While driving to work on a local road, I approached a red light where there were no vehicles immediately ahead. However, my vehicle unexpectedly steered off the road in front of a construction sign, entering a ditch. Despite my attempts to regain control of the steering and braking systems, I was unsuccessful. The vehicle subsequently stopped automatically on an incline. Fortunately, I avoided a collision with a gas station and intersecting roadway, but sustained damage to my car’s front bumper. Law enforcement and a towing service were contacted to remove the vehicle. I tried calling the dealership almost half day without an answer, then I went to the dealership where they told me that the hardware is fine but they can’t do anything about the possible software issues which leaves me in a situation where I’m nervous to drive the car. I reached out to the company about the accident and didn’t hear back yet from them. I request a thorough investigation into this incident to determine the cause of the unexpected, highly dangerous, autopilot behavior. I am disturbed mentally and emotionally due to the accident. I also require confirmation of the vehicle's roadworthiness and assurance that it is safe to operate before resuming driving.
2023 Tesla Model 3 brakes complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 56, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH in the rain, a vehicle in front of him abruptly slowed down. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle jerked to the side. The contact stated that the emergency braking system unexpectedly activated ("slams on") while he was driving due to the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system falsely detecting a potential collision. There were large rocks in the roadway, and there was no traction, causing him to crash into an embankment. The driver's side airbag did not deploy. The other airbags in the vehicle had deployed. The contact sustained a fractured rib, and medical attention was provided at the hospital. The vehicle was towed to a towing company. There were no reported fires. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown diagnosis was completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
My dad was driving to work in the morning in the Tesla in the left lane of the freeway. Then the car started swerving on its own. He tried to regain control with the steering wheel but he couldn’t control it. The car wouldn’t turn when using the steering wheel and he was not using autopilot or lane assistance. He said it felt like the steering wheel and the car were not talking to each other. And the brakes weren’t stopping the car at all and because he couldn’t control the car it turned left into the divider and hit the divider and the car turn again to the right and automatically stopped in the middle of the second lane. The airbags deployed for the driver side. Thankfully there weren’t any other cars on the road at the time so there aren’t any injuries. But this crash could’ve caused serious injuries to him or other people. There were no warning signs, alerts, or noises before this happened. He has filed a claim with the insurance company. And a crash report was filed by the police.
I was involved in an accident due to what I believe was a malfunction in my Tesla’s steering system. While driving, the car unexpectedly turned the wheel to the left on its own and collided with a parked car. Despite my efforts to regain control by turning the wheel to the right and applying the brakes, the vehicle did not respond, and I was unable to prevent the crash. Given the lack of control and failure of the braking system, I strongly believe there was a serious issue with the car that led to the accident.
during a hydroplaning incident on a ramp, the tesla refused to budge or give any steer. Major issue was no air bags deployed during collision.
Brake Feature Malfunction Vehicle Details: •Model: Tesla Model 3 •Year: 2023 (approximately 1 year old) •Mileage at Incident: ~11,000 miles Incident Description: On 10/29, while manually driving my Tesla Model 3 on a public roadway, I experienced a critical braking failure. As I approached a vehicle in front of me that was decelerating, I initiated regenerative braking, then immediately applied the brake pedal forcefully. Despite pressing the brake pedal hard multiple times, the vehicle did not decelerate as expected and ultimately collided with the vehicle ahead. Throughout this incident, no collision warning, automatic braking, or other safety features activated, despite having all safety features enabled. This failure significantly impacted my confidence in the vehicle’s braking and safety systems. After the accident, I reviewed the Tesla incident report, which shows I attempted to brake but that acceleration was not reduced until the collision occurred. Despite the report documenting my attempts to brake, the system did not function properly, suggesting a potential mechanical or software defect in the braking and/or safety alert systems. Aftermath: •My vehicle sustained considerable damage. •I now feel unsafe driving the vehicle, particularly on highways, as I am concerned the brake failure could recur. Request for Investigation: Given the severity of this issue, I am seeking an investigation to determine: 1.Whether there is a defect in Tesla Model 3 braking systems that could result in brake failure under normal driving conditions. 2.If there is an issue with the vehicle’s safety features failing to activate appropriately. This incident has raised significant concerns regarding my safety and that of other drivers, especially given the car’s relatively new condition and low mileage. I would appreciate a prompt investigation into these safety concerns.
