YearToAvoid

2021 Tesla Model Y Collision Avoidance & Cameras Problems

NHTSA lists 594 Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints for the 2021 Tesla Model Y, 55% of all complaints that year, tied to 36 crashes, 2 fires and 7 injuries. Median mileage at failure was 4,000, and six related recalls cover this system.

Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints
594
55% of 1,076
Crashes reported
36
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
7
Median mileage
4,000 mi
Related recalls
6

Typical collision avoidance system symptoms owners report

  • Autopilot or adaptive cruise control failed to detect stationary objects on the highway, resulting in front-end collisions.
  • Autopark or auto-steer maneuvers caused the vehicle to strike parked trucks or fixed objects while owners had activated the automated parking feature.
  • Autopilot made sudden, uncommanded turns into curbs or the wrong lane, in one case while FSD Beta was active during a left turn.
  • Backup camera or rear warning system failed to alert drivers to nearby vehicles or objects in low-light conditions, leading to reversing collisions.
  • Owners reported the vehicle unexpectedly lurched forward from a stop while shifting or parking, sometimes triggering emergency braking.

When 2021 Tesla Model Y collision avoidance system complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 27, 2020, latest Sep 16, 2026.

2021 Tesla Model Y collision avoidance & cameras complaints: complaints filed per quarter2382020 Q42021 Q32022 Q22023 Q12023 Q42024 Q32025 Q22026 Q1
594 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2020 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2022 Q1 (238).

Collision Avoidance & Cameras recalls for the 2021 Tesla Model Y

  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 Y model year

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

  1. 20190 (0%)
  2. 2020111 (40%)
  3. 2021594 (55%)
  4. 2022505 (59%)
  5. 2023505 (43%)
  6. 2024155 (48%)
  7. 202552 (53%)

Frequently asked questions

How many Collision Avoidance & Cameras complaints does the 2021 Tesla Model Y have?
NHTSA lists 594 complaints in this area for the 2021 Model Y, making up 55% of all complaints filed for that model year.
Are there recalls related to collision avoidance and cameras on the 2021 Model Y?
Yes. NHTSA lists six recalls touching this system, including campaigns for a rearview camera delay (26V283000), muted pedestrian warning sounds (24V153000), swapped camera terminals (22V317000), the Boombox function (22V235000 and 22V063000), and a false forward-collision warning issue (21V846000).
Have these camera and collision avoidance problems caused crashes?
NHTSA data tied to this area shows 36 crashes, 2 fires, and 7 injuries reported for the 2021 Model Y.
At what mileage do these camera and collision avoidance issues typically occur?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this area is 4,000 miles.
Is the 2021 Model Y worse than other years for this issue?
Complaint share for this area was 55% in 2021, compared with 40% in 2020, 59% in 2022, and 43% in 2023, so 2021 and 2022 show higher shares than the years around them.

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.