Service Brakes Problems of Tesla Model 3 - part 1

Every time I press, my horn and error pops up that my cameras are unavailable, and that features may be restored on the next drive also it sends an error that my regenerative brakes are also out and will be restored on the next drive. It does this consistently every day which causes a safety hazard when driving my vehicle.

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Statement regarding my 2025 Tesla Model 3 accident I was driving my 2025 Tesla Model 3 when the accelerator pedal appeared to become stuck, causing the vehicle to continue accelerating. The vehicle reached approximately 70 mph, and I was unable to regain control. I attempted to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes, but the brakes felt hard or would not respond, and the vehicle would not stop as expected. I was driving the vehicle myself and was not using autopilot or full self-driving. Because I could not bring the vehicle to a stop, I collided with three other cars. I believe the suspected accelerator and braking malfunction contributed to the accident. The police responded to the accident and prepared a report. My Tesla was towed from the scene to a tow yard. I reported the accident to my insurance company, which provides full coverage on my vehicle. At this time, my insurance company has not yet declared the Tesla a total loss, and I still have an outstanding car loan. I sustained bruising to my hand and ribs and went to the emergency room for medical evaluation. I am requesting that the vehicle be preserved for an independent inspection so the cause of the accident can be investigated, including the reported accelerator and braking problems and any relevant electronic vehicle data. This statement reflects my recollection of what happened and is provided so the accident and suspected vehicle malfunction can be properly investigated.

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On 10/09 at approx. 10:30 am est, my 2024 Tesla Model 3 was operating on full self-driving (supervised) on cummings, GA. Without warning, the vehicle steered off the paved roadway. The driver attempted to take control by [turning the steering wheel / pressing the brake], but the vehicle did not respond to her input and fsd did not disengage. The car left the road and struck [the curb / roadside edge] before coming to a stop on the grass. Damage: rims cracked and bent, tires deflated and unseated from the rims, grass and soil packed into the wheels, wheel covers torn off, and scrape damage to the fender/wheel arch. The car could not be driven and was towed. Photos attached. Injuries: [none / describe]. Component/system: full self-driving (supervised) - steering control and driver override. The vehicle is at the Tesla service center in [location] and is available for inspection upon request. I have asked Tesla in writing to preserve all vehicle logs, event data and camera footage, and submitted a data privacy request for the incident data on oct 9, 2026. Safety risk: the driver could not regain control of the vehicle. With oncoming traffic, pedestrians or a deeper roadside hazard, this could have caused serious injury or death. Reproduced/confirmed by dealer: unknown. Tesla has not provided a diagnosis yet. Inspected Tesla service (in progress). Warning lamps or messages before the failure: [none observed . I believe fsd failed to keep the vehicle on the road and failed to yield control when the driver intervened. I request NHTSA review this incident as part of its ongoing fsd investigation.

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The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the steering wheel independently turned to the left and the right. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking and uncontrollable. The contact depressed the brake pedal down, unbuckled, the seat belt and opened the door and the vehicle came to a stop. The police was contacted and arrived on the scene. The police removed the vehicle from the roadway onto the shoulder of the road. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the diagnostic test report was not provided to the contact. The contact was informed that the information was reported to the engineers. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 450.

Urgent safety concern — uncommanded braking during manual driving. On October 2, 2026, while driving my 2021 Tesla Model 3 standard range manually at approximately 45 mph and slowing to make a turn at an intersection, my vehicle unexpectedly applied very strong braking for approximately 1–2 seconds before releasing. Neither autopilot, fsd, nor traffic-aware cruise control was engaged. I am concerned about a possible unintended automatic emergency braking activation or braking-system malfunction. This creates a serious safety concern for my family, including our newborn child. I request that this be urgently reviewed and determine what triggered the braking, including whether aeb, abs, or another braking-control system intervened in suck similar cases, so many were reported online. Please also provide the diagnostic findings and a written assessment of whether the vehicle is safe to operate.

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As we were normally driving, the car lost power immediately with no warning sign. After the power is lost, brake does not function, electrical door button doesn't function, hazard light doesn't function. Car was able to scroll to a complete stop to the side of the road. The steering wheel is locked. Again, brake did not function after the power is lost. No button works, no screen turns on, car is not able to turn to neutral. There was no collision prior and no warning prior. Tried to file a police report. But officer [xxx], badge # xxx, refused due to there was no collision and no accident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving with plenty of distance between me and the car in front of me. The car in front of me had stopped and the automatic emergency braking system on my car went on. Thankfully, there was no car behind me, otherwise, I would have been hit. The sudden stopping has caused me significant lower back pain.