With the TACC system activated when traveling on a 2-lane road with a right-hand curve, if there is a semi-truck in the opposing lane, the emergency braking engages with a hard brake application. It can be overridden with accelerator pedal, but it endangers the car from collision with a following vehicle. There have been multiple incidents. I attempted to report the condition to Tesla customer support.
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while entering a parking lot, the brake pedal failed to respond, the driver was unable to control the steering wheel and crashed into a Ford vehicle and a tree. The air bags deployed, and the vehicle stopped shortly after. The forward collision emergency braking system failed to engage. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and shoulder and had bruises. Medical attention was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 12,166.
This is a duplicate of the letter I sent to Tesla on June 25, 2024. “For the past two weeks I have traveled to New Jersey and back to North Carolina. I’m writing to you because of my experience with TESLAS FSD. On one occasion I was traveling on [XXX] (NJ) heading to [XXX] -with my navigation and FSD engaged, I approached north and south exit ramps, my Tesla could not make a decision - I had to bring my car to a full stop before the apex of the exit. Cars wizzing by me on both sides. On [XXX] heading home on [XXX] somewhere in Virginia- with NO ONE around me doing about 65 mph, my car almost came to an abrupt stop ON THE HIGHWAY - once again, FSD FULLY ENGAGED - MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND MY HANDS LIGHTLY ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WHY? I have NO CLUE - fortunately it reversed itself back into normal. Of course, both of the above incidents frightened me. I’m writing to you because I want a record of these events. I know my software is up to date and I’m not quite sure what to do about this. PLEASE ADVISE: Thank You [XXX] The above was sent to Tesla Inc 7101 Glenwood Ave Raleigh, NC 27612 0n June 25 and July 9, 2024 NO RESPONSE- INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle was in cruise control, and cruise control did not deactivate causing the vehicle to propel into a building, causing airbag deployment. Safety sensors of car failed to recognize building, other vehicles, and obstructions as required.
The components that failed or malfunctioned include the braking system, steering system, and the airbag deployment mechanism. These critical systems experienced sudden and unexpected failures. Yes, the vehicle and its components are available for inspection upon request. -The sudden brake failure and steering wheel lock resulted in a complete loss of control over the vehicle. The inability to stop or steer the car properly led to it veering over the curb/grass area, posing a severe risk of collision. Additionally, the failure of the airbags to deploy during the impact further compromised my safety. This incident not only endangered my life but also posed a significant threat to the safety of other road users on Highway I676. -At this time, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Further investigation and inspection are necessary to determine the root cause of these critical system failures. -There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating any issues with the braking system, steering system, or airbags prior to the sudden failure. The malfunction occurred without any prior warning, which exacerbates the concern regarding the vehicle’s safety systems.
On [XXX], I was driving my Tesla model 3 from California to my new home in Idaho as part of my move there. During the day, I had 6 or 7 situations where the car would suddenly go into full regenerative braking, or outright apply the brakes for no apparent reason. Most of these events took place of freeways at freeways speeds, or on highways (not freeways) at the local speed limit. Every situation was when I had supervised self drive or traffic aware cruise control enabled. These situations were extremely startling and in my opinion potentially dangerous. I don't want to imagine what might have happened if one of these "phantom braking" events had occurred with a heavy 18 wheeler behind me in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was turning into a parking garage when my car suddenly slammed on the brakes very hard to a sudden stop. Like there was an imagined hazard. I did not have the car on auto Drive as I do not trust the technology, but Tesla had just offered everyone full self driving automation that month. I did not elect to use that, but I feel that technology had something to do with this. Not only the incident scary. The stop was so hard. I was in pain after.
