2022 Tesla Model 3 · symptom sheet
Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking)
- 341owner reports
- 4,300median miles
- 4involved a crash
Newest report Aug 31, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
594 of the 765 complaints on this car are about collision avoidance. 341 of those describe phantom braking. Only driver assist is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 341 reports
Phantom braking on other Model 3 years
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: 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Phantom braking is a car that brakes hard on its own, often at highway speed, with nothing in the road ahead. About one owner in five mentions a near miss with the car behind.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the software (36 reports) and the radar or camera sensor (32 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on collision avoidance covers the 2022 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds.
All 18 recalls on the 2022 Tesla Model 3, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into collision avoidance on the Model 3
Sudden unintended acceleration. Open.
Unexpected brake activation. Closed jun 29, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 2,000 and 9,000 miles, from the 28 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Experiencing phantom braking at high speeds when there is nothing there. This has happen 5-6 times during a recent road trip of 1000 miles”
Filed Nov 3, 2022 · 1,000 miles
“I was driving on a two lane road using auto pilot. I was going 55mph when all of a sudden my car slammed on the brakes down to 32mph as a school bus approached us. There was no reason to brake. The school bus never entered my lane. If a car had been following me closely I would have been rear ended for a system malfunction. Very scary.”
Filed Feb 3, 2022
“Vehicle frequently brakes hard to prevent a collision with an object that does not exist. Also known as phantom breaking that is a commonly known issues with Teslas autopilot.”
Filed Feb 3, 2022
“Phantom braking is real. The car slams on brakes randomly while in cruise control. So much so that I will not use cruise control when another car is behind me.”
Filed Feb 3, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 4 of 341 reports involved a crash and 1 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 Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves 349 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 167 reports
- Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out 91 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 41 reports