What 650 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Bev

Dangerously brakes for no apparent reason while using adaptive cruise control. Especially common on two-lane roads. Occurs approximately once every 20 miles of driving. Has caused near accidents on three occasions. Tesla does not take any action. Car has the most recent software update.

NHTSA ODI 11449109

I was driving north on Wisconsin route 14 at about 60 mph in my Tesla model 3 using the cruise control.. When a large transportation truck came from the opposite direction, my Tesla suddenly braked sharply. A Ford model F150 truck was following behind me and almost crashed into the back of my car. Fortunately the driver was alert and by sharply apply his brakes on driving into the ditch he avoided colliding with me. This could have been (and nearly was) a lethal accident. I would urge that you put a recall on a Tesla vehicles until this problem is corrected. I have contacted other Tesla owners and they have experienced similar problems. I contacted my local Tesla service station and they seemed unconcerned about the problem. I urge you to issue a recall before someone is seriously hurt or killed.

NHTSA ODI 11448117

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle decelerated, and the brakes activated erroneously. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle returned to normal driving operation. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 11444030

Constant “phantom braking” when using autopilot on the freeway and other roads. When the pavement changes color, the car slams on the brakes in the middle of the freeway. When a truck is in the opposing lane, the car slams on the brakes. When a truck is merging into a lane to my right on the freeway, the car slams on the brakes. This is extremely unsafe and frightening. This software is garbage and worse than my 6 year old Subaru. Tesla needs to address this, and I hope they’re eventually forced to.

NHTSA ODI 11443861

My Tesla Model 3 is brand new and delivered in 2021, the vehicle has had no recalls or issues report by the manufacture and is running the latest software updates provided by Tesla, which as of this date is: 2021.36.8 I have driven the car since delivery a total of 5,596 miles, which includes a cross country road trip from CA to FL. During this trip I used "Autopilot" a feature which is touted as safe, however after my experience and reading and hearing other users reports I believe this is not the case. I had numerous cases of "phantom braking" which is where the vehicle believes there is an object that it will collide with and it slams the brakes on, usually dropping around ~20 MPH extremely rapidly. Many of these events occurred in lower light scenarios (night time) and almost all of them occurred when I had no vehicles in any direction for over half a mile, which means that there should have been no indicators flagging an emergency braking event. Here are some other reports, including a well known publisher CNET: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2021-tesla-model-y-review/ The Model Y and 3 share a lot of common design and technical elements, including their lack of a forward radar system, which is think is likely why this issue is occurring for these vehicles and not for the Model S and X. Here is a full user report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxvh60zBl70&t=1s I am writing this report in order to add myself to a growing list of Tesla customers that have not been listened to about this issue, it is a massive safety issue and should likely trigger a full investigation, this issue can easily be replicated with and 2020-2021 Model 3 and/or Y. And likely should trigger an immediate call for either a software patch, disabling of the feature, and/or recall of all affected vehicles, either to retrofit a radar system, or to fix the camera system.

NHTSA ODI 11442622

Driving normally, with cruise control (not auto steering) engaged vehicle will spontaneously and dangerously apply emergency breaking. This happens regularly to the point I won’t use it. It’s going to cause accidents, especially when slippery conditions exist.

NHTSA ODI 11441906

My new Tesla 3 deployed automatic emergency braking seven (7) times in a 5 hour period. The Tesla Autopilot was turned off due to reports of phantom braking like this from many other drivers in a Tesla online forum. Regardless, the car slammed on the brakes when there were no obstructions or cars in front of me. I almost suffered a rear end collision during one of these phantom emergency braking events, where the car suddenly braked from 70MPH to less than 40MPH. The malfunctioning component is likely the Tesla software that works with the forward-facing cameras which are installed as part of the Full Self Driving feature. While I did not pay the $10,000 for FSD, this system still operates for automated braking and lane departure. I have requested Tesla inspect the car, which has 482 miles on it, but am filing with you anyway due to the similarity between this experience today and the dozens of other complaints I have read about on the Tesla Owners forum called TOO.

