Complaint 2218975

Complaint Summary

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Owner Narrative

On June 23, 2026, at approximately 7:45 AM Central Time, I was operating my Tesla in full manual drive mode on US Highway 35 westbound between Denton and Fort Worth, Texas. No driver assistance, autopilot, or automated steering system was activated or engaged by me at any point prior to or during this incident. Without warning and without any driver input, the vehicle autonomously activated an automated steering and driving assistance system, assumed full control of the vehicle, and did not return manual control to me despite my attempts to intervene and regain control of the vehicle. The incident occurred during active rainfall and wet road conditions. The vehicle, while operating under its own autonomous system control without driver consent, drifted and struck the guardrail on the driver's left side. Following the initial impact, the vehicle continued moving and did not stop. The automated system remained active and did not disengage following the collision. The vehicle did not return control to me until a wheel separated from the vehicle. This incident was not caused by driver error. The vehicle's automated system activated without driver input or consent, overrode manual driver control, prevented the driver from regaining control of the vehicle, caused a collision with the guardrail, and continued operating after impact until mechanical failure occurred in the form of wheel separation. I am requesting a formal investigation into this uncommanded autonomous system activation as a safety defect. This type of failure poses an extreme and immediate safety risk to drivers, passengers, and the public.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.