2022 Tesla Model Y automatic emergency braking problems
696 of the 865 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2022 Tesla Model Y name the automatic emergency braking (NHTSA’s “Forward Collision Avoidance” heading — forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, including phantom braking). Filed under the same heading: 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the automatic emergency braking
Source: NHTSA complaint database51 of the 696 reports a crash · 3 a fire · 122 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 8 · 2022: 455 · 2023: 145 · 2024: 38 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 32
Half of the 32 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the automatic emergency braking problem between 2,000 and 13,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
865 complaints in all about the 2022 Tesla Model Y, 32 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Forward Collision Avoidance” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Tesla Model Y automatic emergency braking problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the automatic emergency braking. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
While adaptive cruise control is engaged, the system seems to incorrectly interpret a potential head-on collision and brakes hard and usually plays the alarm sound. I've had this car around two months and have found that this usually happens on a two-lane highway while traveling at 50-60 mph and when a box truck or larger is approaching…
Sudden abrupt braking for no reason when on adaptive cruise control and autopilot very dangerous for drivers behind me
Driving on 2 Lane Rd. Using Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC). 45-50 MPH. Vehicle will brake suddenly when a large vehicle cement truck, school bus approaches in opposite lane. It also happens when I am passing a bicyclist on my right side. It also happens intermittently but not as severely when there is nothing around me.
2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range frequently experiences "phantom braking" and false emergency braking. Even without the use of "autopilot," the vehicle will abruptly slow down or even hard brake. No warnings, no messages, nothing. Each time, there is nothing in front of the vehicle, no curves, clear weather, etc.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Traffic Aware Cruise Control and Autopilot How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Yes. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? It has been confirmed by Tesla.
What is on file about the automatic emergency braking
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigation
- PE22002 Unexpected Brake Activationopened Feb 16, 2022 · closed Jun 29, 2026
- On February 16, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22002) to investigate reports of unexpected deceleration while driving with the adaptive cruise control system engaged in Model Year (MY) 2021 – 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles manufactured by Tesla. The subject systems include Autopilot (all versions), Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Traffic Aware Cru…
Other systems with a record on the 2022 Tesla Model Y
Source: the same files- cruise control problems 140 complaints
- electrical problems 121 complaints
- steering problems 58 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre automatic emergency braking problems common on the 2022 Tesla Model Y?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 696 owner complaints naming the automatic emergency braking on this model year (80% of everything owners filed about it), and 1 NHTSA investigation is filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the automatic emergency braking on the 2022 Tesla Model Y?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 20 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do automatic emergency braking problems show up on the 2022 Tesla Model Y?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 3,550 miles; half of them between 2,000 and 13,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Forward Collision Avoidance" heading cover?
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, including phantom braking. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.