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The break line ruptured causing loss of hydraulic pressure. The root cause was corrosion of the break line. This caused a major safety risk as I was unable to stop/slow the car down and had to coast to a stop. This is a known problem as addressed in Tesla's service bulletin sb-26-33-001. Tesla chose not to do a recall nor inform it's customers to get it inspected. The cost to replace the break line with corrosion resistant parts (as should have been done in the original design given that these cars as sold in the north east) is significant.

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On xxx at around 3:30 pm est, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model 3 on [xxx] about 10 miles outside of [xxx]. I had the adaptive cruise control set at 75 mph. I was driving in the right lane of the two available lanes of travel in that direction. I noticed an unattended car on the right shoulder about a 1/4 mile up the road and continued my drive as normal. The car was at least 5' to 6' off the highway. As I got about 30 yards from the car, my car suddenly slammed on the brakes automatically, which forced me to react in a corrective manner. Thankfully there was nobody behind me or the severity of the braking would have likely caused a rear end collision. To my understanding, this phantom braking is a known issue with Teslas, so I wanted to document my experience to add to the record. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While operating the vehicle at low speed (~35 mph reducing to a stop) on August 1, 2026, at approximately 10:38 am under normal road and weather conditions, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic and simultaneous loss of primary braking capability and steering responsiveness. > detailed description of failure: > * brake failure: upon pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to decelerate or stop adequately despite continuous application, nearly causing a collision. > * steering loss / disconnection: concurrently, while the steering wheel could physically be turned, it offered no directional control—turning the wheel had no effect on the vehicle's path, feeling as if the steering linkage or assist was entirely disconnected or disengaged. > vehicle warnings / diagnostic codes: > the vehicle's onboard display immediately registered critical active safety and chassis failures, specifically displaying: > * "abs (anti-lock braking system) disabled - drive with caution" > * "automatic emergency braking is unavailable - feature may be restored on next drive" > dashcam video and system screen captures documenting the exact speed, timestamp, and error messages have been saved and are available upon request. No crash occurred, but the sudden, simultaneous failure of core braking and electronic steering systems presents an extreme safety hazard. >.

The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph in traffic on a sunny day, the vehicle drove over a pothole, and the traction control and abs warning lights illuminated. The brake pedal was checked; however, fifteen minutes later the vehicle crashed into a 26-foot box truck. The contact stated that the box truck left the scene of the crash. The tire skid marks were 100 feet long. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated there was an electrical failure which caused the brakes to become inoperable. Additionally, the alerts were late. The contact stated that the battery might need to be replaced. The driver and his daughter, who was seated inside the vehicle, sustained back pain, whiplash, and knee injuries. The driver was transported by ambulance. Medical attention was provided. The contact stated that surgery might be needed in the future. The daughter was taken to the hospital, and medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. The edr was requested on the manufacturer website. The failure mileage was approximately 119,730.

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My brake lines have corroded to the point where half a liter of brake fluid has leaked out rendering the vehicle unsafe. Tesla admits that this is a design flaw but says that it does not affect this particular VIN number but the damage is exactly as described: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Description of the safety defect:my 2018 Tesla Model 3 awd suffered an abrupt and catastrophic total loss of mechanical braking power while driving. The brake pedal went completely soft, and the vehicle lost hydraulic pressure. An independent mechanic inspected the undercarriage and confirmed that the factory steel hydraulic brake lines completely rusted through and ruptured, leaking all brake fluid from the system. This vehicle has 142,905 miles and has been operated in regions that use winter road salt. Tesla is aware of this severe corrosion defect under service bulletin sb-26-33-001, but they have categorized it as a service bulletin rather than a safety recall. A factory brake line rusting through to total fluid failure is an extreme and immediate safety hazard to occupants and the public. Furthermore, the vehicle simultaneously threw a "front motor disconnected" warning. A federal investigation and mandatory recall are urgently required to ensure Tesla replaces these defective lines for all affected owners before a fatal accident occurs.

On July 11 at approximately 6:47 a. M. , I was operating my Tesla Model 3 on interstate 65 in hart county, kentucky, with full self-driving (fsd) engaged during normal highway travel. Approximately one hour earlier, I had departed a highway rest area after sleeping from the previous day’s travel. Rain developed during the trip, but I observed adequate visibility, apparent roadway traction, and I was not impaired. I was traveling in the far-right lane of a three-lane interstate. The posted speed limit was approximately 70 mph; however, fsd limited the vehicle to approximately 65 mph and displayed warnings indicating that the higher speed was unavailable. While fsd remained engaged, the system initiated a lane change from the far-right lane into the center lane. After entering the center lane, the vehicle began displaying repeated warning messages and fsd disengaged multiple times. I attempted to locate settings related to the warnings on the touchscreen but could not identify an available adjustment. During the third disengagement, I perceived that the vehicle continued braking without releasing while steering resistance increased significantly. The steering wheel then rotated abruptly, and I was unable to regain normal directional control before the vehicle departed its intended travel path and struck a concrete median. The collision caused personal injuries and substantial vehicle damage. I have not been able to reproduce the condition. The incident was investigated by the kentucky state police. Based on the sequence of repeated fsd warnings, disengagements, continued braking, and abrupt steering behavior, I believe this event warrants investigation. I request that NHTSA review the vehicle’s full self-driving logs, telemetry, event data recorder (edr) data, steering and braking commands, diagnostic records, and software history to determine whether a vehicle or software malfunction contributed to the collision. Almost like someone had control, into the wall -km.

