2018 Tesla Model 3 complaints

"PHANTOM BRAKING" when cruise control is on, usually when on the freeway. Sometimes it occurs next to other vehicles, sometimes there are no cars around. On a 600 mile trip it will often occur at least once and most of the time 2-3 times. If it was slippery, the sudden braking could cause loss of traction. If someone was too close behind me they could rear-end me. No one has inspected the issue. Has been occurring since I've owned the car. No warnings.

While traveling from San Diego, CA to Louisiana on the self-drive mode the car abruptly stopped in traffic 3 times (while this was at night there was no concern for an accident). On the return trip back home it did it 1 more time in the daylight hours, but this time there was an 18 wheeler behind me. We were doing the speed limit at the time, which was 75mph and it slammed on the brakes making me go from 75 mph to 60 in seconds. I was able to take control of the vehicle and get it back to highway speed before there was an accident.

On several occasions while driving with autopilot on the car has suddenly and inexplicably braked HARD while at highway speed. Each time there was nothing in the road, no car, no obstruction, no anything, but it was as if the car saw something that wasn't there and jammed on the brakes. I quickly took back over and returned to highway speed. Luckily we were not in heavy traffic or I would have been concerned about being rear-ended by another vehicle. I don't do a lot of road trips with the car and have used autopilot less as a result, but I would guess it has happened 4-6 times since I have owned the vehicle. I just thought it was a glitch that they would work out but just saw reports of others still experiencing this issue so thought I should report it so you were aware of the breadth of the problem. The date below is a total guess as to the last occurrence.

Since we purchased this car 3 years ago, when driving with the cruise control, it has in appropriately applied the brakes. This is a ongoing problem. This is a frequent occurrence (once or twice during 100 mile drives) mostly on 4 lane high ways. The most common situation where this happens is on a uphill rise in the highway and a overpass at the top of the hill. It can be a slight application of brake or a very strong application which is very dangerous with a large truck or close following car behind you. I only use cruise control to rest my foot on long rides and turn it off when approaching a over pass. There are other times it is turned on when a truck passes on the other lane or a car entering the high way from an entrance ramp that the white lines are worn out. We only use the cruise control with great care.

The software on the car is and has always been updated to the latest standard. Driving on east and westbound on US 60 near Phoenix and Mesa AZ the car will emergency brake from time to time. This condition has continued for years off and on and is still happening as of this week. Generally speaking it appears to be caused by shadows from the overpasses and is far more prevalent at low sun angles that create significant shadows leading up to those overpasses.. I don't recall it happening after dark. On several occasions I have submitted "bug" reports via Tesla's online automated system.

The car tart to have sudden unintended acceleration at low speed after fully charge. The car will stop at the road Suddenly. leave car and back. The AC run for 1 min and shut down. I heard a sound which is from battery switch. 9/21, 11:15 am It happened again. I hear a sound and the car show alert. “”Pull over safely” — The autopilot system will slow down a lot passing a bride, even there is no car in the road.

The car breaks automatically when neighboring cars drive by during autopilot. I have a family of 4. This appears to happen when using autopilot almost every single time. It has gotten worse over the years. This car is becoming dangerous.

While using Autopilot adaptive cruise control at speeds of 50-70 mph, the car suddenly applies the brakes even though there is no car or other hazard anywhere near the car. This phantom braking has been happening since I bought the car in 2018. I imagine it's a software problem. I read recently that NHTSA is investigating a similar problem on 2021 and 2022 Tesla Model 3s, so wanted to let you know that this problem is also affecting my 2018 model. Also I read that there's speculation that the problem was as a result of a software update over the past year, but in my vehicle the phantom braking has occurred since 2018. The problem most recently happened last week.

