I am writing to formally escalate the recurring and increasingly serious technical and safety issues with my Tesla Model Y. Since July 2026, my vehicle has experienced multiple system malfunctions despite three service appointments, including the replacement of the vehicle computer during the most recent service. The frequency, severity, and nature of these failures have raised serious concerns regarding the vehicle’s reliability, roadworthiness, and overall safety. What initially appeared to be intermittent system alerts has now escalated to situations involving reduced propulsion, loss of critical vehicle functionality, and the vehicle becoming completely immobile while driving. I am extremely disappointed that these issues continue to occur even after multiple service interventions. I no longer have confidence in the vehicle’s ability to operate safely and reliably. he above incidents, combined with the repeated failures since July 2026, demonstrate a pattern of unresolved and potentially serious vehicle malfunctions. My concerns include: Repeated Park Assist and Adaptive Headlights malfunctions. Camera failures and abnormal vehicle visualizations. Vehicle computer replacement without lasting resolution. Electrical system power reduction and potential vehicle shutdown. Front motor disabling and reduced propulsion. Sudden reduction in acceleration and maximum speed. Windshield wiper failure during rainy weather. Automatic Vehicle Hold becoming unavailable. Automatic Emergency Braking becoming unavailable. Lane Departure Avoidance becoming unavailable. Vehicle becoming completely immobile while driving. Potential inability to restart the vehicle. Failure of driver-side door and trunk access. Unpredictable vehicle behavior and loss of confidence in its safety. These are not merely inconvenience-related issues. They involve fundamental vehicle operating systems and safety-related functions.
Tesla Model Y lane assist problems
178 of the 4,374 owner complaints about the Tesla Model Y describe lane keeping assist jerks the wheel, most of them for the 2021 model year.
- owner complaints
- 178
- worst model year
- 2021
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,000
- typical mileage
- 23,000
By model year
Often reported together
Adaptive cruise 72Collision warning 31Wipers 19Backup camera 16Phantom braking 14Headlights 13Power steering loss 12Jerking 9
What owners say
I set the lane departure assistant to off. But it reset it ti assist witjout my knowledge. when I tried to swerve to avoid collision it try to correct me, very dangerous.
Following a software update (2026.38.3.2), without any prior warning messages or symptoms, the vehicle's onboard computer failed on 10/26/26, which resulted in the loss of critical driver-assistance and safety systems. The affected systems included the backup and side-view cameras, blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking, collision warning, lane departure warning/assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, GPS, and adaptive headlights. The loss of the cameras and blind-spot monitoring reduced my ability to identify surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, while the loss of automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, and lane-assistance features eliminated important safety functions designed to help prevent accidents. The problem was confirmed by a Tesla Service Center. According to Tesla's diagnostic findings: "In this instance, your vehicle's computer consists of both a primary and a secondary component. Our diagnostic findings indicate that both parts failed, not due to an internal short, but because of a complete loss of communication between the primary and secondary units." Tesla inspected the vehicle and determined that the computer required complete replacement. The vehicle is currently at the Tesla Service Center awaiting repair and will be unavailable for inspection. A previous recall (25V‑002) addressed a similar computer failure and relied on a software update as a remedy, however the recurrence of a related failure raises concerns about whether that remedy was sufficient. I am concerned that the automatic software update on 10/26/26 may have contributed to the failure of the car computer. The fact that the failure occurred after the update, without any prior warning, and resulted in the loss of multiple critical safety systems presents a serious safety concern. A software update should not leave a vehicle without essential safety equipment or render multiple driver-assistance systems inoperable.
On XXX (4:59 PM and 5:47 PM) and XXX (7:49 AM), while driving, my 2021 Tesla Model Y (approx. 41,500 miles) displayed "Steering assist reduced" (UI_a020), each followed within about a minute by "Lane Departure Avoidance unavailable" (APP_w264). [Add if true: The steering felt noticeably heavier when the alert appeared.] The vehicle's 12V system tested healthy in Service Mode (13.32 V, DC-DC output normal). Tesla Service ([XXX]; service SV02F94980) diagnosed an Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) rack motor control error with limited power output from overheat or overload protection. On XXX, at 41,788 miles, Tesla replaced the steering gear (part 1188832-00-B), along with the front lower compliance and lateral links, and performed an alignment. I paid $4,522.27 out of pocket; Tesla declined goodwill. Losing power steering assist while driving is a safety hazard. The failed rack belongs to the same Mando-manufactured family (XXX) named in recall 25V‑092 and investigation EA24001, which covered only 2023 Model 3 and Model Y. the federal safety agency's complaint database shows a growing number of 2021 Model Y complaints describing the same UI_a020 alert and the same rack replacement, many filed in 2026. I ask the federal safety agency to evaluate whether the defect and remedy should extend to 2021 Model Y vehicles. Invoice attached. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2021 Tesla Model Y (Autopilot Hardware 3) had a malfunction of its camera system and automatic windshield wipers after an over-the-air software update. The update was version 2026.38.5.1, which included FSD (Supervised) v14.3 Lite, and it installed on Oct 17. The vehicle had no problems with these systems before the update. After the update, the rearview camera did not display when shifting into reverse, the passenger side rear camera feeds stopped working, the automatic wipers did not activate in rain. Tesla’s automatic wipers depend on the vehicle’s cameras rather than a separate rain sensor, so both failures point to the camera or Autopilot computer system. Safety risk: Without a working rearview camera, I could not reliably see pedestrians, children, or objects behind the vehicle when reversing. Without working automatic wipers, visibility in rain depended entirely on manual control. Camera-dependent safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning may also have been affected. The problem first appeared immediately after the 2026.38.5.1 update. I went to the Tesla service center and they are charging an exorbitant to even diagnose the issue ($265 per issue). Current status: On Oct 26, Tesla installed a newer update, 2026.38.5.11. However, the problem persists. The passenger side rear camera briefly worked before going dark again.
Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance on my 2026 Tesla Model Y overcorrect. While driving normally within our lane, mostly on the highway, the system applies sudden steering that pushes the car toward the adjacent lane, nearly causing a collision. This happens on almost every drive, for both my husband and me. Since a recent software update, Lane Departure Avoidance resets to Assist at the start of every drive and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance also reenables every drive. There is no way to keep these features off, so the only option is navigating touchscreen menus before each drive, which is itself a distraction. There have been no crashes or injuries so far, only near misses. Software version 2026.27.11. I request that the federal safety agency investigate these steering interventions and require Tesla to restore the option to keep these features off permanently.
After making a left turn I got 2 alerts on my screen "steering assist reduced" and "lane departure disabled", I tried to reset the vehicle few times, but it didn't work, I drove it to Tesla repair center and they issued steering rack damage diagnosis, Tesla is removing and replacing the steering rack along with wheel alignment at this moment. Driving with the alert was extremely dangerous since the steering could have been completely disabled while driving and this could happen on the freeway or a busy street which would have put me and others at the risk. Since it has been a very common problem with 2022 and 2023 models and recall has been issued for 2023 models, I feel like the 2022 models having the exact same problem are being ignored and it's drivers put at a risk of hurting themselves or others.
In my 2026 model Y I have to turn off lane departure assistance every time I want to drive the car. In my experience, this function has been dangerous. When I am passing a semi truck, I want to de- center myself away from the truck. Lane departure assistance forces my car towards the semi truck. It is terrifying. I’m not leaving the lane, I’m just trying to be at a safer distance as I’m passing the semi truck, and the car won’t let me when I have lane departure assistance on. I’ve been told that for the 2026 model Y, we are forced to turn it off before every drive whereas in other models, you could turn it off and it would remain off. Since when are we forced to have our car drive for us? I thought this was a choice, but apparently I am wrong.
This car's emergency lane assistance features are not helpful and have kicked in when not needed. This is disturbing, annoying and very dangerous, especially if there were icy/snow conditions on the road.
COMPONENT: The car computer (Tesla HW3 / "Full Self-Driving Computer 3," which houses the Autopilot computer and GPS) failed during a scheduled overnight over-the-air software update from version XXX in early XXX. The update failed to install, and from that point all cameras were black including the backup camera, navigation was frozen, and every driver-assistance feature was unavailable: Autopilot, FSD, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keeping, and blind spot monitoring. The failed unit was returned to the owner and is available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: The vehicle remained drivable with crash-avoidance systems and the federally required backup camera disabled. The only indication was a camera-unavailable message; there was no clear warning that AEB and collision warning were off. The vehicle was driven about three weeks in this condition while awaiting parts. CONFIRMED BY MANUFACTURER: Yes. Tesla remote diagnosis determined the car computer required replacement. Tesla remotely cancelled and re-pushed the update on XXX; the download stalled at 0 B/s and never installed. Tesla Service in [XXX] replaced the car computer on XXX at owner expense ($2,489.48; outside basic warranty, goodwill declined). Tesla's repair notes state the loss of all camera images and Autopilot capability occurred "after a failed software update." PRIOR WARNINGS: None. No warning lamps or messages before the update; the vehicle operated normally on XXX Owner resets, power-off, and 12V disconnect did not restore function. ASSESSMENT: The Autopilot computer failed during a manufacturer-pushed software update. Owner forums and automotive press reported numerous similar HW3 computer failures in summer 2026 following Tesla software releases. No crash, fire, or injury. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Related recalls
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017, 2021-2023 Model 3, 2020-2023 Model Y, 2021-2023 Model S, and Model X vehicles operating software version 2026.8.6. The rearview camera image may be delayed when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-00-001.
Recall number 26V283000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: software
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Tesla will also identify any vehicles that experienced a circuit board failure, or stress that may lead to a circuit board failure, and replace the affected computers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 7, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-00-001.
Recall number 25V002000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: warnings: external/pedestrian alert
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
- Risk
- Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
Recall number 24V153000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model S, X, and Y vehicles equipped with full self-driving computer 4.0 and running a software release version 2023.44.30 through 2023.44.30.6 or 2023.44.100. Software instability may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.
- Risk
- A rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-002.
Recall number 24V035000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The forward-facing camera may be misaligned, causing some of the active safety features such as emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane assist to become unavailable without alerting the driver.
- Risk
- Safety features that are unavailable without any warning to the driver may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla Service will inspect and adjust the pitch angle, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-17-006.
Recall number 23V489000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Model 3 and 2021 Model Y vehicles. The fisheye and narrow camera cable terminals were incorrectly installed in the cable harness connector, resulting in swapped camera views.
- Risk
- Swapped camera views can prevent the vehicle's cameras from detecting crossing objects and high-curvature lane lines, impairing the Autosteer and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) performance, and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla Service will correct the swapped terminals and recalibrate the cameras, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-17-007.
Recall number 22V317000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: warnings: external/pedestrian alert
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
- Risk
- Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 5, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-003. Note: This recall has been superseded by Recall 22V‑235. Tesla's number for the new recall is SB-22-00-003.
Recall number 22V063000 · Recall details
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
- Risk
- Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
Recall number 21V846000 · Recall details
Questions about the Tesla Model Y lane assist
Which Tesla Model Y years have lane keeping assist jerks the wheel problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2021 (42 complaints), 2023 (35 complaints) and 2024 (33 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix lane keeping assist jerks the wheel on the Tesla Model Y?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,000 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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