2018 Tesla Model S Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems
NHTSA lists 50 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2018 Tesla Model S, 30% of all complaints for the year, tied to 7 crashes and 6 injuries. Median mileage at failure is 40,500 miles, and three related recalls cover forward-collision warning, rearview camera, and pedestrian warning issues.
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
- 50
- 30% of 168
- Crashes reported
- 7
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 6
- Median mileage
- 40,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report
- Forward collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking reportedly become inoperable or fail to engage, in some cases leading to a crash into a guard rail or fence.
- Owners describe Autopilot or adaptive cruise control suddenly and unexpectedly slowing the vehicle for no apparent reason, sometimes at highway speed.
- Lane-keeping and lane departure systems reportedly let the vehicle drift or veer, with some owners describing the car swerving toward walls or entering spins after regaining manual control.
- Multiple driver-assist features (FSD beta, lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking) have reportedly failed together at the same time with no clear cause identified by Tesla.
- Some owners report the media control unit (MCU) lagging or freezing, which in turn caused autopilot or navigation-dependent features to malfunction mid-drive.
- A summon-mode failure was reported causing the vehicle to crash into a fence unattended.
When 2018 Tesla Model S collision avoidance system complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 2, 2020, latest Mar 28, 2026.
Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model S
- 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 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 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 S model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many 2018 Tesla Model S owners complained about collision avoidance and cameras?
- NHTSA lists 50 complaints in this category for the 2018 Model S, which is 30% of all complaints filed for that model year.
- Are there crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?
- Yes. NHTSA data tied to these complaints shows 7 crashes and 6 injuries, with no fires reported.
- Is there a recall for the 2018 Tesla Model S collision avoidance system?
- Yes, three related recalls exist: campaign 24V153000 for a muted Pedestrian Warning System, 22V169000 for a delayed rearview camera image, and 21V846000 for false forward-collision warnings, all remedied via over-the-air software updates.
- At what mileage do these problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 40,500 miles.
- How does 2018 compare to other Model S years for this issue?
- The 2018 model year shows a 30% share of complaints tied to Collision Avoidance & Cameras, higher than most earlier years like 2015 (7%) and 2016 (9%), though similar to 2019 (30%) and 2020 (31%).