden Unintended Acceleration). 2. Safety Risk: The vehicle engaged in Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) in reverse from a complete stop, without any driver pedal input. In a parking environment, this uncommanded acceleration poses an extreme and immediate threat to life safety. Had a pedestrian, child, or another moving vehicle been behind my car instead of a metal pillar, this software malfunction would have resulted in severe injury or a fatal collision. 3. Inspection Status: The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. I am intentionally securing the vehicle to preserve the crucial diagnostic logs and EDR data from being erased or reset during standard repair procedures, pending official data extraction. 4. Warnings/Symptoms: There were absolutely no warning lamps, error messages, or visual/audible symptoms prior to the failure. Furthermore, during the uncommanded acceleration, the system did not issue an FSD disengagement warning or chime. The dashcam footage confirms that the FSD visualization remained active and blue on the screen throughout the entire unintended acceleration event up until the impact.
I have written several times before about my car's phantom braking in cruise control. When the Santa Fe Tesla dealer, where I bought the car, told me recently that the problem had been fixed, I was disappointed they didn't bother to tell me, but thrilled to hear the news. On May 12-13 I drove over 900 miles. I tried cruise control for significant portions of both drives and did not experience one problem. Finally, I thought, they fixed the problem...and how nice it was to have cruise control for extended drives. Not so soon: on May 19th I was driving 2 friends up to volunteer at the Wildlife refuge on I-25 in northern New Mexico. The phantom braking happened again. My friends were dismayed...one thought I had seen something in the road that she didn't see. The other, in the back seat, tried to understand what happened. Please, this is beyond the pale! Of course I will call and take the car in to the dealer...an hour's drive for me. I will be surprised if they fix it, and if they do it under warranty. I did just buy new tires (see previous report about original tires with multiple flats and not even making it to their 40,000 mile warranty) so I'm no longer worried about getting a flat in the rural areas where I live and drive.
Driver used Tesla FSD (supervised) to park. The car (Tesla Model Y 2023) prepared to park and slowed down. Second before full stop, the car suddenly accelerated on its own without driver stepping on the accelerator. It went onto the curb and knocked over the fence and continue to drive full speed before driver braked hard and stopped the car. Video is available upon request.
The full self driving system has malfunctioned and is failing. I was put in incredibly dangerous situations that were near potentially fatal accidents. Had someone been a little bit closer when following me, I would not have had enough time to counter the issue. Yes it has been confirmed but not nearly to the extent that I have experienced it It has been inspected by a local service center from the company. There have been some visibility warnings but nothing else.
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