I have experienced the phantom braking problem commonly reported on in the news. On several occasions when the cruise control is set, the car will randomly slam on the brakes endangering my safety and those around me. This has happened on city streets in a 45 MPH zone (for no apparent reason), a 2 lane state highway (when a car approaches from the other lane traveling in the opposite direction of me), and on an interstate (when approaching an overpass). This happens very frequently regardless of whether I use automatic steering. I have not taken it to a service center or otherwise reported the problem as it appears to be common amongst other owners of this make/model.
2022 Tesla Model 3 driver assistance complaints
Page 17 of 20: complaints 461 to 490 of 559, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I only picked this car up on 2/16/22. Several times with the cruise control or autopilot/autosteer engaged on a two lane road the vehicle braked suddenly and severely in response to semi-trucks in the oncoming lane.
When using auto pilot (adaptive cruise control), the car randomly slams on its brakes on its own, specifically when near semi trucks.
Took delivery of 2022 Tesla Model 3 on Wednesday February 16, 2022. 3 incidents since taking delivery when autopilot adaptive cruise control is engaged and car randomly slams on brakes. 2 incidents with no known hazard in view of direction of travel and the other when approaching oncoming traffic driving in opposite lane. No indication (such as beeping on normal lane departure) that the vehicle was going to engage automatic braking.
I was driving on the highway with cruise control activated at 60mph. The vehicle randomly broke and slowed. No other car was on site and no other person or object was around us. This has happened several times. This random braking on cruise control. This is dangerous. Please help with this issue and let me know what the next steps are. Thanks.
When cruise is turned on the wipers turn on. This was their response. Hello Dominic, This is Ken from Tesla virtual service center. We have been getting some push back on the most recent update doing what you are saying regarding autopilot/autowipers. Our auto wipers and sensors with our windshields need improvement and is still in beta. I am not sure why the factory has decided to lock in the auto wipers function during autopilot for that reason on last months firmware update. Your comments along with others have been reported back to the factory to provide feedback to them on the problems you are facing as a customer. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to override this or turn it off. hopefully it will no longer be the case after the next update but a mobile tech coming out on the 19th will not be able to rectify this concern.
When driving on two lane roads using adaptive cruise control, the car will often decelerate or brake suddenly when there is oncoming traffic or lighting conditions change. There is no warning when this happens. I recently made a 200 mile trip and this occurred at least 15 times during the drive. I felt unsafe especially when there was a vehicle behind me.
When I drive this car in cruise control, I never know when it will suddenly brake without warning, trying to bring the car to a stop whether I am going 65 or 30 mph. It will see a shadow in the road, a pedestrian on a sidewalk, an oil spot on the pavement, and will abruptly throw the car and me into rapid deceleration. If it is sees a car in the oncoming lane, driving appropriately in its own lane, my car in the opposite lane will suddenly brake like I am about to have an accident. It will brake if it sees a vehicle coming around a bend in the opposite lane. Not only is my vehicle's braking uncomfortable and alarming, it is exceedingly dangerous. On urban and semi-urban highways, multiple times someone has almost rear-ended my car. Only because I was hyper-alert to the situation was an accident averted. I am an excellent and conscientious driver, with both hands on the wheel, not using my phone. I am not using the "self-driving" mode and never have. It is an option I paid $10K for but have never used. My main concern is for the safety of my current vehicle and for the other cars on the highway around me.
Feb 14, 2022: 5:55 p.m. on cruise aka AP. Aggressive/phantom braked 31 mph to 0 in 1 sec heading west on Wildhorse Parkway between Caspian Spring and Buckskin Bend San Antonio 78254 with a car behind 3 lengths. 30 sec later control panel displays cruise control will not brake. Same day 724 p.m. set cruise to 39 mph braked very hard travelling northwest on Shaenfield Rd about 200 yards from McDonalds 8107 TX-Loop 1604 San Antonio TX 78254. Complete 17 sec video comments about cruise control brakes available. Unable to attach video. Feb 17 cruise or AP used twice at 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. No engagements with hard braking. Since ownership Feb 4-17 side repeater and back cameras indicate false distance of oncoming traffic making for unsafe condition and issue was raised with Tesla tech and he informed me since cameras are static, nothing they could do. Additionally, Feb 14, turn signal camera for blind spot detection did not come on during right turn signal but came on for left turn signal.
