2018 Tesla Model 3 Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems
NHTSA lists 223 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2018 Tesla Model 3, 22% of all complaints that year, tied to 27 crashes and 10 injuries. Median mileage at failure is 35,000. Five related recalls cover this system, including 22V169000 and 21V846000.
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
- 223
- 22% of 1,024
- Crashes reported
- 27
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 10
- Median mileage
- 35,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 5
Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report
- Automatic emergency braking failed to activate when a vehicle ahead braked suddenly, leading to a rear-end collision.
- Autopilot or Full Self-Driving reportedly failed to detect an adjacent vehicle during a lane change and struck it.
- Full Self-Driving allegedly made a sudden, sharp unintended turn into a barrier with no time for driver response.
- Forward-collision warning and automatic braking reportedly did not engage on the highway, causing the vehicle to strike a stationary object at speed.
- Owners describe Autopilot failing to detect an oncoming vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision with serious injuries.
- Brakes reportedly froze or failed to respond after the automatic braking system reacted to traffic ahead.
When 2018 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance system complaints were filed
First complaint Nov 13, 2018, latest Aug 20, 2026.
Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model 3
- NHTSA 24V153000Feb 27, 2024Collision Avoidance & Cameras6,557 vehiclesOver-the-air fix
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert
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.
- NHTSA 22V235000Apr 12, 2022Collision Avoidance & Cameras594,894 vehiclesOver-the-air fix
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, 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, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 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 supersedes recall 22V-063. Vehicles configured with Summon or Smart Summon and already remedied under 22V-063 will need to have the new remedy software installed.
- NHTSA 22V169000Mar 18, 2022Collision Avoidance & Cameras947 vehiclesOver-the-air fix
Back over prevention:display function
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to 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 camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.
- NHTSA 22V063000Feb 4, 2022Collision Avoidance & Cameras578,607 vehiclesOver-the-air fix
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert
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.
- NHTSA 21V846000Oct 29, 2021Collision Avoidance & Cameras11,728 vehiclesOver-the-air fix
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera
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.
Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints by Model 3 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many collision avoidance and camera complaints does the 2018 Tesla Model 3 have?
- NHTSA lists 223 complaints in this category for the 2018 Model 3, which is 22% of the 1,024 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Are there recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance system?
- Yes. NHTSA lists five recalls touching this system, including campaigns 22V169000, 21V846000, 22V063000, 22V235000, and 24V153000, mostly addressing software issues via over-the-air updates.
- Have collision avoidance failures caused crashes on the 2018 Model 3?
- NHTSA data tied to this problem area for the 2018 Model 3 shows 27 crashes and 10 injuries reported, with no fires.
- At what mileage do these camera/collision avoidance problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 35,000 miles.
- Is the 2018 Model 3 worse than other years for this issue?
- Its 22% share of complaints in this area is lower than several later years, such as 2021 (62%) and 2022 (70%), suggesting the 2018 model year is comparatively less affected within the Model 3 lineup.