when I was driving my Tesla Model 3 with FSD exiting [XXX] , the FSD directed me to a wrong routing. I corrected the direction by taking over the FSD, the car then lost its full braking system. I was not aware of it until my car slipped backward at a stop and hit a car behind me. The other driver is good enough to let me go, but my Tesla back bumper was damaged. When I got home and read the message on the screen, I was told that the braking hold was disabled, autopilot was disabled, braking charge was disabled, and wheel alignment was disabled, and more. I contacted Tesla and make an appointment half a month later. I was also told that the Tesla recommends to have alignment adjusted every 6000 miles or every 6 months- while I was not aware of this, I thought Tesla is maintenance free. This was what I told Tesla representative then: If this disfunction is safety related, it should be mandatory, not recommended! I feel I was lucky that I only have a small accident, it could be worse. I just dropped my car to Tesla for repair yesterday, the estimated costs was originally $275, then it went up to ~$1500, then ~$1800, When I was talking to a representative, the costs increased to $2167 in a few minutes! I asked why the prices go up, they said the previous prices are mistakes, and if I don't want to pay, I can drive my car home! I believe this happens to many other Tesla users as well, it needs to be addressed before more accidents and damages. The fragile safety operation and the way Tesla treat its customer are not acceptable, at least to my case. Thanks for your attention, if you need more information about my report, or have any question, please feel free to contact me. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving behind someone when a suv came over from left lane into the right lane in front of the cars that were in Front of me and made a sudden turn into a business. I was already applying the brake and was the 3 second rule behind the car in front of me, however the car did not stop as I slammed on the brakes as hard as I could. There have been other times that the car will automatically slammed brakes on because it feels that it need to…when it’s not necessary at all. But the other day when I needed the brakes to help me stop abruptly…they failed to do so. I hit the car in front of me and was cited as well. If I had been going faster..this could have been way worse. This definitely needs to be evaluated on Teslas. I have a dahcam video that I’m unable to upload.
My Auto Hold feature will intermittently malfunction. Although there's electronic (car's log) and I have pictures, Tesla service center is advising this is not a "serious" problem, I should pick up the car and re-create the error message and then return the car
This incident is reported by a law office. The car being driven by our client was a TESLA Model 3 which made a SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION when our client was slowly looking for a parking space at a parking lot. The TESLA car suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed without client pressing on the accelerator. On the contrary, our client was stepping on the brakes in an attempt to stop it but the TESLA did not stop but still continued to accelerate. This accident caused property damages and injuries to our client, his passenger, and others.
As I was approaching my off ramp (which has a very tight turn), my automatic brakes failed which caused me to slam onto the brakes, and skid into one of the off ramp signs. All 3 of my children were in the back, the back driver side window shattered, I lost my driver side mirror, and there was damage done to the back door and wheel well (all on the driver's side). Although the damage looked minimal, no one was willing to work on the vehicle and I was strongly encouraged by my insurance company to claim it as a total loss. Granted, I had this vehicle for approximately 2 months, and had put at least $4,000 into it.
Vehicle does not have the proper software updates needed to clear the two the federal safety agency recalls for my VIN.
Autosteer was engaged while approaching Weatherford, OK on I40 - Sporadically, the vehicle slammed on the brakes, even though nothing was in front of me, and nothing was behind. The vehicle dropped in speed by almost 20 mph.
Bought a 2023 Tesla model 3 performance that vibrates from the day I bought it. After 12 service visits, new wheels tires and even a new brake rotor the car is still vibrating. Tesla seems to say it’s normal and that all teslas drive like this but no other vehicle manufacturer has ever produced a car that vibrates. It’s unsafe and scary to drive this car the way it is. They tried fixing it at first hence why so many parts got replaced but since they don’t know how to fix it they wanna just push the “it’s normal and within spec” speech to me. Please get a recall going to address the ongoing steering wheel vibration problem faced by numerous owners as shown on numerous threads and forums. This is unacceptable.