While driving with either cruise control or autopilot my car constantly brakes or “phantom brakes” for no apparent reason or brakes VERY hard when semis are approaching in opposite direction. This happens mainly on one lane country roads. On the freeway it’s less but it has braked for absolutely NO reason ( no cars around) at least a few times per month. My wife will not use cruise control due to this happening so often. I drive it most of the time and since I use cruise control or autopilot it “phantom brakes” every single day.
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle stopped independently and without warning. An unknown dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.
The auto emergency braking consistently brakes for no apparent reason while using adaptive cruise control or autopilot. The Tesla Model 3 will consistently slow and brake while passing a semi or larger vehicle while myself and the vehicle I am passing are both within our lanes with no abnormalities. This "phantom braking" is the worst on a two way (one lane each direction) highway at night. It was so bad I could not use and trust the autopilot/cruise system because it was more unsafe to use it than to just turn if off. I feared that I would get rear ended or it could aggressively brake in a corner causing me to loose traction. I also had the vehicle brake with no vehicle approaching and no one behind. It just randomly applied the brakes and the collision warning went off. Literally nothing in front or behind me on a two lane highway (one lane in each direction). My cameras were clean
On several occasions, while using adaptive cruise control and/or autopilot, the vehicle sharply slowed or braked with no apparent obstruction or threat. It once happened while cruising at 80 MPH on freeway 10W in Phoenix, in the carpool lane. There were no vehicles within a concerning distance in front or behind me, so I was not necessarily at risk - but certainly would have put myself or others if there had been more traffic in the lane. The same happened while on a 3-lane road (Queen Creek Road between McQueen and Arizona in Chandler) this morning. Adaptive cruise control was set at 56 MPH when vehicle suddenly braked and slowed without any visible threat or danger. Again, there was not traffic near me (front or rear), so no significant risk. No warning chimes or messages were given prior to any instance of braking. The problem has not been inspected/reproduced/confirmed by a dealer or service center.
My car suddenly braked for no reason. I was at risk of a rear-end collision. I called Tesla and they instructed me to reboot my computer. They said an engineer would review the computer records and get back to me. No follow-up has happened yet. No, the vehicle has not been inspected. Before the incident, I heard a warning signal.
Have had several phantom braking espisodes when driving with cruise control on both at 45 mph. It brakes by itself and there is nothing in front of me that would of caused this
Sudden unexplained braking while in cruise control on an interstate. Unexplained very, very loud warning alerts out of the blue. Usually happening when there was a an adjacent white truck in daylight conditions.
On two occasions I've been driving on a highway using autopilot at 70 MPH and the car started to brake for no reason. During one of the incidents the car also started to steer to the right and also cause a crash.
When using the autosteer function and also the adaptive cruise control, the vehicle seems to have a phantom braking issue. The car will apply brakes in an aggressive manner when the vehicle is faced with oncoming traffic in the opposite lane headed the other direction on a 2 lane road. This seems to occur when a large truck such as UPS or semi tractor trailer is approaching in the other lane headed the other direction - the vehicle seems to recognize that as an imminent forward collision and begins to aggressively brake the vehicle, which could cause a following vehicle to rear end me. This has happened on several occasions with varying degrees or severity (how hard it applies the breaks)
We have experienced 6 or more incidents of phantom braking in the few weeks we have owned the car. This mostly seems to occur on sunny days when there are distinct shadows in the road. This mostly occurs on highways at high speed and typically slows the vehicle down well below the speed limit prior to correcting itself. It has also occurred once at lower non-highway speeds. It is concerning mostly because it could easily cause an accident whereby the person behind me is unable to stop in time.
On multiple occasions while driving at highways speed on freeways, vehicles adaptive cruise control activates emergency braking when there are no obstacles in front of the vehicle. Cause of braking appears to be caused by high contrast shadows from overhead signs, billboards, and other tall vehicles that are on the road. This has caused moments where an accident could occur from the vehicles emergency braking activating when there is no actual reason that the system should activate. It also creates concern for the use of the cruise control system and autopilot while driving on the freeway.