“Phantom emergency braking” problem while autopilot engaged. Will go from 65 to 45 or sometimes lower. Occurrences are unpredictable. There are no apparent causes. If I set driving speed to be 65, I expect it to remain at 65 unless adaptive cruise control reduces the speed for a slower moving car in front of me or if there is a detected potential for a collision. This problem causes driver anxiety. The fear is someone behind who is not paying attention or following too close rear ending the vehicle if it brakes suddenly. Sometimes I wonder if a bug hit a sensor or camera and caused the braking, but it doesn't always happen in the same location. It's jarring. I've tried adjusting other settings like crash avoidance detection, but it hasn't made any difference. This has been happening since taking delivery of the car, but I expected a software fix to be implemented before now.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH with the Autonomous Self Driving function engaged, the vehicle would intermittently brake. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while on autopilot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was erroneous because there was no other vehicle in close proximity. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the failure was common however, there was no current fix. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.

I read in the news that you are investigating phantom braking in cars without radar. I want to make sure you are aware that this is also affecting cars with radar. Each software update makes it worse as they seem to use the radar less and less.

The car has been suddenly slowing from 70miles/hr to 50 miles/hr on the highway when on autopilot. I’ve been noticing this for about 6 months

Tesla FSD beta/ autopilot has frequent phantom braking. Sometimes for oncoming traffic in opposing lane or because of parked cars or even a shadow or nothing at all. It’s dangerous especially when it slams on the brakes so hard items in car will fly to the front. Could cause rear end collision or startle driver and cause them to react poorly. I have been doing bug reports and sending emails to Tesla FSD beta team since 11/2021 after each new update and it has never been resolved even remotely to an acceptable safe feeling product for use.

I drive along the highway and all of a sudden while I'm in adaptive cruise control my car brakes suddenly for no reason.

On multiple occasions while my car was in Autopilot mode on highways and at highway speeds, I have experienced rapid braking (phantom braking) when there was no apparent reason for such. All of the phantom braking events have occurred on sunny days, usually around mid-day. Most often, the events have occurred when approaching a bridge or overpass. My supposition is that the system is mistaking dark shadows under bridges as obstacles that need to be avoided. As a result of the frequency of these events, I no longer use the system on sunny days.

1. Phantom Breaking when on Adaptive Cruise Control. 2. Many times , unexpectedly there will sudden application of brakes, or slowing down of car when on highway and with speed in range of 55-65 mph. 3. Mostly this happens when big truck comes in front or passing thru a bridge. 4. Many times I am not able make any reason of this sudden brakes. 5. Many times due to sudden deacceleration , I have a car following in back, came very close , and honking.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds with the vehicle in auto pilot mode, the vehicle would erroneously reduce speed and on occasions nearly come to a complete stop. On one occasion while driving approximately 70 MPH, the speed was suddenly reduced to 10 MPH. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 5,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 40 MPH. There was no warning light illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle responded and accelerated as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer also informed the contact that the failure was a known issue and that the manufacturer had been made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,484.

Phantom braking- was driving at 65mph and car hard braked and decreased to 55mph in 1 or 2 seconds

On several occasions, with Autopilot engaged my 2018 Tesla Model 3 has strongly applied the brakes while traveling at highway speeds, despite the fact that there were no obstacles up ahead. This has occurred throughout my ownership of the vehicle, and in each instance, it has been extremely unsettling. It required me taking manual control of the vehicle in order to return to highway speed. I do believe that on these occasions my safety and that of my passengers and other motorists has been at risk. It is worth noting that each time this has occurred there has been an overpass up ahead. I have hypothesized that the Autopilot interprets either the overpass or the shadow cast by the overpass as an obstruction. In my experience there is an apparent correlation here that is worth exploring. I was motived to report my experience after reading today's NY Times article (2/17/2022) about "phantom braking". The article indicates that you are "focusing on Tesla Model 3 compact sedans and Model Y hatchbacks that were made in 2021 and 2022 and sold in the United States." Based upon my experience, you may need to you broaden your inquiry to include other model years.