On 2 separate occasions, the cruise control set to 80 and suddenly decelerates. Very scary. Term being used in Tesla chat rooms is 'phantom breaking'.
While driving with cruse controll, auto pilot, or adaptive cruise control my vehicle brakes suddenly without warning and without any reason or danger. This has happened many times. Today on the I8 traveling from Yuma az to Surpirse AZ the car braked around 15-20 times with out reason. I held the tesla car symbol on the screen to report the problem.
When cruise control is engaged, the vehicle suddenly decelerates, (at times dropping speed by more than 20 mph in less than 2 seconds). This occurs as often as 5-10 times in a single 60mi trip, and occurs at least once per trip on this same route (divided highway, sometimes with hills, often with no other cars ahead of or around the vehicle, speed 60-70mph) These events are unsafe because unexpected braking is a hazard for following cars and my passengers. My job as a driver is to be as predictable as possible, but when I use the cruise control the car behaves unpredictability Problem reported to dealer, confirmed by remote diagnostic, and car was serviced but the problem got worse. There are no warning lamps or error messages displayed in conjunction with these sudden braking events. First appeared when the car reached 2000miles on odometer
When on a recent trip from Salt Lake City to Denver Via I 15 to hwy 6 and on I 70 When it was in cruse control and also auto pilot the car would on it's own brake. Some of the time it would brake very harshly others it would not be so violet ,but would certainly be some thing that could cause a very bad accident. The only solution Tesla service would offer was to go on a test drive to see it happen. This could take posably many miles, and then said they did not have a solution.
I was driving on I-35 from Kansas City to Des Moines on 9-11-23, and three times the car experienced phantom braking (i.e. the car suddenly braked for no apparent reason) while the adaptive cruise control was activated. During these instances the car would suddenly brake and slow down and on one occasion I had to accelerate immediately to avoid possibly being rear ended. On all occasions there were no obstacles on the road or cars within 1/4 of a mile ahead of me.
On 09/11/2023 at approx. 6AM CST, my wife went to a nearby Walmart store for groceries. As she was parking the car in the parking space, the car started to accelerate by itself and went around the parking lot in random directions. She couldn't control the steering and brake despite the continuous tries. It was such a traumatic experience, and the car went on to hit couple of other parked cars and the cart return stations in the parking lot. After few seconds of random self-drive in multiple directions of parking lot, it finally came to a halt as it got on a curb that flattened the tires. By God's grace, the car stopped right before entering the main busy road due to flat tires and also no pedestrians at that time. Otherwise, the situation could have been worse as the car was going in an uncontrollable manner. The incident was reported to 911 and they got the car towed to a towing garage. We got the incident report from the police department. They also have the CCTV footage of this incident. We also have the dashcam videos recorded by TESLA and pictures taken after the incident. I will provide any supporting documentation you might need to understand this incident and address the issue. We are trying to come out of the trauma from this incident and would like to bring this issue to the attention of all concerned parties for next steps.
I was coming to a stop due to a train passing by. As I got closer to the other vehicles that were waiting for the train, I let go of the acceleration and then the vehicle on its own launched forward rear ending the car in front of me.
While using cruise control on a highway traveling between 65 and 75 MPH the brakes slammed on when there was absolutely no traffic in front of or beside us, no overhead obstructions, no upcoming corners, nothing at all but straight road ahead. If anyone had been behind us we could easily have been rear-ended. The car had only 1500 miles on it the first time it happened. There were 4 such events in our short 400 mile road trip. Took it directly to Tesla service and have been told there is nothing wrong with the car!
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The contact stated that there were no objects or other vehicles nearby when the failure occurred. The vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality, but the failure recurred a second time. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 7,200.
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