When driving on a two lane highway today, I had 3 episodes of the car applying the brakes to suddenly decrease speed when a vehicle was in the oncoming lane. I also had another event of emergency braking when a car was crossing the highway on a perpendicular road far ahead of my car. When I reached that road, the car had already safely crossed. Cruise control is unusable on the Tesla because of these events.
2022 Tesla Model Y brakes complaints
Page 5 of 6: complaints 101 to 130 of 132, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While using adaptive cruise control on the highway, the car applied the brakes on its own. There were no cars in front of us, nor on the side of us. We were very lucky there was no one behind us or we would have been rear-ended. We went from 70 mph to 65 mph in a matter of an instant. I was able to apply the gas to stop the braking. There were no warnings or messages ahead of the incident.
My car has problems with uncommanded slowdowns while cruise control and/or Autopilot are active. The vehicle will slow down suddenly in any number of predictable and unpredictable situations. The extent of the slowdown is variable as well. It can range from a slight “hiccup” in the speed, which is simply unpleasant, to a significant, rapid decrease. (Like, more than 10mph, very quickly.) This can occur at various times of day, though I don’t drive much at night (it has happened then as well). Driving on any two lane road with a vehicle following at any time is risky and in my opinion hazardous. Particularly if the vehicle following is even remotely close. If the following vehicle isn’t paying attention and the car decides to brake for whatever reason (and apparently there are LOTS) that’s a collision waiting to happen. I have refused to use my car’s cruise control system since shortly after I got the car due to this issue. I try it every once in a while to see if it’s any better, but it hasn’t made it more than 5 miles before another event. Not only is it a terrible experience for passengers, it’s unpleasant to have to keep my foot above the accelerator pedal to react to the stupid braking the car will do. Some of the predictable things that cause braking can include, not limited to - oncoming vehicles on a 2-lane (especially trucks, and almost everything bigger than an F150), many larger mailboxes, and in some parts of my commute - simply nothing at all. I don’t know what the car sees, but it brakes. Less predictable are the times it will brake for shadows. Can’t use cruise control when there’s trees shadowing the road. It is absurd. No vehicle this day and age should risk causing an accident because of random shadows!! To be clear, I’ve never had a problem in a divided highway. Everywhere else, though, forget it.
Random, sudden braking while in cruise control (auto pilot mode). There is NO object or other vehicle in the way when this happens. It has happened many times starting in December 2021 in a brand new vehicle and happened most recently 3 days ago. Every time it happens it is scary. Very disturbing and renders cruise control unusable. No word from Tesla that this is fixable or even a priority. Please make Telsa address this serious safety hazard before someone is hurt or killed. Thank you.
While driving at highway speeds the vehicle will brake suddenly. This has happened more than eight times in a single 100 mile trip. Potential for crash at high speeds and very unnerving for the driver and passengers.
I experienced two incidents of phantom braking while making a round trip from Reno Nevada to Sacramento California on Interstate 80 on March 3, 2022. The first incident (approx. 10:15 AM) occurred west bound and west of Donner summit. My speed was approximately 70 MPH traveling in the right lane. Several big rig trucks were parked on the shoulder. There were no cars directly in front of me and one car slightly ahead in the left lane. Autopilot was engaged. Suddenly the car braked violently and reduced speed to under 40 MPH. I retained control and continued driving. In the second incident (Approx. 1:30 PM) my wife was driving east on I 80 (with autopilot engaged) at approximately 70 MPH. As she attempted to change lanes to allow a car to pass to our left, emergency braking again was violently engaged. The car behind us had to take very quick evasive action to avoid a collision. A high speed collision was extremely narrowly avoided. There were no vehicles for hundreds of yards ahead of us nor any parked along the highway and no obstacles on the highway. At the spot where the braking occurred the highway began to slope upward, possibly creating the illusion of an obstacle..
When in Traffic Aware Cruise Control the car would brake suddenly for no apparent reason. I’m not sure whether it is available for inspection upon request. Sudden unexplained braking could be a safety hazard if it occurs when a vehicle is travelling behind. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service station. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This problem occurred at least 6 times when travelling on the highway between Lake Charles, LA and San Antonio, TX on 2/27/2022 and 24 times when travelling on the highway between San Antonio, TX and Las Cruces, NM on 2/28/2022. We observed that the frequency of these sudden unexplained braking occurrences increases when the light is filtered through partly sunny/partly cloudy skies. In bright cloudless conditions or in overcast conditions the unexplained braking does not happen. On 3/1/2022 the day after we had 24 occurrences we drove from Las Cruces, NM to Scottsdale, AZ in bright cloudless conditions and we didn’t experience any sudden braking.