As others have reported, please add my 2018 Model 3 to the list of reports of the vehicle having constant phantom breaking issues that Telsa needs to address. I'm glad you are conducting this investigation. Most times phantom breaking occurs I submit a "Bug Report" using the voice button in the car that sends car logs directly to Tesla so they will have records of these phantom breaking issues at the exact time and location my car experienced it. While it is random it also is very predicable at certain spots on highways I drive in the Bay Area. Namely 680 South in the HOV lane right before the Mission Blvd. exit. At least 90% of the time even I'm the only car in that stretch of road the car breaks hard for no reason. It is occurs so often in that section that I typically disconnect the Advanced Cruise Control in sections as well as other section of the Bay Area where phantom breaking consistently occurs. Two of my neighbors also have M3's and we have compared notes and we all typically see phantom breaking occur in similar areas in the Bay Area.

My 2018 Tesla model 3 experiences “PHANTOM BRAKING” specifically and repeatedly traveling eastbound on the Loop 202 approaching 32nd street in Phoenix AZ. I have reported this issue to Tesla with no resolution.

While driving to work, in 2021, I had experienced sudden deceleration and disengagement of the autopilot. It happened a few times. I have ignored it thinking it to be an electronic glitch. I did not know how to report to Tesla. But since I was sharing my data with them, I thought they will pick up some issue and alert me if there is really something malfunctioning. But I just found out that other customers has had similar issues and that I could report it to NHTSA, therefore I am reporting it albeit delayed.

Car constantly phantom braking seemingly because of oncoming traffic safely in their own lane.

On January 11, 2022 I was driving in Live Oak, Florida with my cousin when my left lateral link came loose from the chassis. The left driver’s side tire turned to the right and the linkage arm dug into the ground causing the car to veer right and bringing the car to an abrupt stop. By the grace of God we were driving in town and only going about 20 mile per hour and no one was hurt but the front driver’s side tire was shoved against the wheel well. The driver’s side door can’t be opened as a result of the left front quarter being pushed into the driver’s door which may indicate frame damage. This appears to be a manufacturer’s defect and I have found that there is a recall of 2019-2020 Model 3’s and 2020-2021 Model Y’s ( https://insideevs.com/news/544553/tesla-recall-suspension-issue-december/) for this same defect. I have a 2018 Model 3 that was delivered late in 2018. I was not informed of this recall and had not idea that this was a safety hazard. As I stated above, no one was injured in this incident. However, if I had been on the interstate going 70 miles per hour, this could have been fatal.

Consistently reverse backup camera is delayed appearing on screen. Camera views will be black for several seconds before video feed appears. After video feed appears it consistently freezes initially and then stutters when vehicle is in reverse motion. This legally required safety device puts pedestrians or property at risk as visibility is severely hampered. While over the shoulder visual checks can still occur a functional reverse camera provides additional visibility for shorter objects or children. No warnings appear, just degraded ability to view behind vehicle. Has happened over several years with various software versions, but lately has been consistently bad every time the car is put into reverse. Unclear if this is software only or a combo of hardware and software not being able to reliably handle reverse camera video feed. Current software is 2021.44.30.5

When driving on autopilot on highways phantom breaking occurs for no reason. There are no warnings, the car just slams on the brakes. Elon Musk has state they were removing radars from cars to eliminate this issue and disabling it in cars with that hardware, but since my car have gone to all vision it is much worse. While following vehicles should always follow at a safe distance to prevent collisions, the reality is most drivers follow too closely and this could very easily result in a rear end collision. It could also trigger road rage from following drivers assuming the driver is doing a brake check on them. This has occurred numerous times over various software versions, but its much worse with the pure vision version of autopilot. Current software is 2021.44.30.5

Tesla -- Front Driver Door Damage January 9, 2022. I recently had an accident with my 2018 Tesla Model 3 attempting to back out of my garage. On January 9, 2022, I put the car in reverse and started to back up the car when I noticed a potential obstruction. Alarmed, I jumped out of the car to move the obstruction behind the car, but in my haste I did not place the car in park. The car continued in reverse without me in the car. I quickly jumped back into the car to apply the brake and place the car in park. I was too late: the open car door hit the center post in the garage destroying the driver’s door. It all took place within one or two or, at the most, three seconds. The damage included a crumbled aluminum body panel, damaged hinges and damaged support beam. Total repair cost is $2900. I am surprised my Tesla Model 3 would continue to move in reverse without anyone in the driver's seat. Is this normal operation for Teslas? Is this a normal operation for other cars? (I have 2019 BMW X3 which immediately shifts from Reverse to Park when the car driver’s door is opened.) I believe this could have been a very dangerous situation. I have been advised that I should not have gotten back into the moving car, but I don’t know how much more damage could have resulted had I not been able to stop the car when I did. -------- 1. Car continued in reverse after I left car. 2. Dangerous jumping back into a moving car as car door is hitting garage support column. 3. The problem has not bee

