Full Self-Driving (FSD) does something unsafe

About 590 complaints on this site describe a problem with FSD engaged, all of them on Tesla vehicles. The Model Y accounts for a bit under half and the Model 3 for about four in ten. More than half of the reports are dated 2025 or 2026, so this is a recent pile, and the 2026 Model Y has the most reports of any vehicle year. Two in three describe a lane, turn or intersection problem, and more than a third describe braking or slowing down for no reason they could see. About one in sixteen say it ran a red light or a stop sign or failed to yield. About half say they took over or disengaged to avoid a collision, and about four in ten mention a crash, collision or accident in the text. About a third tie a change in behavior to a software update or version number, and about one in eleven say it drove faster than the limit they wanted. Mileage is rarely stated in these reports, so this sheet gives no median.

NHTSA has several actions on FSD. Recall 22V-037 covered a "rolling stop" function in FSD Beta that could let the car go through an all-way stop intersection without first stopping, and its remedy was an over-the-air update that disabled the function. Recall 23V-085 covered FSD Beta acting unsafe around intersections: going straight from a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign intersection without stopping, or entering on a steady yellow without caution. The recall summary adds that the system may respond insufficiently to speed limit changes. Both were software updates at no charge.

Two investigations are listed as open on the vehicle files here. PE25-012, opened in October 2025, looks at FSD driving maneuvers that break traffic laws, and its opening summary names a car on FSD going into an intersection against a red signal as one of the two most common scenarios in the reports. EA26-002, opened in March 2026, looks at how FSD detects reduced roadway visibility and warns the driver; PE24-031, opened in October 2024 on the same subject, closed the day EA26-002 opened. NHTSA also opened PE22-002 in 2022 on unexpected braking in 2021 to 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles using Autopilot, FSD or traffic-aware cruise control, and the file shows it closed in June 2026 with no recall listed. Tesla describes FSD as a driver assistance system that needs a fully attentive driver, according to NHTSA's summary of PE25-012.

If FSD does something unsafe, take over. Then write down the date, time and place, the software version shown on the screen, whether FSD or a simpler cruise setting was on, and what you did. Screenshots of the version and any message help. Tell the service center in writing and ask for a case number. One owner here reports being told it was a bug.

Search your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup, since the recalls above named specific models and software versions. Both FSD recalls above were free over-the-air updates. Under warranty, the FTC says a defect reported during the warranty period must be fixed even if the warranty expires before the repair.