NHTSA ODI 11441777

On a recent trip, we started experiencing extreme issues with our car's cruise control and autopilot features. Specifically, when in cruise control or auto pilot, the car would randomly disengage the cruise control or auto pilot and start braking. Taking the car out of cruise control or auto pilot, restarting the car, etc did not fix the problem. We noticed the problem was much worse at night and when we were traveling on a two lane highway. We would be in cruise control/auto pilot and often when another vehicle would approach us from the opposite direction the vehicle would suddenly brake. While this happened more often at night, it continued to happen at any point during the day and when we were on many different roads/interstates. This seems extremely unsafe to have our vehicle hard braking randomly when we are traveling at high speeds (60mph+). We scheduled a service appointment with Tesla and were told that this is a software issue and we would have to wait for an update.

NHTSA ODI 11441457

Whenever TACC (cruise control) is engaged and the car is on a two lane highway with no divider, it will aggressively brake and trigger the collision warning system when a semi-truck passes going the opposite direction.

NHTSA ODI 11441400

"Traffic Aware Cruise Control" (aka Autopilot) applied full braking and sounded collision warning when no collision was imminent. Had traffic been following closely, a rear-end collision could have occurred. Several other similar "ghost braking" incidents have occurred but this was the worst and most dangerous. Vehicle has not yet been taken to a repair facility. Vehicle has not needed inspection by law enforcement nor insurance company.

NHTSA ODI 11440638

Starting in June 2021, Tesla removed the radar sensing on their vehicles and switched to a vision-only (camera) system for adaptive cruise control and "auto pilot" operation. On my 2021 Model 3 Performance, I can not use either system without constant "phantom braking" events. Sometimes it will only gently pulse the brake pedal, but often it is very hard braking along with a beep and message on-screen saying I need to take immediate control of the car. This happens daily and is not hard to reproduce. If there is a car behind you, it can be quite dangerous. Even if they don't rear end you, often it will cause them to think you're doing a "brake check" and can lead to road rage incidents. My previous car (a 2018 Model 3 RWD) had a radar sensor and experienced mild (not hard) phantom braking roughly 2~3 times over an 18 month period. I still have access to that car and recently tested it for comparison. Even on the same software revisions, the old car drove flawlessly on ACC and Autopilot modes.

NHTSA ODI 11440516

Autopilot constantly brakes due to automatic emergency braking on two-way highways at night. Every time a car passes in the other direction, the car starts braking, often as soon as the headlights are visible. This is a significant safety issue and resulted in me disabling AEB, which re-enables automatically every time I drive. I needed to go out of my way and ensure no one was tailing me because the car would brake check them. This wasn't an isolated incident. Every time I've been on a two way highway and sometimes even on multi-lane unlit highways, I have these braking issues constantly. I was driving under the speed limit.

NHTSA ODI 11440149

Vehicle slams brakes on with on coming traffic when cruise control activated. Have attempted to contacted Tesla several times. Tesla actually canceled a mobile service stating they did an update to fix the issue. It did not. In fact it made the problem worse. The are not answering my emails or texts, calling the service line does no good the say they can’t see the issue in their data

NHTSA ODI 11439881

I noticed you have a recall for SOME Teslas about a glitch with the auto braking after latest Beta FSD rollout. My Tesla has had this since day one, and I don't have or use FSD. I do use the adaptive cruise control, and that is when I have problems with my car slamming on the brakes for no reason. I have been lucky, 3 times I have ALMOST, been rear-ended. I have had it in the shop a couple times for the issue, and they tell me to read the manual and the car is fine. I have talked with 5 other Tesla owners, and they have all had the problem of their car slamming on the brakes for no REAL reason. I think the GLITCH is a bigger problem than Tesla is willing to admit, and applies to most Tesla cars. there are even website forums about, "Phantom Braking", which is lingo for the same thing

