2018 Tesla Model 3 · symptom sheet

Full Self-Driving (FSD) does something unsafe

29owner reports
5involved a crash

Newest report Sep 10, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026

29 of the 1,025 complaints on this car describe FSD problems.

No recall on this systemas of Sep 29, 2026

5 crashesin 29 reports

2 people hurtin these reports

Tick what matches of 29 reports

FSD tried to turn or change lanes wrongly

it braked hard for nothing while FSD was on

it ran a red light or stop sign or failed to yield

I had to take over to avoid a collision

a software update changed how FSD behaves

it drove over the speed limit and I cannot cap it

FSD problems on other Model 3 years

201829 reports 201973 reports 202027 reports

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.

What this problem usually is

Owners in this group describe Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) doing something they had to override: a wrong turn or lane change, a hard slowdown with nothing ahead, a red light or stop sign it didn't stop for. This page sticks to what owners wrote and what NHTSA has on file.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the software update (12 reports), the cabin or exterior camera (7 reports) and the computer or MCU (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on this problem covers the 2018 model year as of Sep 29, 2026.

When it happens

Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.

What owners wrote

“Pantom braking happening frequently after latest software update. FSD version 12.6.4 Software version 2026.8.6 Happening on single lane road.”
Filed Apr 12, 2026

“While in FSD the car swerved to the left and hit a Tree. Youtube of the Crash.. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Feb 14, 2024

“When driving using Full Self Driving or Autopilot, the car unexpectedly and suddenly brakes as if there is something on the road which is in the way even though there is nothing there. On one trip of 260 miles, the car unnecessarily braked twice on the freeway. Had someone been following too closely to me it could have caused a collision.”
Filed Aug 29, 2023

“Driving in Full Self Driving mode, the vehicle made a left turn into oncoming traffic.”
Filed Jun 12, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 5 of 29 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found