-I was driving down into an indoor basement level garage very slowly as there is a steep incline. It descends from street level to basement level within a distance of approximately 30 to 35 ft. At the end of the incline is a sharp curve to the right, followed by a sharp left turn to proceed straight. -while on the incline, the car was slowing to a stop. I gently tapped the accelerator to keep it moving. -the car suddenly lunged forward, rapidly accelerating. The acceleration was not consistent with the amount of accelerator input I applied. -I quickly steered right to avoid hitting the wall, then immediately steered left to avoid hitting parked cars and garage columns. -I braked as hard as possible, pumping it. The brake pedal was stiff. The car kept moving forward despite my efforts and did not stop until I crashed into a parked car at the end of the garage. -my son was in the front passenger seat. We both had seatbelts on. Other than whiplash, there were no major injuries. -there were no warnings, messages or any indications that a problem was present prior to the incident. -there was no one in the parked vehicle that was struck and no other people in the garage. -my cell phone automatically alerted emergency services. The police responded, and I reported the incident.

"subject vehicle (2022 Tesla Model 3, VIN: [xxx]) was deployed for commercial rideshare passenger transportation by fleet operator hertz/uber with active catastrophic life-safety system failures. Onboard Tesla service mode telemetry confirmed: (1) restraints control module (rcm) is powered off with status 00, leaving primary front and knee airbags and seatbelt pretensioners completely inoperative during public commercial transit; (2) master cylinder hydraulic brake pressure telemetry is registered as 'unavailable' under ibooster (ibst) and electronic stability program (esp); (3) steering torque calibration offsets of -97 nm and -14° angular pulling bias were applied to compensate for structural suspension collision damage; (4) active diagnostic trouble code vcfront_a611 radiator heat rejection failure causing severe battery and powertrain thermal throttling; and (5) non-functional windshield wipers and blocked camera sensors violating fmvss 104 and fmvss 208. " information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The forward-facing camera and autopilot computer system on my 2021 Tesla Model 3 has failed. The dashboard first showed intermittent warnings that "automatic emergency braking is currently unavailable" and "adaptive headlight features are unavailable. " over several weeks the problem worsened from intermittent to constant, and the vehicle progressively lost its forward road visualization and all active safety features. Using the vehicle's service mode diagnostics, the autopilot computer's primary (a) processing node reports a "critical" status. The fault log records repeated alerts including dasmia (driver-assistance system not responding), aebfault (automatic emergency braking fault), and fisheyecaminitfault and fisheyecamerastreamexit (forward camera initialization and stream failures). The cameras themselves are physically clean and unobstructed. Safety risk: the failure disables automatic emergency braking and forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping/driver assistance, and the adaptive auto high-beam headlights. Aeb is a critical crash-avoidance system; losing it leaves the vehicle unable to brake automatically for an imminent collision, and the loss of adaptive headlights reduces nighttime visibility. A Tesla service center inspected the vehicle, confirmed the diagnosis, and determined the autopilot computer — a sealed, solid-state control unit — had failed and required full replacement at approximately $3,400. The vehicle is well under 50,000 miles. This failure appears consistent with the same car-computer power-component shorting failure for which Tesla issued a recall on its newer model-year vehicles. The vehicle and the failed component are available for inspection on request. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance.

The Tesla was hit on the passenger side by a Honda civic that ran a red light traveling more than 25 mph the Tesla spun 180 degrees after impact. No airbags deployed. Immediately after impact the Tesla turned on hazard lights. However the vehicle would not come to a stop after pressing on the brakes. After impact the vehicle was coasting backwards at probably less than 5-6 mph. It would not respond to brake presses. Oddly the vehicle had regen braking enabled which should have brought it to a stop, but it didn’t. The vehicle kept coasting backwards as if it was in neutral for about 20 meters until it hit a curb and stopped. Brakes would not work!!!.