There are two problems with our new 2022 Model 3. 1) The car randomly "phantom brakes". I counted on Monday-- 5 times in roughly 50 miles including twice from 75 MPH to under 40 MPH with maximum braking. All events were on a wide open freeway in a rural area with very light traffic and no movement or vehicles that would possibly explain it. The phantom braking is so bad that the car isn't safe to drive. 2) ABS malfunctioned resulting in a very slow speed impact. A car stopped abruptly in front of me, I hit the brakes where ABS kicked in, the car also automatically braked, but the deceleration was no more than just lifting my foot of the throttle. The ABS was chattering audibly and pulsing through the brake pedal so the ABS was definitely triggered but it appears it was falsely sensing wheel lockup when there was none. If I had been able to just lock the tires up or modulate the brakes myself to prevent lockup, the accident would not have happened. For ref, I'm 52, I've been driving since I was 15, and I have roughly 1,500,000 miles of driving experience. I ride motorcycles and am also a commercial pilot. This is the first accident involving another car I've ever had (never been hit or hit anyone). Tesla has refused to provide the crash data recorder info stating that they are not required to do so in Texas. Based on a conversation in person with a Tesla technician, it appears this is a very new policy with Tesla. At the risk of being accusatory, there are very few reasons Tesla would refuse to provide this data and most if not all of those reasons are to prevent owners from getting data that shows the car malfunctioned. I do have the camera video showing the accident and you can see at 20-25 MPH, I was in full ABS roughly 3 seconds before impact. This was on a dry, clean roadway. I'd guess I should've stopped in 1-2 seconds easily and my 8,000 truck can stop much shorter than what the Tesla stopped in.
This issue happens only on one side of an highway (I-76E), otherwise I have not noticed it elsewhere. When using cruise control or autopilot, the vehicle changes the max speed from like 65 to 45 or 50 mph (in 65 mph highway). It happens in 4/5 places on the highway where it reduces the speed of the car abruptly. This may cause rear ending of the vehicle if there is a closely following vehicle.
car will put on brakes when in cruise control with no warning and without a danger of collision happens fairly frequently
I have approximately 3300 miles on the car since new. I cannot safely use the adaptive cruise control feature because the car randomly applies significant braking. This has happened about 10 times in a variety of conditions including completely clear with the car recently cleaned.
Phantom braking on highways, multiple times on full self driving (auto pilot)
While using adaptive cruise control, the car would often brake for no reason. This seemed to mostly occur when going over the crest of a hill.
Using the Autopilot cruise control for the first time, the vehicle was traveling at the speed limit when it suddenly began braking at an aggressive rate. Since the vehicle is brand new to us, and this being our first Tesla, my wife and I thought that maybe we did something to cause the braking. We tried the autopilot cruise control again later that evening and the vehicle did the same thing. Luckily, there was not a vehicle behind us on either occasion or else we would have been rear ended. This is extremely unsafe. How can you feel confident enough to drive on cruise control when the vehicle randomly brakes at an aggressive rate? This is going to get someone killed, if it hasn't already.
Driving on I-26, 4:30am, no cars around and my car aggressively brakes causing me to react quickly and disable smart cruise control. Making a return trip 1 week later on I-95, the car at various times brakes for no reason multiple times on a700 Mile trip.
While using cruise control, the car will very frequently hesitate and slows down a few miles per hour, but in addition, the car will suddenly, very forcefully try to stop. This happens more often after dark and with on-coming vehicles, especially trucks. There is no warning sound or chime as will happen if there is actually an obstacle. The vehicle simply tries to stop and I feel that I would have ended up into the windshield if not restrained. The touch pad also shows no warning notice as it does if there is an obstacle such as a car in the way. This has happened with other cars behind me, but not anymore as I no longer use cruise control, especially if there is any traffic at all. The vehicle has yet to be seen in any Tesla service center due to difficulty getting an appointment. On-line searches reveal that this is a problem for others as well. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else. This issue appeared very shortly after picking the care up on 12/31/21. I had a 2019 Tesla Model 3 which never did this.
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH and using the automatic cruise control, the vehicle inadvertently slowed down with a larger vehicle approaching from the opposite lane. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated however, a warning alarm bell chimed and the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH. The contact reported that after the larger vehicle went by, the vehicle resumed the pre-set cruising speed. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer; however, several scheduled appointments with the techs at the dealer had been canceled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the failure was a software issue known as Phantom Braking. The contact stated that the manufacturer recommended continued use of the cruise control in order to gather more data on the cause of the failure. The contact was concerned about the risk of a crash while using the feature. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
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