YearToAvoid

2021 Tesla Model 3 Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems

NHTSA lists 413 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2021 Tesla Model 3, 62% of all complaints for the year, tied to 11 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries. Six related recalls cover camera wiring, forward-collision warnings, and rearview camera delays. Median mileage at failure is 10,000.

Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
413
62% of 663
Crashes reported
11
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
8
Median mileage
10,000 mi
Related recalls
6

Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report

  • Owners report unexpected hard braking or false forward-collision warnings on the highway with no obstacle present.
  • Some describe brakes or ABS failing to respond when the pedal is pressed, resulting in the vehicle continuing forward into a curb, wall, or object.
  • Several report Autopilot or FSD suddenly accelerating, veering, or steering toward another vehicle, median post, or wall while the driver attempts to regain control.
  • One owner reported the automatic emergency braking system failing to detect and stop for a pedestrian while in self-driving mode at low speed.
  • Another reported FSD repeatedly failing to stop while backing into a parking space, striking a wall or nearby vehicles on multiple occasions.
  • One early complaint described phantom braking events combined with automatic cruise control failing to slow down when needed.

When 2021 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance system complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 25, 2021, latest Sep 21, 2026.

2021 Tesla Model 3 collision avoidance & cameras complaints: complaints filed per quarter1752021 Q22022 Q12022 Q42023 Q32024 Q22025 Q12026 Q1
413 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2021 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2022 Q1 (175).

Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2021 Tesla Model 3

  1. NHTSA 26V283000May 4, 2026Collision Avoidance & Cameras218,868 vehiclesOver-the-air fix

    Back over prevention:software

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. NHTSA 22V317000May 9, 2022Collision Avoidance & Cameras7 vehicles

    Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking

    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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  1. 20179 (35%)
  2. 2018223 (22%)
  3. 2019188 (31%)
  4. 2020167 (37%)
  5. 2021413 (62%)
  6. 2022537 (70%)
  7. 2023183 (43%)
  8. 202451 (24%)
  9. 202535 (30%)

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does NHTSA have about the 2021 Tesla Model 3's collision avoidance and cameras?
NHTSA lists 413 complaints in this area for the 2021 Model 3, which is 62% of the 663 total complaints filed for the year.
Are there any related recalls?
Yes, six recalls tied to Collision Avoidance & Cameras cover the 2021 Model 3, including swapped camera wiring (22V317000), false forward-collision warnings (21V846000), muted pedestrian warning sounds (24V153000), Boombox sound-in-motion (22V063000 and 22V235000), and delayed rearview camera images (26V283000).
How serious are these complaints?
NHTSA data tied to this area for the 2021 Model 3 includes 11 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries.
At what mileage do these problems tend to show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this area is 10,000 miles.
Is the 2021 Model 3 worse than other years for this issue?
The 62% share for 2021 is higher than 2017-2020 (35%, 22%, 31%, 37%) but lower than 2022's 70%, based on NHTSA complaint data by model year.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.