Was on highway using full self-driving feature when my car suddenly braked hard and in other instances I received a forward collision warning to take immediate action. These incidences (1/17/2022 & 2/6/2022) occurred when no cars were in front of me. I do not feel safe using this feature.

While using Tesla autopilot on surface streets, the car will randomly brake. Additionally, it frequently thinks that green lights are red and will stop the car at an intersection which can cause an accident as other cars will not be stopping.

Both Front Upper Control Arms needed replacing. Suspension had an awful creaking noise. They said it wasn’t officially a service bulletin or recall however they have been proactively fixing cars without the owners asking for them (several people I know), and I had to pay for the repair due to being out of warranty. This was added to my last service appointment on their behalf but it needed to be corrected. Issue became prevalent a week prior. Unsure if safety was at risk. No warning messages. Only inspected and confirmed by Tesla themselves.

When I use auto pilot on freeways, the car will suddenly brake, when there are no vehicles or obstructions in front of me. The sudden reduction in speed is jarring, as I fear getting rear-ended. This "phantom breaking" has happened on numerous occasions, to the point that I do not use auto pilot when I have other passengers in the car.

Many times when I am driving using the adaptive speed control the vehicle will suddenly brake very hard, slamming on the brake, scaring the driver and all passengers in the car. When this happens, there were no other vehicles near our vehicle at the time. If another car was behind mine at this time,I feel that it would surely have caused an accident. I have documented these occurrences each time and brought to the attention of Tesla Service department.

When using autopilot on the freeway there are multiple incidents where the brakes are aggressively applied for no apparent reason

I drive twice a week from Washington DC to Charlottesville, VA, a distance of 117 miles each way. 35 miles are on an interstate and 82 miles are on a divided 4-lane state road. Since I restarted this commute in September 2021 after Covid shutdowns and summer break, I have experienced recurring, frequent problems with the car's vehicle warning system, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision notification system. When I drive on the interstate (where there is currently a great deal of construction), the adaptive cruise control keeps automatically adjusting my speed when there is no speed limit change. So I might be traveling at 65 mph when my speed is suddenly lowered to 30 mph. There are no warnings, either visual or audio. The speed just changes. This is incredibly dangerous and requires me to be hyper-vigilant to avoid a rear end collision, or to turn off the cruise control system. When I travel on the state road, I receive frequent visual notifications of a collision risk ahead of me. I received four of them yesterday, and there was nothing in front of me at all. But sometimes, all automated systems disengage, a visual warning appears on my vehicle screen, and a loud klaxon sounds. This happened twice yesterday. It often occurs when I'm driving on a hilly stretch of road, when I'm ascending towards a crest in the roadway. It happens more at night than in daylight, but it happens without warning under a variety of conditions. The car also has an automatic lane change f

Car randomly brakes very hard when using driver assistance systems. This has happened on wide open roads on clear days, multiple times.

My Tesla heater and windshield defroster's are not able to keep the windshield free of ice when it is below 32°. Heat does not come on strong enough until about 15 to 20 minutes after driving. this provides a dangerous situation with visibility

Tesla introduced blind spot camera availability with the release of Version 11 software. When the driver switches lanes while in autopilot by engaging the turn signal stock at night, the built in turn signal led above the repeater camera blinds the camera by washing out and degrading the camera picture as the turn signal led turns on and off. This has been remedied in newer model year cars as shown in the following youtube video-- https://youtu.be/_BUPsjguqdY This is a safety hazard to vehicle occupants as well as the driver of the vehicle as the repeater camera is being blinded by the turn signal led.

