The Curvature Assist function activates and applies the brakes automatically on straight and level sections of freeways with no observable obstacles or curves, requiring driver to resume acceleration to override the brakes.
2026 Tesla Model Y driver assistance complaints
Page 7 of 7: complaints 161 to 172 of 172, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I was in a parking lot and activated Autopilot while the car was next to a stationary pillar near a parking space. Immediately after activation, the vehicle failed to detect the pillar and drove directly into it. The impact happened so quickly that there was no practical opportunity for human intervention to avoid the collision. There may or may not have been a warning, but even if a warning was displayed, it occurred too late to allow the driver to react before the impact. The system did not provide effective parking collision warning or apply automatic emergency braking. This incident caused damage to the driver-side door and mirror. My safety and the safety of others were at risk because the system failed to prevent a collision with a fixed obstacle. No inspection has yet been performed by Tesla service.
Update to ODI 11678614. This problem applies to non-FSD (Full Self Driving) Tesla Model Y cars. Tesla's manual describes Autopilot as Traffic Aware Cruise Control - it's the first step on non-FSD cars. The second step on non-FSD cars, Autosteer, is active lane keeping. In older Ys, the first stalk pull engages autopilot, second pull engages autosteer. 2026 Juniper doesn't have a stalk - a single scroll wheel press engages both. I read the 300 page Juniper 2026 Model Y manual before driving it for the first time. On page 108, it lists 7 things that will cause autopilot to disengage. I presumed that comprehensive list was complete. unable to attach. Having *autopilot* disengage when turning the wheel in *autosteer* is not listed. During my 59K miles on my 2021 Model Y, I used autosteer for at least 20K miles. Turning the wheel in autosteer did *not* disengage autopilot. In my first emergency situation in the 2026 Juniper Model Y, turning the wheel *did* disengage autopilot, and the regen properly kicked in for the disengagement. This action came very close to causing a serious accident. My objections are 1) the action of *autopilot* (disengage / remain engaged) when the wheel is turned in *autosteer* is not documented, and 2) it's different between the old and new Ys using the same current software. I understand there were problems with autopilot remaining engaged, and perhaps the change was a good idea; that's an entirely different discussion. Make the action consistent and document it and I'm happy. Summary: In heavy traffic, while on autopilot / autosteer (cruise + active lane keeping), the car beside me suddenly tried to pull into my lane. I made an emergency lane change by turning the wheel, but the cruise also disengaged, (contrary to operation in the prior model) and went to maxiumum regen braking, causing the car behind me in the new lane to nearly rear-end me. Punching the accelerator during the surprising braking avoided the collision.
I've driven my old 2021 Tesla Model Y for 4 years / 59K miles. Four days ago, I got a new 2026 Tesla Model Y. The new Y has made a change to the interaction of the cruise control and automatic lane keeping. In the old one, first cruise was enabled, then lane keeping. If you disengaged lane keeping by overriding the steering wheel, cruise control was maintained. In the new Y, a single selection enables both cruise and lane keeping. The safety issue is that overriding lane keeping by turning the steering wheel disengages both features at once - the old method kept cruise control enabled. I was driving in heavy traffic today on a 6 lane interstate with cruise and lane keeping enabled. The car next to me abruptly swerved into my lane, causing me to make an emergency lane change to avoid a collision. When I overrode the lane keeping to avoid the other car by turning the steering wheel, my cruise control also disengaged (unlike the old system), which caused maximum regenerative braking to kick in, abruptly slowing me in the new lane. I had to punch the accelerator to avoid being rear-ended in the new lane. This change in lane-keeping / cruise control applies to all new 2025/2026 Model Ys - the "Juniper" model update. This change, according to Reddit and Facebook forums, seems to be universally hated and many other drivers have raised the same safety concerns. I agree with them, but didn't make a report until now because I had not yet experienced an issue where this almost contributed to a high-speed crash. thank you.
