Diagsheet

Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site

Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves

Most reported: 2021 Tesla Model Y with 363 reports. Across the 351 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 6,771.

  • 6,771owner reports
  • 351model years affected
  • 23,000median miles
  • 250involved a crash
  • 11involved a fire

These reports come from drivers whose assistance systems did something they didn't ask for. Adaptive cruise switches itself off, or brakes for a car that isn't there. Lane keeping tugs the wheel toward the line, or a "sensor blocked" message appears on a clear day. Because both systems can brake or steer, owners tend to file them as safety complaints, and NHTSA files them under speed control, lane departure or forward collision.

Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do

The 25 vehicles with the most reports

Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of driver assist reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.

  1. 1
    2021 Tesla Model Y10 crashes1 fire
    36334% of its complaints10k mi
  2. 2
    34946% of its complaints3k mi
  3. 3
    28911% of its complaints39k mi
  4. 4
    2022 Tesla Model Y8 crashes1 fire
    26531% of its complaints4k mi
  5. 5
    26240% of its complaints7k mi
  6. 6
    25922% of its complaints5k mi
  7. 7
    12713% of its complaints65k mi
  8. 8
    12112% of its complaints59k mi
  9. 9
    11925% of its complaints52k mi
  10. 10
    1035% of its complaints21k mi
  11. 11
    9120% of its complaints6k mi
  12. 12
    9011% of its complaints34k mi
  13. 13
    8810% of its complaints18k mi
  14. 14
    844% of its complaints26k mi
  15. 15
    8420% of its complaints2k mi
  16. 16
    828% of its complaints13k mi
  17. 17
    7121% of its complaintsfew mileages
  18. 18
    684% of its complaints43k mi
  19. 19
    6710% of its complaints42k mi
  20. 20
    6410% of its complaints27k mi
  21. 21
    637% of its complaints68k mi
  22. 22
    2024 Tesla Model Y5 crashes1 fire
    6119% of its complaints1k mi
  23. 23
    604% of its complaints26k mi
  24. 24
    5118% of its complaints4k mi
  25. 25
    496% of its complaintsfew mileages

Where it dominates the complaint file

Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe driver assist. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).

  1. 1
    34946% of its complaints3k mi
  2. 2
    26240% of its complaints7k mi
  3. 3
    2021 Tesla Model Y10 crashes1 fire
    36334% of its complaints10k mi
  4. 4
    2022 Tesla Model Y8 crashes1 fire
    26531% of its complaints4k mi
  5. 5
    11925% of its complaints52k mi
  6. 6
    25922% of its complaints5k mi
  7. 7
    7121% of its complaintsfew mileages
  8. 8
    9120% of its complaints6k mi
  9. 9
    2820% of its complaintsfew mileages
  10. 10
    8420% of its complaints2k mi

By model, every year together

The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.

When it happens

1,630 of the 6,771 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 6,900 and 50,000 miles; the median is 23,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.

Adaptive Cruise and Lane Assist Problems reports by mileage at failure: 0: 750, 20k: 338, 40k: 245, 60k: 145, 80k: 71, 100k: 41, 120k: 18, 140k: 12, 160k: 5, 180k: 2, 200k+: 3750033820k24540k14560k7180k41100k18120k12140k5160k2180k3200k+

Reports by model year

Every report of driver assist, grouped by the model year of the car. 250 involved a crash and 11 a fire. 147 people were hurt.

Adaptive Cruise and Lane Assist Problems reports by model year: 2014: 136, 2015: 252, 2016: 240, 2017: 486, 2018: 1038, 2019: 596, 2020: 546, 2021: 1073, 2022: 1042, 2023: 691, 2024: 347, 2025: 263, 2026: 61136'14252'15240'16486'171,038'18596'19546'201,073'211,042'22691'23347'24263'2561'26

What owners describe

Share of the 6,771 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.

it slowed for nothing64%
it steered me toward the line21%
cruise control shut off on its own20%
a sensor blocked warning in clear weather13%
a software update did not fix it10%

What got replaced

Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.

the camera830
the software592
the radar184

What it is and what to do

What these systems do

NHTSA describes adaptive cruise control as cruise that adjusts the car's speed to hold a set gap to the vehicle ahead. Lane keeping assistance watches the lane markings and, if the car starts to drift out, corrects with steering or by braking individual wheels. Lane centering goes further and steers continuously to keep the car in the middle of the lane. They rely on forward cameras and radar. IIHS points out that lane systems read painted lines and the road edge, which can be a problem on roads that are poorly marked or covered with snow.

What the shop will look at

Ask for a scan of the camera and radar modules for stored faults, and expect questions about where and when it happened. If the windshield was replaced or the front of the car was repaired, mention it right away: Delphi's technical team lists windshield replacement on cars with driver assistance as a job that needs a static or dynamic calibration afterward.

When to stop relying on it

If the car steers or brakes on its own in a way you can't predict, turn the feature off and drive without it until it's diagnosed. Your owner's manual shows how. The car is still drivable with the assistance off, but a system that brakes hard on an open highway is a rear-end crash risk for whoever is behind you. IIHS research also finds that regular users of these systems can develop a false sense of security, which is one more reason not to lean on a system that's already misbehaving.

What to tell the mechanic

Give the road type, speed, weather and light. Say whether lane lines were clear, and whether the car was following another vehicle. A phone video of the dash message helps, since many of these faults don't repeat on a short test drive.

Recalls, bulletins and warranty

Software problems in these systems are often fixed by a reflash, which may be issued as a recall if it's a safety defect or as a service bulletin if it isn't. Manufacturers have to file copies of both kinds with NHTSA, and you can see them by searching your year, make and model at NHTSA's recall page. A recall repair costs you nothing. If the dealer can't duplicate the fault, ask them to write your complaint on the repair order anyway, so there's a dated record inside the warranty period.

Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.