Tesla recently updated the vehicle to software 2021.44.25.2 This update mad major changes to the screen/dashboard making simple operations needed while driving much more complex and DANGEROUS to do while the vehicle is in motion. These include things we normally do every day. Requiring several screen touches and prolonged concentration on the screen instead of the road is a dangerous distraction, and will result in accidents. I requested that they revert tot he previous software version, and they refused to do so. THis is not an acceptable answer. LOTS of Tesla owners are upset about this badly designed update. They either need to IMMEDIATELY roll it back to the previous version, or produce a new update that fixes all the issues this has caused.

When the vehicle is in autopilot, it sometimes (once every couple of months or so) will suddenly engage automatic braking as though there is an obstacle detected in front of the vehicle. In nearly every instance, this has happened at one particular location on an interstate where an overpass casts a shadow on the interstate on which the vehicle is located. The problem seems to be that the vehicle senses an object in front of it and the collision avoidance system is engaged; however, that "object" is only a shadow. This has happened in a few other locations (not simply this where this one overpass is).

I have been plagued with Tesla’s phantom braking for *years*. For all that they do, this seems like a problem they are not willing to invest enough resources to combat the problem. Some releases have been better than others but for last batch of releases, it has gotten far worse than ever before. The car is afraid of bridges and slows down unreasonably. The car is afraid of overhead signs (carpool ones especially) The car is afraid of cars riding on or near the lines of an adjacent lane. The car is afraid of oncoming traffic on the left while driving. What is ironic is these events of aggressive braking is all for nothing. 90% of the time,. The car brakes and does drama without actually having enough time or space if what it was afraid of actually happened. The car has a rear facing camera - why can’t it adjust behavior based on tail gating? Would the car rather have a rear end collision or be afraid of a bridge? It is straight dangerous. The fact there aren’t a lot more accidents is auto pilot/fsd drivers be a large majority pay attention. But, I have had close calls and *many* angry drivers around me get frustrated when it happens. It’s been happening for 4 years…. I realize navigating a complex intersection is a tough problem to solve. They have prioritized this over the fundamentals of driving in a sane way on the freeway in a straight line. It’s ridiculous and I for one am very tired of this problem lasting so long. What chides me is that, “car, why are you braking when

1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? answers: the automatic emergency braking system was incorrectly activated on several occasions, yes 2) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? answer: my Tesla braked unexpectedly in the driveway of my home 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? answer: no 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? answer: no 5) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? answer: no

The side repeater cameras become very hazy with a pink shade at nights and the camera view when the turn signal is turned on displays this. This is quite dangerous if we rely on camera view for blink spot checks at nights.

Tesla has upgraded the visual interface of the Model 3 to version 11 of their software. My vehicle is now running version 2021.44.30.7. The new interface hides critical functions of the vehicle required for safe operation of the vehicle, such as windscreen wipers, front and rear window defoggers behind the multiple menus of the user interface meaning unfamiliar drivers are unable to safely operate the vehicle. Previously these items were on the bottom status bar of the display. Telsa have placed entertainment options as the priority for the display versus safety options. Charging rates and associated energy safety options are similary hidden behind multiple menus or require the charge port to be opened to access functionality. The user interface of the vehicle is now more like a smartphone with attention to entertainment versus attention to safety. Critical controls need to be permanently on display on the top or bottom of the display so unfamilar drivers can readily access functionality for safe vehicle operation in all weather conditions. My wife, who drove the vehicle using the previous interface with controls clearly displayed on the bottom bar of the display, now feels completely unsafe in the vehicle, as multiple clicks through menus on the display are required to activate devices versus the single click on a function in the previous version. She now has to concentrate on the menu and divert her attention from the road to the display to active a function such as window

The Dec 2021 software update changed the touchscreen drastically making it dangerous to use while driving. More time must be spent taking one's eyes off the road to find the icons, and more icons must be touched to control the component (e.g., turning on the defogger). I worry there will be an accident. Tesla customer service has been unresponsive. The chatbot told me to watch videos (which I did and which were unhelpful). No person has responded to my complaints and queries about how to revert the touchscreen to the previous version.