I was driving my 2022 Tesla Model Y south on I-95 near the intersection with I-10, going approximately 65 miles per hour in the middle of a clear day. I did not have cruise control, autopilot, anything on-- just driving normal. No warning indicators. All software updates were up to date. I was in the far right lane and, at that section of the road, there is a large distance between the oncoming traffic headed north. There were no oncoming cars anyhow. And the car just suddenly slammed on the breaks. I didn't go into a skid but it was enough to jerk my body forward to where my torso hit the steering wheel. I pressed down on the acceleration as fast as I could. If there would have been a car or truck behind me, I would have been really hurt, especially if there would have been passengers in the back. I was shaking. If anything remotely like that happens again, I will sell the car that same day.
The cruise control system malfunctioned during the very first highway use (within several weeks after receiving the vehicle). While driving at a high speed on the open highway, the car would break hard for no clear reason, even when I was not following closely behind any other car. The nearest car in my lane was least 20 car lengths ahead, if at all. This experience was quite traumatizing to both me and my wife, and made us feel unsafe on the highway. Luckily, I follow the speed limits in our state, which reduces the likelihood of a rear-end collision (all others drive at least 10 MPH faster than the limit and zip past me). However, this "phantom braking" (as others have dubbed it) is very hard and sudden, often dropping the car down from 70 to 50 MPH in seconds, without warning. When I contacted Tesla via the app, they texted me to reset the cameras (do a hard reboot). There has been no follow-up by them. I do not think that this has fixed it, but have not given it a full test on a long trip. I wonder if this has something to do with the removal of the radar guidance system by the manufacturer, as this system was discontinued immediately before my Tesla was built. This experience has been so disturbing that we are seriously considering selling the Tesla and buying another brand of EV. It made our initial 200 mile trip in the car one of the worst driving experiences that I have had in decades. I had to hold the steering wheel with an iron grip out of fear for when the car would next capriciously decide to jam on the brakes. Needless to say, I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained by the time that we reached our destination. To specifically address your questions: the car is available for inspection; it put my and my wife's safety at risk; the "dealer" has not specifically confirmed the problem; nobody has inspected the vehicle; there was no warning prior to the problems.
I purchased the vehicle on 2/12/2022. In the first six days of ownership, the vehicle suddenly braked on two occasions while using cruise control.
The vehicle will brake while utilizing the AutoSteer and Cruise Control features. I do not have the Advanced AutoPilot feature enabled on my vehicle. The vehicle will brake suddenly at highway speeds requiring me to take control of the vehicle immediately. This is concerning and May result in an rear end collision.
Application of emergency braking without warning when TACC cruise control system engaged. Yes, vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle was driven yesterday for its 1st longer mileage trip since purchase in February, 66 miles on two lane highway and interstate. When the Tesla TACC system (cruise control) was engaged the braking system abruptly applied with no warning and without reason. This occurred approximately 6 times during the drive and only while cruise control was active. Two instances appeared to have been caused by on coming vehicles in opposing direction in the other lane. One at lower speed, 25 mph, a bus in the opposite lane. Our vehicle applied the brakes hard enough that the car almost came to a complete stop. There was no vehicle directly behind but if there were we would likely have been hit. The 2nd was an oncoming semi truck on a two lane highway at approx 65 mph. Our vehicle again with no warning slammed on the brakes. At this speed we felt some difficulty gaining control of the vehicle. Again, no vehicles were directly behind so we avoided another possible collision. The remaining 4 instances presented no possible reasons for application of the brakes. Each time this occurred without warning. This drive sees relatively low traffic levels thankfully, as this issue would likely cause collision with following vehicles not being able to stop fast enough from random hard braking at highway speeds. Our regular driving occurs on more traffic filled roads. Due to this issue the system cannot be used as an accident would be eminent. Vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealer or independent service center. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lights or messages occur prior to this failure.
I was driving with the autopilot engaged and the car unexpectedly slammed on the brakes. This happen 2 more times and I disengaged the autopilot and did not turn it back on.
When in auto pilot mode, the car would suddenly brake for no apparent reason. I was afraid I would get hit from behind. I reported this to the local tesla dealer. He acknowledged others have had the same problem. There is nothing they could do now.
Today I was driving to work using the adaptive cruise control and the car applied brakes for no valid reason, this sudden deceleration could have caused an accident.
While traveling on I81, at dusk, on 2/16/2022, the car automatically, with no apparent reason, momentarily applied the brakes, causing the car to veer sharply to the left - this occurred twice on a 20 mile trip - once while passing a semi, once while driving under an overpass - autopilot was with ‘distance speed control’ on - car is new with less than 300 miles (purchased on 2/11) - Because to this, I consider the car to be unsafe to drive with autopilot ‘on’
The vehicle control system intermittently commands hard braking at highway speed when there are no obstacles or vehicles nearby. This sometimes happens repeatedly over a period of several minutes and sometimes doesn't happen for weeks at a time. The braking and deceleration is so rapid as to result in difficulty controlling the car and potential hazard to cars following behind. After repeated "bug reports" to Tesla, nothing has changed. They issue a software update with a new game, but don't fix the hazardous problems.
