2026 Tesla Model Y · symptom sheet
Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking)
- 30owner reports
- 8involved a crash
Newest report Sep 14, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
144 of the 382 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 radar or camera sensor (8 reports) and the software (8 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on collision avoidance covers the 2026 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.
None of these investigations covers the 2026 model year.
When it happens
Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.
What owners wrote
“While returning the Tesla during a demo drive, the car suddenly braked extremely hard in the middle of the road for no reason. It was bright and sunny, and we were coming up to a green light. It caused me to slam my head back into the seat. There was seemingly no reason for the emergency braking, and if someone were behind me, it would have caused a collision.”
Filed Aug 9, 2026
“We just took delivery of our 2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper yesterday. Today, my wife was driving to work at around 40 mph when the car suddenly performed a hard brake (phantom braking), coming to a complete stop for no apparent reason. The driver behind her nearly rear-ended her. Importantly, she was not using Autopilot or Full Self-Driving at the time of the incident.”
Filed Jun 27, 2025
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 8 of 30 reports involved a crash and 5 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
Other problems on this car
- Full Self-Driving (FSD) does something unsafe 101 reports
- Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves 34 reports
- Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out 34 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 29 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 29 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 27 reports