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Acceleration & cruise control

Tesla Model 3 Acceleration problems by year

622 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Tesla Model 3's acceleration & cruise control. Unintended acceleration, surging, throttle problems and cruise or adaptive cruise faults.

Acceleration complaints by model year

YearAcceleration complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
20261000
202421130
20236921160
202217114120
20211231160
20207018100
2019711960
2018923180
20174000

Latest Model 3 acceleration complaints

2018 Tesla Model 3SteeringAcceleration & cruise controlDriver assistance

2018 Tesla Model 3, VIN [[redacted]]. Rear-right ABS wheel speed sensor failed 3-4 days after Tesla Burbank replaced it on [redacted] (invoice [redacted]). First alerts [redacted] (ABS disabled, Drive with caution, TPMS). Failure confirmed [redacted] (AEB unavailable). Returned from vacation [redacted]; Tesla replaced same part again (invoice [redacted] $167.76). Tesla notes state only that sensor "was cut"; no animal damage recorded.I photographed the failed sensor [redacted]. It shows a single clean angled cut...

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through the black jacket with conductor and red insulation on the same flat face. No tooth marks, scalloped bites, shredded insulation, or nesting material - a shear, not rodent damage.Service Manager [[redacted]] first blamed a rabbit, then wrote it "was an example" and that Tesla does not need droppings, nesting, or chew marks to call a severed harness outside damage. He has no photos from the 8/18 install; the tech is on leave. Two emails to [[redacted]] went unanswered. Related BAR complaint filed (ref [redacted]).Rear wheel speed sensor feeds ABS, traction control, and Automatic Emergency Braking. Failure disables these safety systems. A part that fails days after Tesla service with an undocumented "cut," followed by a warranty denial based on inference rather than evidence, indicates possible workmanship or installation issues that could affect other vehicles. Requesting NHTSA review of Tesla's service practices for this component.Tesla Service Burbank, [[redacted]], [[redacted]]. [[redacted]], [[redacted]].[[redacted]], [[redacted]], [[redacted]] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Steering · Vehicle speed control · Lane departureNHTSA 11775994
2020 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise control

I own a 2020 Tesla Model 3 purchased in 2023 with Full Self-Driving (FSD) included for the lifetime of the car. I used FSD satisfactorily for years, but Tesla recently removed the maximum-speed control I previously used while FSD was engaged. I have personally experienced this change. FSD selects speed, but I can no longer impose the maximum I previously could set. I consider this a safety issue: unwanted speed requires the driver to detect it and intervene, potentially exposing occupants and other road users to...

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excessive speed. The human driver remains responsible for safe, lawful operation and faces possible speeding tickets. I have read reports describing maximum-speed control as an "anti-pattern." I do not consider that an adequate safety justification for removing a preventive control. Learning a driver's preferences should operate within an explicit speed ceiling. I believe Tesla has the engineering capability to develop and validate a solution that preserves both FSD functionality and effective driver control. I request NHTSA investigate and require a remedy if a safety defect is established. My position is that affected FSD systems should not operate on public roads without an enforceable driver-selected maximum speed, independent of driving profile. Manual braking and disengagement remain necessary but do not replace this preventive safeguard. I welcome contact from Tesla and am willing to collaborate on a solution. My willingness to help does not diminish my request for restoration of this safety control. Contact details are provided separately in this complaint. Exact software version and change date: UNKNOWN. Dealer/service-center confirmation: UNKNOWN. Inspection by Tesla, police, an insurer, or others: UNKNOWN. Prior warning lamps/messages: UNKNOWN. Availability for inspection: UNKNOWN.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11774891
2018 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise controlDriver assistanceCrash1 death

While driving, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own and began operating without my control. Despite my attempts to steer away from surrounding traffic, the vehicle continued to self-propel, crossed the median, and entered oncoming lanes, resulting in a head-on collision with another car.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11772684
2024 Tesla Model 3SteeringElectrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

On October 16, 2026, my 2024 Tesla Model 3 initiated a standard, factory-prompted over-the-air (OTA) firmware update. During this automated install process, the car's firmware crashed. Following the crash, the vehicle was left unresponsive. Tesla Service conducted a diagnostic review and isolated the problem to a physical failure of the internal hardware: Assembly - Power Conversion System - 48Amp - 1Phase. The vehicle was performing flawlessly and charging efficiently prior to the software update execution. The...

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PCS module did not break due to driver abuse, mechanical wear, environmental damage, or physical aging. It failed strictly because Tesla's proprietary software update process overtaxed, corrupted, or bricked the internal semiconductor boards during a forced rewrite command. A consumer should not be financially penalized for hardware damage caused by a manufacturer's remote software push.

