YearToAvoid

2020 Tesla Model X Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems

Owners filed 26 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2020 Tesla Model X, 20% of that year's 127 total complaints. NHTSA links four related recalls, and the complaints in this area include 4 crashes and 1 injury, with median mileage at failure of 10,000.

Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
26
20% of 127
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
10,000 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle suddenly and abruptly brakes hard while using Autopilot or cruise control, described by owners as phantom braking, even with no traffic or obstacles present.
  • Phantom braking reportedly happens on highways at speeds around 60 to 70 mph, sometimes triggered when the system falsely detects a construction zone.
  • Rear view parking camera freezes on a single frame while backing up, making it hard to notice obstacles, especially in low-visibility areas.
  • Owners report hard braking events occurring frequently, in one case described as happening at least weekly on local highways.
  • Some owners say phantom braking began after installing the Full Self-Driving beta software, and that it happened on multiple occasions with cruise control or self-driving features active.

When 2020 Tesla Model X collision avoidance system complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 13, 2020, latest Aug 12, 2026.

2020 Tesla Model X collision avoidance & cameras complaints: complaints filed per month4Dec 2020Feb 2022Jun 2022Sep 2022May 2023Aug 2023Nov 2024
26 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2020 to Aug 2026; peak Feb 2022 (4).

Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2020 Tesla Model X

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 X model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20150 (0%)
  2. 201634 (8%)
  3. 201742 (16%)
  4. 201832 (17%)
  5. 201919 (19%)
  6. 202026 (20%)
  7. 20216 (15%)
  8. 202224 (19%)
  9. 202321 (11%)
  10. 20249 (35%)
  11. 20254 (27%)

Frequently asked questions

How many Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints does the 2020 Tesla Model X have?
NHTSA lists 26 complaints in this area for the 2020 Model X, which is 20% of the 127 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall related to Collision Avoidance & Cameras on the 2020 Tesla Model X?
Yes. NHTSA lists four related recalls, including campaign 21V846000 for false forward-collision warnings and campaign 24V153000 for a muted Pedestrian Warning System.
Have there been crashes linked to this problem area?
NHTSA data shows 4 crashes and 1 injury tied to Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2020 Model X.
At what mileage do owners typically report these problems?
The median mileage at failure for Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints on the 2020 Model X is 10,000 miles.
What is the most common complaint pattern?
Owners most often describe phantom braking during Autopilot or cruise control use, along with rear camera freezing while in reverse.

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.