At highway speeds using adaptive cruise or autopilot, vehicle suddenly brakes and veers towards the shoulder of the road. This occurs when a large vehicle such as a bus or semi is approaching from the opposite direction. Emergency break came close to causing a rear end collision today 2/17/22. Contacted Tesla service for investigation and repair.
Phantom Braking While using Autopilot (cruise control), my Tesla Model Y without warning slows the car from the speed limit (ex: 60mpg) down to half the speed or less. This usually occurs when the is a large approaching vehicle (semi or box truck) or when going around corners with a solid background (trees or large rocks). I assume this is because the car believes a collision is imminent and is trying to avoid it. Once the vehicle is past the car continues as if nothing occurred. The first time this happened was very scary and I ad no idea why it happened. Now I keep my foot resting above the gas pedal which keeps the car from severe braking action if you depress pedal right away. I mostly do not use cruise control on two lanes roads with lots of traffic for safety reasons, especially if there's someone following too close. My last trip of 60+ miles this probably occurred half a dozen times until I turned it off.
Phantom braking.
Phantom breaking happens consistently when cruise control is engaged. The phantom breaking happens every day and multiple times a day. Whether it be on a multi lane freeway or a two lane highway, serious breaking occurs and often can be quite dangerous when cars are following behind our vehicle.
Car phantom braked when in a 2 lane highway when there was an approaching car in the opposite lane. No danger of the other car colliding but Tesla braked for no reason. Happened multiple times while using Autopilot.
Multiple occurrences of phantom braking phenomenon with cruise control engaged. Happened while driving into setting sun or at night. The car seemed to confuse shinny spots in the road (ice patches and tar repairs particularly at the crest of a hill or bridge) as a vehicle and apply the brakes. The braking was usually very aggressive and in one case almost resulted in a high speed rear end. Adjusting control parameters as available form the software did not have any effect. Have not had the car inspected at this point. No warning was given by the system but you can see a phantom image appear on the virtual display during the episode.
The car is experiencing PHANTOM BRAKING. The vehicle incorrectly detects objects and brakes vigorously dropping speed really quickly. If traffic is following we could easily get rear ended. This happened over 10 times in a 100mile journey.
Multiple occasions while using autopilot on 2 lane roads when semi trucks are coming in the opposite direction the Tesla will brake hard saying impending accident when the semi is staying in its lane ….it happens about 80 percent of the time. It’s so bad I will not use this feature till it’s fixed as it’s dangerous
When on auto pilot or even simple cruise control the car often forcibly brakes for no apparent reason. It will sometimes brake when another vehicle is in the other lane or for no reason at all. I have asked the service center about the issue and they claim they have never heard of the problem. This is a very dangerous problem as it could cause a vehicle behind me to rear end me and cause damage or injury. It is terrifying when it happens.
My Tesla has been braking for no reason. This weekend we took a road trip to Sun Valley. Once in a while when cresting a hill my car would go into hard braking. It would also do this when a semi or larger vehicle was coming in the opposite direction on a two lane road. The lane departure system would also become disabled for no apparent reason. The wipers are the worst. They have no concept of automatic, there will be no rain and they will start wiping on high. And sometimes when there is rain they won't even wipe, I have to operate them manually. This is very distracting and makes hard to focus on the road.
Model Y exhibits "phantom braking" when adaptive cruise control is engaged. This happens every time a large truck is passing in the opposite lane on a two lane road. If another driver is behind our vehicle, they may not be able to stop to avoid a crash. Corrective action is to turn off adaptive cruise control or step on accelerator to override the braking. In addition, the car will also perform "phantom braking" when there is no discernible issue, with no traffic in front of our vehicle or sometimes on a left turn when there is a guard rail on the right.
While on auto pilot, phantom braking at high speeds on highway with no cars nearby. No warning on the monitor when this happens. Long wait at the service center for appointment but this issue has been communicated to Tesla. Car resumes the cruise speed almost immediately after phantom braking. Also communicated to Tesla is that the wipers do not always automatically come on with moisture on windshield when set in auto mode.
While traveling east and west on I-8 between San Diego and Phoenix the 2022 Tesla Model Y would suddenly brake. We could not reliably reproduce when or how the vehicle braked. On some occasions, we were near other vehicles. On other occasions there were no other vehicles or obstacles on or near the car. Others at risk. On the highway the vehicle rapidly decelerated and if there would have been a car behind us, there would have been an accident. After the first two incidents, we kept our foot on the gas pedal to accelerate if we felt a rapid deceleration. Reproducing the problem. We rarely drive the car, and have not had the problem in city driving. We tried to reproduce the problem during that trip, but we're unsuccessful. We have not taken the vehicle to Tesla. Inspection. The vehicle is not been inspected by an insurance company or Tesla. Warnings. We did not see any warning lights or alerts concerning the problem. After the first two incidents, we paid attention to the screen to see if any warnings appeared to help us identify the problem.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2022 Tesla Model Y?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history