On drives longer than 40 miles, camera faults cause cruise control systems to degrade in function and then when the faults are cleared, full functionality resumes without driver alerts. Side repeater camera feeds and rear camera feeds inconsistently load, or take an extended time period to load (10+ seconds). Tesla has confirmed that the autopilot computer (HW3) likely needs to be replaced, but…
2020 Tesla Model Y cruise control problems
severe 27 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Complaints
27
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
7crashes
4injuries
What stands out
Owners have filed 27 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners describe two distinct categories of cruise-control failure. The most common is phantom braking—sudden hard stops at highway speeds with no traffic or obstruction ahead. Drivers report 5–10+ incidents per trip, speeds dropping from 70–80 mph to 35–45 mph in seconds, and near rear-end collisions from following traffic. Some owners note it happens near shadows, bridges, or light transitions; others see no pattern. Weather ranges from sunny to overcast to flurries. One owner's wheels locked and skidded at 59 mph.
The second category is unintended acceleration at low speeds during parking—vehicles accelerate from 3–5 mph when the driver's foot is off the accelerator or applying normal pressure. Brakes do not stop the vehicle immediately. This has caused collisions with parked cars, walls, garage contents, and utility boxes; two vehicles were totaled and one incident injured a pedestrian. A third mode involves the accelerator self-activating while driving, occurring 2–4 times over months with increasing frequency.
One owner documented camera faults causing cruise control and emergency braking to become unavailable on drives over 40 miles. Tesla confirmed the autopilot computer (HW3) likely needs replacement but offers no direct customer alert.
Owners report opening Tesla service appointments repeatedly. Tesla closes cases claiming phantom braking is "normal," that the car will "learn" from driver reaction, and that logs show nothing wrong. Tesla denies the behavior exists online, yet firmware updates have reportedly made it worse.
Failure modes owners describe
Phantom braking on highways
Vehicle applies brakes suddenly and without warning during cruise control or autopilot operation on open highways with no traffic or obstruction in front. Speeds drop dramatically (e.g., 78 mph to 38 mph in 3 seconds, 70 mph to 45 mph) with no visual trigger. Happens repeatedly on single trips and across multiple road trips. Owners report no warning messages before occurrence.
When: Highway speeds 50-80 mph; occurs 5-10+ times per trip; some owners note it happens near shadows, bridges, or light transitions
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden hard braking with no visible obstacle; Dramatic speed reduction without warning; Multiple incidents within single drive; Occurs in various weather conditions (sunny, overcast, flurries); Vehicle wheels locked up and skidded in one case; Fear of rear-end collisions from vehicles following closely
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Tesla claims phantom braking is 'normal' behavior and closes service cases without repair. Tesla denies the behavior exists and claims logs show nothing out of ordinary. One owner reported firmware update (FSD beta 10.4) made issue worse.
Sudden unintended acceleration at low speed
Vehicle accelerates rapidly without driver input while at very low speeds, typically during parking lot entry, driveway reversal, or parking maneuvers (3-5 mph). Driver reports foot off accelerator or applied normal pressure only. Brake pedal depression does not stop vehicle immediately. Multiple collisions with parked vehicles, walls, and garage structures result.
When: Low-speed parking maneuvers, 3-5 mph; one case at 14,000 miles; one case less than one week after purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Uncontrolled acceleration at very low speeds; Vehicle does not respond to brake pedal or responds too slowly; No warning lights illuminated; Acceleration occurs after foot removed from accelerator pedal; Vehicle hits parked cars, walls, garage contents, utility boxes; Vehicle totaled in multiple incidents; one caused injury to pedestrian
Repairs/costs cited: One vehicle deemed totaled by insurance after crashing into residence; repairs described as extensive. One crashed into utility box with vehicle damage but no injuries.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Tesla manufacturer reviewed EDR data and claimed data showed accelerator pedal depressed during failure, contradicting driver account. No recalls or service bulletins mentioned for this issue.
Accelerator pedal self-activation while in motion
Vehicle suddenly accelerates while driver has foot off accelerator or is attempting to slow the vehicle. Occurs during normal driving, at intersections after stop light, and in reverse. Brake pedal application stops acceleration but driver must react immediately. Happens 2-4 times over vehicle ownership; frequency increasing.
When: 10 months of ownership; increasing frequency in last two weeks before report
Symptoms owners cite: Unexpected acceleration when foot off gas pedal; Acceleration at intersections with normal pedal pressure input; Vehicle jerks and speeds up unexpectedly in reverse; Brake pedal effective only if applied immediately; No warning indicators before event
Autopilot camera and hardware faults degrading cruise control
Camera faults cause cruise control and automatic emergency braking to degrade or become unavailable. Side repeater and rear camera feeds fail to load or load very slowly (10+ seconds). Cruise control becomes unavailable with no direct alert accessible to driver; feature may restore later in drive. Tesla confirmed autopilot computer (HW3) likely needs replacement, but error not directly accessible to customer.
When: On drives longer than 40 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control unavailable message; Automatic emergency braking unavailable message; Side repeater camera feeds fail to load; Rear camera feeds fail to load or take extended time to load; Features intermittently restore without driver alert; System degradation without warning
Repairs/costs cited: Autopilot computer (HW3) replacement required. One owner's coworker had same component fail on 2022 Model Y; both owners had FSD package.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Extended warranty covers HW3 replacement (mentioned in coworker's case under Tesla extended warranty program).
Adaptive cruise misinterpreting traffic and phantom braking
Traffic-aware cruise control system misinterprets sensor data and applies hard brakes when adjacent vehicles in other lanes move slightly or when no collision risk exists. Vehicle slows to match speed of car in exit ramp despite not being in that lane; brakes hard when car in slower lane veers a couple inches into driver's lane. Causes unnecessary deceleration that creates risk for vehicles behind.
When: Highway driving
Symptoms owners cite: Hard unexpected braking for vehicles in adjacent lanes; Rapid deceleration from 70 mph to 35 mph; Misinterpretation of slight lane drift by other vehicles; No actual collision risk present; Creates hazard for following traffic; Happens regularly
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Tesla denies existence of the behavior. Owners identify this as software issue with no physical component to inspect.
Synthesized from 27 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Phantom braking during a drive on highway. Out of no where, the car breaks even when there is no one stopping in front of you. This resulted in car behind panicking and almost rear ending.
Had cruise control trouble with your 2020 Tesla Model Y?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2020 Tesla Model Y?
It's a meaningful issue. 27 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Based on the 27 complaints filed, cruise control issues most often appear around 13,083 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2020/Tesla/Model Y.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.