Problems · by component

2023 Tesla Model 3 vehicle speed control problems

69 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2023 Tesla Model 3 cite vehicle speed control, 16% of all 429 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
69
16% of all complaints
Crashes
21
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
16
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Tesla has done away with a set maximum speed control when on FSD and uses speed profiles. These profiles can have the car speed at huge differences from the actual speed limit. Tesla previously gave the driver the option to control the maximum speed but eliminated it with version 14 FSD software.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2026Vehicle speed controlODI 11767747
“On XXX at around 3:30 PM EST, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model 3 on [XXX] about 10 miles outside of [XXX]. I had the adaptive cruise control set at 75 mph. I was driving in the right lane of the two available lanes of travel in that direction. I noticed an unattended car on the right shoulder about a 1/4 mile up the road and continued my drive as normal. The car was at least 5' to 6' off the highway. As i got about 30 yards from the car, my car suddenly slammed on the brakes automatically, which forced me to react in a corrective manner. Thankfully there was nobody behind me or the severity of the braking would have likely caused a rear end collision. To my understanding, this phantom braking is a known issue with Teslas, so I wanted to document my experience to add to the record.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2026Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11759922
“Whilst driving on highways which feature multiple speed limits - eg. 70 cars, 65 Trucks, 60 Buses. If full self driving more or when in adaptive cruise control - the car systems fail to recognize the restriction linked to the lower speed limits. As a result, you can be driving on Full Self Drive at 75mpm, the car sees a 65 followed by a 60 speed limit (neither applicable to cars), but the car brakes hard dropping the speed from 75 to 62 almost instantly and, on more than one occasion, a closely following car has almost collided with me. Until such time as the Tesla system can recognize the 'sub text' on a speed limit - the FSD and Adaptive cruise should not be certified. I also drive a BMW i4 and this reads all signs correctly, only applying those applicable to a car to the vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 4, 2026Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11754804
“The vehicle was purchased pre-owned directly from Tesla. On the day of pickup and five days later, while operating on Full Self-Driving (FSD), the vehicle phantom-braked abruptly and then dangerously accelerated through a solid red light into cross-traffic intersections. The driver had to forcefully override the vehicle to prevent a crash. Tesla Service Center was notified but dismissed the issue, performing only a camera recalibration and charging a fee. Following the service appointment, the red-light running behavior stopped, but the vehicle continues to suffer from aggressive, sudden phantom braking multiple times on every single trip, creating a severe and continuous risk of a rear-end collision on public highways.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 20, 2026Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11745364
“-I was driving down into an indoor basement level garage very slowly as there is a steep incline. It descends from street level to basement level within a distance of approximately 30 to 35 ft. At the end of the incline is a sharp curve to the right, followed by a sharp left turn to proceed straight. -While on the incline, the car was slowing to a stop. I gently tapped the accelerator to keep it moving. -The car suddenly lunged forward, rapidly accelerating. The acceleration was not consistent with the amount of accelerator input I applied. -I quickly steered right to avoid hitting the wall, then immediately steered left to avoid hitting parked cars and garage columns. -I braked as hard as possible, pumping it. The brake pedal was stiff. The car kept moving forward despite my efforts and did not stop until I crashed into a parked car at the end of the garage. -My son was in the front passenger seat. We both had seatbelts on. Other than whiplash, there were no major injuries. -There were no warnings, messages or any indications that a problem was present prior to the incident. -There was no one in the parked vehicle that was struck and no other people in the…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 8, 2026Vehicle speed control, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11742761
“The vehicle’s brakes did not work, automatic emergency brakes and collision warning both did not work. I pressed on the brake for about 5 seconds but the brakes did not work, resulting in a collision with the car in front. Everything is available for inspection if needed. Both my safety and the driver of the vehicle in front of me was at risk. The problem has not been confirmed yet. The vehicle is currently at a shop, waiting inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2025Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceCrash reportedODI 11697065

Showing 6 of 69 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.