NHTSA ODI 11439075

On September 1st, I was perpendicular back parking on the street in front of my home. Spaces are fairly tight and the street fairly narrow, so it is not uncommon to shift between reverse and drive a couple times to adjust one's fit before parking. That said, a quarter of the way into my parking spot, I shifted from drive to reverse after finishing adjusting. After doing so, I pushed on the accelerator and was sent forward as if I were in drive. I toggled between drive and reverse multiple times over the course of 15 seconds. Pushing on the accelerator continued to send me in the opposite direction, causing me to hit the sidewalk curb in front of me multiple times. The situation resolved itself after 20 or so seconds. Then, the same exact situation occurred on Sept 7 and again on Sept 13, and those times, I nearly hit the car parked adjacent to me. All of this occurred while hold mode was on, meaning the car was not simply swaying with gravity. There could be a host of defects involved in the manifestation of such a problem - perhaps a bug in the software which controls the power train. The swapping of reverse and drive for no apparent reason presents a huge safety concern/liability. I could have hit pedestrians on the sidewalks in front and behind or severely damaged mine and someone else's vehicle. My street is one of two which allow access to a monument. That said, there are always a ton of pedestrians, many of which are young children. I scheduled a Tesla service appointment after the first occurrence. Timestamps and video of each of the incidents was captured and provided to Tesla. They claim there is no issue and that the car was simply rolling due to gravity - despite hold mode. Furthermore, I drive on the same street every day and the aforementioned issue does not happen every time. Even given my three scary experiences, Tesla has refused to take any further inaction, other than to reassure me nothing is wrong with my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11434097

I was pulling up next to a curb inside a neighborhood to park my car. I released my foot on the accelerator pedal to slow and stop my car. I slowly stepped on the brake pedal to switch the gear into reverse and my vehicle sped up very fast and hit the parked car in front of me and ran over the curb, my steering wheel also shifted to the right as if it was trying to dodge an obstacle on the road. It happpend so fast that I could not avoid the impact. I could have ran into a pedestrian and put their life at risk, or injured the person in the car that was parked, and even hurt myself badly. I've been getting neck pain and headaches. This incident was very terrifying and traumatizing. I tried to reach out to Tesla Service Center, but my tesla app was not working after the incident. The Tesla app was frozen for 10-15 mins after the incident. I kept trying to reach out to Tesla Service center and kept getting an automated response to utilize the Tesla App. Finally, the app started working again, I left them a message regarding the accident and photos, and they responded two days after, but did not address the issue about unintended acceleration until I kept asking why are they ignoring my concerns about the uninteded accerlation, and then I received a phone call from a technician. He said that I do not have to bring my car for inspection, instead they will just check the logs and could take up to 8 weeks to see what happened. Estimated cost for exterior damages according to Geico Insurance is 5344.74. Tesla Service Center denied having the car inspected physcially for any sensor issues and malfunction issues, states that I don't have to bring my car in at all, they will submit a report for engineering team to review the driving logs at the time of the accident only. My car is currently towed to a 3rd party body shop that is Tesla certified. No warnings from my car screen alerts or anything prior to the accident.

NHTSA ODI 11430930

When driving with the adaptive cruise control on, the car will for no reason, briefly slam on the brakes for no reason. I have almost been rear ended twice because of this. check mark box above in this web page would not allow me to check the adaptive Cruise Control item.

NHTSA ODI 11429825

After parking and leaving the car, I realize later the dashboard did not shut down. The dashboard was still illuminated, and I was also able to hear the sound from a tuned FM radio. I re-open and closed both the driver and the passenger doors in an attempt to shutoff the dashboard. Since I did not get the expected result, I decided to get back into the car. I sat down in the driver chair to investigate the problem when the car was instantly activated and switched to a sudden and uncontrolled acceleration. It crashed into a facing wall after a run of about 30 feet.

NHTSA ODI 11423241

see description on file report Nb:11423241

NHTSA ODI 11423248

I previously reported unexpected acceleration on two occasions with this car. This follow up not is to inform NHTSA that Tesla has not been willing to provide any information or investigation results more than 8 weeks after my report to them. They told me they couldn’t discuss it and I would be contacted within 5 weeks. When I inquire now they just say it’s still under investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11422416

On two separate occasions our Model 3 experienced uninitiated acceleration. Both times we were able engage the breaks and prevent any issue, but it’s disconcerting. We reported to Tesla on April 22nd and they said they would get back to us.