Filed Incident Steering · Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11772374
2023 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise control

Tesla has done away with a set maximum speed control when on FSD and uses speed profiles. These profiles can have the car speed at huge differences from the actual speed limit. Tesla previously gave the driver the option to control the maximum speed but eliminated it with version 14 FSD software.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11767747
2026 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise control

When using Tesla's Full Self Driving (supervised) speed control is erratic and not subject to the driver's control, such as it would be when using adaptive cruise control. As a result, the available speed modes (sloth, chill, standard, hurry and Mad Max) can cause the vehicle to dangerously exceed speed limits and at times to drive well below the posted speed limit, causing confusion and frustration to following drivers. There is no reason why the software cannot be changed to a safer method that would permit the...

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driver to select the speed at which the car will travel, i.e. the speed limit, similar to adaptive cruise control found in most modern vehicles. When the operator of a vehicle is not in charge of the vehicle's speed, this is inherently dangerous.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11763840
2018 Tesla Model 3Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

While my wife was driving, the high-voltage battery failed and the car went into reduced power/limp mode. Tesla later determined that coolant had gotten into the high-voltage battery and caused it to fail. My main concern is that we had no warning that there was a coolant leak or that coolant was getting into the battery. There was no low-coolant warning or anything telling my wife that there was a serious problem developing. By the time the car started giving high-voltage and reduced-power warnings, the damage had...

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already occurred and Tesla said the battery needed to be replaced. What concerns me even more was what happened after Tesla received the car. Tesla removed the battery and quarantined it in the parking lot. They told us in writing that it was removed because of coolant ingress as a safety precaution and that a specialized technician had to determine whether the battery was safe to discharge. During a phone call, a Tesla employee also told me they quarantined it because there was a possibility the battery could explode and they did not want anyone injured or anything damaged if that happened. That was alarming because my wife had just been driving this car, and afterward it sat in our driveway while we waited for it to be taken to Tesla. At no point were we told that the battery could be dangerous or that the vehicle should be kept away from people or property. We had no idea Tesla would consider the condition serious enough to quarantine the battery once they received it. Tesla later confirmed in writing that coolant ingress was the root cause of the battery failure. I would like NHTSA to look into why this condition was able to get this far without warning the driver and whether other vehicles could have the same issue.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11762441
2023 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise controlBrakesDriver assistance

On [redacted] at around 3:30 PM EST, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model 3 on [[redacted]] about 10 miles outside of [[redacted]]. I had the adaptive cruise control set at 75 mph. I was driving in the right lane of the two available lanes of travel in that direction. I noticed an unattended car on the right shoulder about a 1/4 mile up the road and continued my drive as normal. The car was at least 5' to 6' off the highway. As i got about 30 yards from the car, my car suddenly slammed on the brakes...

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automatically, which forced me to react in a corrective manner. Thankfully there was nobody behind me or the severity of the braking would have likely caused a rear end collision. To my understanding, this phantom braking is a known issue with Teslas, so I wanted to document my experience to add to the record. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Service brakes · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11759922
2023 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise controlDriver assistance

Whilst driving on highways which feature multiple speed limits - eg. 70 cars, 65 Trucks, 60 Buses. If full self driving more or when in adaptive cruise control - the car systems fail to recognize the restriction linked to the lower speed limits. As a result, you can be driving on Full Self Drive at 75mpm, the car sees a 65 followed by a 60 speed limit (neither applicable to cars), but the car brakes hard dropping the speed from 75 to 62 almost instantly and, on more than one occasion, a closely following car has...

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almost collided with me. Until such time as the Tesla system can recognize the 'sub text' on a speed limit - the FSD and Adaptive cruise should not be certified. I also drive a BMW i4 and this reads all signs correctly, only applying those applicable to a car to the vehicle.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11754804
2022 Tesla Model 3SteeringAcceleration & cruise controlDriver assistanceCrash

U.S. registered Tesla operating in [[redacted]]. Full Self-Driving engaged. Dark, nighttime conditions. Vehicle was traveling toward low traffic zones near the edge of [[redacted]] when the system made a severe mistake. The car went off the main road. Driver was forced to take control off-road after the system lost control. Damage to the rims occurred. At the time of this incident, manual speed control was still available. The driver could cap the speed. That capability has since been removed by a software update....

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The current version is more dangerous. If the same incident happened today, the driver would have no way to limit speed or prevent the system from repeating the error. The defect is the progressive removal of driver control from the Full Self-Driving system. Earlier versions allowed manual speed caps. Current software does not. This vehicle is U.S. registered and runs U.S. software on American roads. The same defect that caused this off-road incident in Mexico now exists without the safety net of manual speed control. The software is dangerous. The removal of driver overrides makes it worse. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Steering · Vehicle speed control · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11754099
2022 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise controlDriver assistance

Tesla software update 2026.20.6.11 v14 Lite NA-2025.44 removed manual speed control for Full Self-Driving. The driver can no longer set a maximum speed. The vehicle chooses its own speed and it is frequently wrong and dangerous. Curves are the worst failure. The car enters curves too fast. It accelerates through curves. It does not slow to a safe speed before the curve begins. The driver has no way to cap the speed. The scroll wheel is dead. There is no override. Posted speed limits are ignored. The vehicle uses...