Vehicle Make/Model/Year: 2026 Tesla Model Y (Launch Series) Incident Date: [XXX] Incident Location: [XXX] System/Component Involved: Automated driving systems / Autopilot / Steering What Happened: While driving my new 2026 Tesla Model Y on Autopilot, the vehicle suddenly turned off the main road near [XXX] , and steered toward the curb. I immediately pressed the brake, but due to the vehicle’s speed, it still hit the curb, causing damage to the front right tire, wheel well liner, and triggering multiple system error messages. Shortly after, I witnessed another Tesla Model 3, also using Autopilot, make the exact same wrong turn at the same location and crash into the curb. No injuries occurred, but this appears to be a mapping or Autopilot software issue that can cause vehicles to leave the roadway unexpectedly, creating a serious safety hazard. Tesla is preparing the incident data, but this report is being filed to alert the federal safety agency of a potential Autopilot safety defect in this area. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving along a few roads using Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) or AutoPilot (AP), the car will suddenly brake for no reason at all. Speeds reduced from 75 to 50 in 2 seconds. Had there been a car close behind me, we may have collided. I am able to reproduce this on several other roads as well. I have not yet reported this to the manufacturer, but a review of internet forums shows this to be a relatively common occurrence among owners. They refer to this as Phantom Braking.
Incident Date: July 12, 2025 Approximate Time: 1:30 PM Vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y Location: I‑75 South express lane toward I‑285 East, Marietta, GA Event Summary: While Autopilot was engaged, the vehicle was entering the exit ramp to I‑285 East when it abruptly veered left into the I‑285 West entrance ramp, against traffic, crashing through two “no entry” security gates. I was able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop before entering oncoming traffic. Crash Details: • The vehicle struck two barrier gates. • Impact shattered the windshield, spraying glass across the cabin. • Both my son and I sustained small cuts from glass shards. • Vehicle was rendered undrivable and had to be towed by authorities to a secure facility.
I was driving with FSD on [XXX] and had to intervene to take control when a bumper showed up on the road. When FSD was driving in standard mode, it was driving at 72 miles/ hr and was too close to the prior car. When the prior car quickly dodged the bumper my car was already too close to the bumper and needed to make a quick turn. The car almost rolled over. Dashcam video: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I owned the vehicle less than a month, using full supervised drive, FSD. Today 6/22/2025 1:45 PM almost had an accident. The vehicle was in the right made a left turn crossing a yellow line, then made a turn in a white line, in front of the vehicle behind me. I took control of the vehicle to proceed in the correct lane. On another occasion it made a right turn, corrected itself to the left lane as it should have done. I am hearing impaired, focus on the road, cannot look at the screen monitor while driving. The vehicle stopped, advised me FSD was inoperable, had to manual drive to my destination. There is no warning, alerts for the hearing impaired. Other issues driving in the wrong lane, then at the last minute changes to the correct lane, I am certain cutting off drivers. UNKNOWN
Phantom braking on the highway. We were the only car and without warning the car slammed on the brakes. There was nothing for the vehicle to hit in the road or cross traffic.It did this 3x in 35 miles. This has happened both while just cruise control and when the full self driving was on. We are too worried to use either of there is any traffic around us. We have not been to dealership yet. Fast beeping when it hits the breaks. Have not seen any alarms.
The incident occurred on [XXX] around [XXX] (from the dashcam footages) in a highway (don't know the place, but I have a police report). I was driving my Tesla model Y 2026 with Full Self-Driving (FSD v13.2.8) Beta engaged when the vehicle suddenly off the road and hit the fence on shoulder. I retrieved dashcam footage from the incident, including footage leading up to and during the accident. the FSD system malfunctioned, the car is in a body shop and is available for inspection upon request if done quickly; Huge risk to myself and others because no way know when the FSD failed; from this link, same issue: [XXX] the vehicle has not inspected by others no any warnings, the fsd had been working properly in the firt 300 miles trip; but all of sudden, swerved to the roadside with full speed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving my 2026 Tesla Model Y when another vehicle pulled out from a driveway and struck the front/side of my car. The Tesla failed to initiate Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and no airbags deployed. This raises serious concerns about the functionality of Tesla’s safety systems in real-world scenarios. The vehicle has not been modified in any way and was in standard driving mode. I have contacted Tesla Support requesting a diagnostic and explanation, but I believe this incident should also be reviewed as a potential safety defect.
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