2020 Tesla Model 3 Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems
NHTSA lists 167 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2020 Tesla Model 3, 37% of that year's 451 total complaints, with 13 crashes and no fires or injuries reported. Median mileage at failure was 10,000 miles, and four related recalls touch this system.
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
- 167
- 37% of 451
- Crashes reported
- 13
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 10,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 5
Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report
- Owners report unexpected low-speed forward creep or acceleration while stopped, sometimes resulting in a collision with a vehicle or curb ahead.
- Some describe the rearview camera failing to activate during reversing, leading to a collision with a stationary object.
- Others report the automatic emergency braking system engaging harshly and unnecessarily during normal city driving with no automated features active.
- Several complaints describe Autopilot failing to detect or avoid an obstacle, including a parked truck struck while passing on a city street.
- Owners also report Smart Summon or Autopilot steering the car into another vehicle or object despite an unobstructed view and time to react.
- One complaint describes sudden hard braking from cruise control at highway speed on a clear stretch of road, nearly causing a rear-end collision.
When 2020 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance system complaints were filed
First complaint Nov 9, 2020, latest Aug 5, 2026.
Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2020 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 & Cameras complaints does NHTSA have for the 2020 Tesla Model 3?
- NHTSA lists 167 complaints in this area for the 2020 Model 3, which is 37% of the 451 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall related to collision avoidance or cameras on the 2020 Tesla Model 3?
- Yes. Four related recalls apply, including campaign 21V846000 for false forward-collision warnings and campaign 22V169000 for a rearview camera image delay, both remedied with over-the-air software updates.
- Have these problems caused crashes?
- NHTSA data show 13 crashes tied to Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints on the 2020 Model 3, with no fires or injuries reported.
- At what mileage do these issues typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for this problem area on the 2020 Model 3 is 10,000 miles.
- Is 2020 worse than other Model 3 years for this problem area?
- The 37% share for 2020 is higher than 2018 (22%) and 2019 (31%) but lower than 2021 (62%) and 2022 (70%), so 2020 falls in the middle relative to other years.