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bad map data instead of reading visible signs. It will do 65 in a 55. It will not slow down when the sign says 55. The driver cannot force it to obey the posted limit. Speed control is gone. The driver is a passenger watching the car make bad decisions. This is not safe. This is not driver assistance. This is loss of control. NHTSA must require Tesla to return manual speed control immediately. A human driver must be able to cap the speed at all times. The current software removes that ability and creates a clear safety hazard.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11754093
2020 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise controlCrash

I was making a right turn from the parking lot onto the street, a maneuver I have made hundreds of times previously without any issue. My foot was on the accelerator pedal as normal for this turn. The vehicle accelerated far faster than intended for this maneuver, with tires screeching, and continued across the width of the street. The vehicle's front left wheel struck the curb on the opposite side of the street from the parking lot exit. The wheel sustained significant damage, and the wheel rim was torn. When...

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I regained my bearings, I lifted my foot off the accelerator and the vehicle slowed down. At the time, I believed a serious crash was imminent. I was able to drive the vehicle home, which was about 1 1/2 miles away, but it is not safe to drive so I won't drive it until it is repaired. I am aware that Tesla and NHTSA have attributed many prior sudden acceleration incidents to drivers unintentionally pressing the accelerator when intending to press the brake. Due to the vehicle's regenerative braking, I rarely use the brake pedal during normal driving, which makes this explanation virtually impossible in my case. I am also aware that NHTSA reopened an investigation in 2023 after learning about a potential inverter-related design flaw that could cause sudden unintended acceleration in Tesla vehicles, and that this investigation remains open as of this writing.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11753407
2022 Tesla Model 3Acceleration & cruise controlDriver assistance

On [redacted], while Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged, my 2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD abruptly decelerated without any visible vehicle, pedestrian, debris, or other obstacle requiring braking. Based on my best recollection, this occurred on approximately five separate occasions in clear daylight with clean cameras. On [redacted], the first event occurred near [redacted] while traveling from [[redacted]] toward the [[redacted]]/[[redacted]] area. I took manual control for about 30 minutes. After I re-engaged...

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FSD, a second event occurred and included approximately three rapid braking pulses. The occupants lunged forward during both episodes. On [redacted], the drive from [[redacted]] to the Ukiah Costco was normal. On the return toward [[redacted]], FSD suddenly braked hard at approximately 63 mph and reduced the vehicle's speed by about 25 mph, to approximately 38 mph. Family members and friends in the vehicle were startled and moved forward. Later that day, there were two additional unexpected braking episodes while traveling from [redacted] toward [redacted]. I used accelerator input to override the unwanted braking. The unexpected highway-speed deceleration created a risk of being struck from behind and made the system unpredictable to supervise. No crash, fire, injury, or property damage occurred. I do not recall a warning message before the braking. The vehicle has not been inspected or diagnosed for this issue and is available for inspection upon request. As of [redacted], the vehicle reports Tesla software 2026.20.3 and FSD (Supervised) v12.6.4; it has Hardware 3. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · Forward collision avoidanceNHTSA 11751194
2020 Tesla Model 3SteeringAcceleration & cruise controlBrakesCrash1 injury

On July 11 at approximately 6:47 a.m., I was operating my Tesla Model 3 on Interstate 65 in Hart County, Kentucky, with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged during normal highway travel. Approximately one hour earlier, I had departed a highway rest area after sleeping from the previous day's travel. Rain developed during the trip, but I observed adequate visibility, apparent roadway traction, and I was not impaired. I was traveling in the far-right lane of a three-lane interstate. The posted speed limit was...

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approximately 70 mph; however, FSD limited the vehicle to approximately 65 mph and displayed warnings indicating that the higher speed was unavailable. While FSD remained engaged, the system initiated a lane change from the far-right lane into the center lane. After entering the center lane, the vehicle began displaying repeated warning messages and FSD disengaged multiple times. I attempted to locate settings related to the warnings on the touchscreen but could not identify an available adjustment. During the third disengagement, I perceived that the vehicle continued braking without releasing while steering resistance increased significantly. The steering wheel then rotated abruptly, and I was unable to regain normal directional control before the vehicle departed its intended travel path and struck a concrete median. The collision caused personal injuries and substantial vehicle damage. I have not been able to reproduce the condition. The incident was investigated by the Kentucky State Police. Based on the sequence of repeated FSD warnings, disengagements, continued braking, and abrupt steering behavior, I believe this event warrants investigation. I request that NHTSA review the vehicle's Full Self-Driving logs, telemetry, Event Data Recorder (EDR) data, steering and braking commands, diagnostic records, and software history to determine whether a vehicle or software malfunction contributed to the collision. Almost like someone had control, into the wall -KM

Filed Incident Steering · Vehicle speed control · Service brakesNHTSA 11750430

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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