2024 Tesla Model Y · symptom sheet
Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking)
- 30owner reports
- 1,000median miles
- 5involved a crash
Newest report Sep 14, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
157 of the 325 complaints on this car are about collision avoidance. 30 of those describe phantom braking.
Tick what matches of 30 reports
Phantom braking on other Model Y 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: 2025.
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 (12 reports) and the radar or camera sensor (11 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on collision avoidance covers the 2024 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into collision avoidance on the Model Y
Sudden unintended acceleration. Open.
Unexpected brake activation. Closed jun 29, 2026.
When it happens
Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.
What owners wrote
“Phantom braking happened. This is the 3rd time to my car. This time, my car stopped automatically when I was already decelerating close to 2-5 mph and the car in front was very far away. I was not using FSD nor autopilot. The emergency auto stop sign came up out of nowhere and my car jerked really hard and my child in the back experienced the jerk and this injured his shoulder.”
Filed Aug 31, 2025
“While using adaptive cruise control the vehicle regularly decelerates for no reason and without warning "phantom braking". I experience this about once a week, but experienced it multiple times on a longer drive this weekend. The unexplained abrupt braking could result in being rear-ended by another vehicle.”
Filed Sep 15, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 5 of 30 reports involved a crash and 9 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