Car rear ended, brakes froze after reacting to a car in front of me. Behavior unexpected and Tesla should not have frozen break maybe Abs kicked in

When driving with the driver assist Auto Pilot active it's possible to disengage Auto Pilot but Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) remains active. When Auto Pilot is active the auto pilot system has control of the car including navigation, maintaining the lane, and speed. Speed can be set by the car or driver. In some cases disengaging auto pilot disables TACC , in other cased TACC remains active. A driver may be caught off-guard when the car continues forward at the set speed after disengaging auto pilot. This difference in behavior can surprise a driver and that puts every other driver in the area at risk. Ways to disengage Auto Pilot : 1) Press up on the right-side stalk (also used to engage TACC & Auto Pilot) on the steering column behind the steering wheel. When pressing up on the stalk Auto Pilot and TACC are both disabled. 2) Step on the brake pedal. Pressing the brake pedal disables both Auto Pilot and TACC. 3) Turn the steering wheel, for example to avoid a road hazard or a vehicle in the car's path. Turning the steering wheel only disables Auto Pilot functions, TACC remains active. The car continues to move forward at the speed Auto Pilot was using. The three disengagement methods have similar, but different outcomes. The result is a driver by moving the steering wheel can disengage Auto Pilot while cruise control remains active. This problem is compounded when considering Tesla's forward collision warning and avoidance has issues with stationary vehicles like thos

I own a 2018 Tesla Model 3. On December 1st, 2021 I heard a clunk in the front left wheel area while backing up. I stopped and found a 3 inch long 1/2 inch diameter bolt on the ground. I had my vehicle towed to the Tesla service center. They claimed that this was not associated to the recall for similar failure on 2019 and 2020 vehicles, but they extended the warranty and replaced the entire front end suspension system. Specifically, they claimed that this is not a safety issue, but they did me a "favor" by servicing this under warranty. The repair was exactly the same as the recall on the 2019 and 2020 Tesla model 3 cars. Then on January 14, 2022 I was driving over a very low speed bump and the entire right front end dropped. After inspection, it was visible that the same bolt that had dropped out of the left front tie rod had dropped out of the right front tie rod, but this time more catastrophically. Luckily, I was in a parking lot and driving slowly, but if I had hit a pothole on the highway 5 minutes earlier, it almost certainly would have cost me my life or severe injury. The tow truck driver noted that the bolt was only screwed in for less than 1/2 inch and there was no locktite on the bolt. I had the vehicle towed to the closest Tesla service center. I gave them the dropped bolt. I have not yet heard the resolution from Tesla. My biggest fear is that this is also a systemic issue on the 2018 Tesla Model 3 and it is not being addressed by Tesla. At this point in time,

There was a seatbelt failure warning that came out on the screen. For obvious reasons, this ranks pretty high for safety concerns. I scheduled a service for it and was charged because apparently my car is out of warranty. Considering this is a manufacturer failure and not a wear and tear issue, a reasonable person would not lay cause on the owner but rather a quality issue, or the lack of it. I did a little research and found out that this is not an isolated case but rather an ongoing issue with other owners as well. A few instances would indicate an isolated issue but multiple occasions would suggest a systemic failure. Please consider reviewing the matter and resolve appropriately. If it is not Tesla’s responsibility so be it, just have it reviewed because so many other lives may be in danger without accountability. Thank you.

The latest update of the software (V11) has moved functions that were previously accessible on the main screen to a sub-screen requiring 3 touches compared to 1 before. These functions include the windshield defogger, rear defroster, and the seat heaters. This requires having to look and interact with the screen much longer than before, impacting safety. Prior software (V10) had buttons on the screen emulating those of other cars. These required 1 touch to.enable/disable the function. It now requires 3 touches: 1 to pull up the sub-panel, 1 to enable/disable, and 1 to dismiss the sub-panel. Also, the prior software allowed you to see the status of these functions on the screen. Now you have to touch the screen to pull up the sub-panel and touch again to dismiss.