NHTSA ODI 11418225

ON FEBRUARY 28, 2021 AT 4:08 PM.. THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF MY ARRIVAL AT WORKPLACE WHICH IS ALSO DISPLAYED IN MY NAVIGATION. AS SOON AS I'M DOING A REVERSE TO PARK MY TESLA FOR SOME REASON AND IT DID HAPPEN SO QUICKLY ACCIDENTALLY PRESS THE ACCELERATOR HARDER AND AS A RESULT I CAUSE AN ACCIDENT THAT MY REAR BUMPER HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME THAT WAS PARKED. THE DAMAGED WAS HUGE THAT IT KNOCK OFF THE PARKED CAR FRONT BUMPER, IT BROKE THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT AND BUCKLED THE ENGINE HOOD. IT REALLY BOGGLES ME AS TO HOW IT HAPPENED, I RE-CREATE THE SCENARIO AT HOME IT TURNS OUT AND I TRULY BELIEVED THAT I GOT CONFUSED WITH THE CURRENT DRIVING MODE AS I SWITCH THE CAR TO REVERSE WHILE I STOP TO CHECK MY PROXIMITY, BUT THE DISPLAY CHANGES TO 'HOLD BRAKE' FONT. NOT KNOWING THAT IT STILL IN REVERSE MODE, ALTHOUGH THE TOP LEFT VERTICALLY DISPLAYED DRIVE MODE INDICATOR STILL SHOWING BUT IT IS TOO SMALL/ MINIMAL THAT IT'S HARD TO DISTINGUISH WHICH ONE IS ACTIVE. FOR AN OWNER THAT'S NEW TO THIS ELECTRIC CAR IT IS CONFUSING AND SPECIALLY YOU HAVE OTHER ICE CAR YOU CURRENTLY DRIVING AT HOME.TESLA SHOULD CONSIDER AN UPDATE TO THE DISPLAY ON THE DRIVING MODE INDICATOR. THE DEFAULT AS YOU SWITCH THE STALK TO D, P, N OR R, THAT LARGE FONT ONLY DISPLAY MOMENTARILY AND IT CHANGES TO YOUR SPEED AND THEN CHANGES TO ' HOLD- BRAKE FONT ICON'. THOSE DISPLAY FONT P-D- R- N ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER IS TOO MINIMAL AND EVEN LIGHTLY OBSTRUCTED WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. EVEN THE FONT COLOR IS HARDLY DISTINGUISHABLE, THE CURRENT DRIVE MODE IS ONLY BOLD IN THE SAME COLOR. THIS IS REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ASAP. TESLA MODEL 3 DISPLAY SHOULD BE UPDATED, THE DRIVE MODE SHOULD BE VISIBLE ENOUGH AND PERMANENT ON THE DISPLAY. LOOK AT THE MODEL S.. IT HAS A VERY VISIBLE/ EASY TO DISTINGUISH YOUR CURRENT DRIVING MODE. ( P-D- N-R ) [XXX] CONTACT: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11399195

WHEN I TEST DROVE THE TESLA MODEL 3, THERE WAS AN OPTION TO TURN REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO LOW. THIS ALLOWED THE CAR TO HAVE MORE OF A COASTING EFFECT WHEN ONE LIFTS THE FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN I RECEIVED DELIVERY OF THE CAR, THE ABILITY TO REDUCE THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING EFFECT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE REMOVAL OF THIS FEATURE IS BEING DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN ONLINE FORUMS. THE LATEST VERSION OF THE OWNERS' MANUAL STATES THAT REGENERATIVE BRAKING IN THE STANDARD SETTING COULD CAUSE THE CARE TO LOSE TRACTION IN WINTER CONDITIONS AND THAT DRIVERS SHOULD SELECT THE LOW SETTING. BY REMOVING THIS ABILITY, TESLA, BY ITS OWN ADMISSION, HAS DECREASED THE CAR'S SAFETY IN WINTER CONDITIONS. A RAPID DECELERATION OF A CAR ON SLIPPERY ROADS IS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO INDUCE A SKID AND MAKE THE CAR DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY CONCERNING. TESLA NEEDS TO BRING THE FEATURE BACK, OR PUBLICIZE OTHER COMPENSATIONS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MADE UNBEKNOWNST TO OWNERS. I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE CAR ON 12/24/20, BUT ACCORDING TO ONLINE FORUMS THIS SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED STARTING IN OCTOBER OF 2020. A SIDE COMPLAINT WOULD BE THAT TESLA DOES NOT UPDATE THE OWNERS MANUAL IN A TIMELY MANNER TO COINCIDE WITH THE MANY SOFTWARE UPDATES. THE ABOVE EXAMPLE IS JJUST ONE OF MANY, SINCE THE CURRENT MANUAL MAKES A RECOMMENDATION THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DO IN THE 2021 MODEL 3 REFRESH.

NHTSA ODI 11385293