2020 Tesla Model 3 Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control Problems

NHTSA component category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL · data through 07/14/2026

105Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control complaints

24.2%Of all 434 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control ranks on this vehicle

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL105 · 24.2%

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING81 · 18.7%

Unspecified / other80 · 18.4%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL66 · 15.2%

SERVICE BRAKES46 · 10.6%

Share of the 434 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2020 Tesla Model 3 overview page.

What owners report

“late November of 2021, sunny weather, dry pavement. I was driving with Auto pilot (auto aware cruise control) on a 2-lane highway in rural MN…”NHTSA complaint 11452444 — filed 02/17/2022

“My car has experienced phantom braking for no apparent reason when on cruise control or auto pilot. Tesla claims to have to looked at the…”NHTSA complaint 11452440 — filed 02/17/2022

“On to different occasions while vehicle was in Enhanced Autopilot the car braked hard for no apparent reason. If another car had been close behind…”NHTSA complaint 11452379 — filed 02/17/2022

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Tesla Model 3 have forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control problems?

Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control is the most-reported problem area on the 2020 Tesla Model 3: 105 of 434 complaints on file (24.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2020 Tesla Model 3 have in total?

434 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 51 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 31 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.