Complaint 2238539

Complaint Summary

STEERING

Owner Narrative

Subject: Safety Hazard caused by Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance on [2026 Tesla Model Y] Description: I am writing to report a serious safety issue regarding the Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance (ELDA) feature on my US-spec Tesla. Starting with recent software updates, the vehicle forces the Lane Departure Avoidance setting back to "Assist" upon every single drive cycle, with no option to disable it permanently. This behavior creates an immediate safety hazard, especially in cold climate regions and during winter driving conditions. When attempting to steer around immediate road hazards such as open manholes, deep potholes, or debris, the vehicle's cameras fail to recognize the object in the road. If the driver maneuvers to avoid the hazard without a pre-activated turn signal, the ELDA system aggressively intervenes, jerking the steering wheel back into the path of the danger. On slippery, icy, or wet roads, this unexpected electronic intervention causes a sudden loss of traction, risking a severe crash. Forcing a driver to navigate multiple sub-menus on a touchscreen to change a safety-critical setting before every single drive is dangerous and distracting. In the United States, there is no federal mandate requiring this setting to reset to "Assist" on every drive. I request that NHTSA investigate this aggressive software behavior and compel Tesla to restore the option for owners to permanently set Lane Departure Avoidance to "Warning" or "Off".

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