I have a group of individuals that are hacking all of my accounts and trying to steal my car. They first hacked my emails then my Tesla account and now they are actually on the Teslas computer system and have been in the vehicle accessing the screen. After they hacked the system and stopped updates the car started having a bunch of safety concerns and alerts. The breaks were not working and the vehicle would freely roll when full pressure was applied. The collision system in the car was not working properly. Thinking it was possibly going to be hit by another car it would avoid nothing and jerk me out of the lane and nothing was around at all potentially causing an accident. Then the collision system stopped working all together. The steering system would not communicate properly with the system and kept requesting to be reconfigured with the system. The power train system kept throwing alerts. The tire pressure sensors stopped working and will not retrain now. They keep stopping the software updates now and have an it admin portal device management program on the system and have complete control of the car’s system. Recently they were checking into enrolling in to fleet developer api to interact with the vehicle at code level. I have tried everything to get them off the account and they live at my apartment building. They are using illegal hacking tools and devices to gain access spyware and malware on all my devices. Tesla has done little to nothing to fix this problem and reports have been made. This is a major safety concern.

My hard brake lines were corroded and had to be replaced on a 7 year old Model 3 with 70k miles on it. The cost was over $4000 as battery has to come out and it's very labor intensive. Tesla offered no help with paying for this. They tried to say the car probably was in a very corrosive environment before I bought the car (I purchased it about a year ago). However, I've seen little to no corrosion anywhere on the car. I've decided to report this issue after talking with several lifelong mechanics who have said they have never heard of hard brake lines failing on a car with age and mileage that mine has. Also after searching owner groups I've heard from other owners that have had this same issue and it seems like a growing number especially in early Model 3 cars. I was giving a warning about low brake fluid and advised not to drive the vehicle before getting it inspected.

Please review attachment.

Vehicle is 7 years old with 107,000 miles. I received a warning regarding low brake fluid with instructions not to drive the vehicle. Dealer is advising all brake lines are rusted out and need replacement. Rusted lines are apparently causing the brake fluid to leak. I've never heard of any vehicle, let alone a 7 year old vehicle, needing all brake lines replaced. After researching online, my 2018 Tesla Model 3 is not the only Tesla Model 3 with this issue. Specifically, it appears some early 2018 Model 3s have suffered this issue. I believe this is a design defect and safety issue, and that Tesla should be voluntarily repairing affected vehicles with this known issue, since it is a design/safety issue.

The steering was hard to turn, and the fully supervised driving mode didn't work. This has happened twice, and both times the issue went away on its own after a few minutes. I performed a soft reset both times, but it did not resolve the issue. The first time, the steering was very heavy, I. E. , hard to turn. The second time was less difficult, but in both cases, fsd (full self-driving) did not function. General guideline questions: 1. The steering system malfunctioned. The car is available for inspection. 2. The car was very difficult to drive. I was able to turn the wheel, but I won't let my wife drive it. 3. No. The nearest service center is 90 miles away, and so far, they want me to bring the car to them. I am still working to resolve this, as I believe this issue requires mobile service. 4. No inspections have been done. 5. Yes. An alert message on the main display stated: "alerts - steering & braking - steering assist reduced/steering may require increased effort. ".

Regen braking sporadically not working when going down mountain or steep roads. Sometimes they work and sometimes they won’t. This is after extensive driving on warm days while battery is between 70-80%. Support could not help me and they don’t have any technicians available. I’ve sent them videos and time stamps and they are ignoring the issue and unable to help due to lack of knowledgable representatives this is a serious safety concern.

While driving my Tesla Model 3 with self-driving engaged in excellent conditions, the car suddenly braked to a full stop. There was no apparent reason to do so and the driver did nothing. The road ahead was free of traffic, and no obstacles, pedestrians or animals were visible. It was possible to resume driving by turning self-driving off. Tesla forums online show many instances of others reporting similar problems in various Tesla models over several years. A rear end collision will ultimately be the result of this flaw if it hasn’t yet occurred.

While driving home from purchasing my new Tesla a under dash panel just to the left of the steering column detached an fell on top of the brake pedal. This made it impossible to apply the brakes. Fortunately because of regenerative braking I was able to stop the car and replace the panel. The panel is only held in place with 2 magnets. I find this extremely dangerous and could have easily caused a life ending accident.

Brakes failed to stop the car. The car sat at Tesla service center for one month with no action from Tesla. My wife rear ended another car. The air bags deployed. No one was injuryed and the other was not damaged. Both people could have been seriously hurt or killed. Car was finally towed to classic collision November 24 by state farm insurance for repair. Estimate to be repaired January 8, 2026.

The vehicle’s brakes did not work, automatic emergency brakes and collision warning both did not work. I pressed on the brake for about 5 seconds but the brakes did not work, resulting in a collision with the car in front. Everything is available for inspection if needed. Both my safety and the driver of the vehicle in front of me was at risk. The problem has not been confirmed yet. The vehicle is currently at a shop, waiting inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms.

I drove into my neighbor’s driveway to drop her off. As I slowed down and applied the brakes to stop, the car failed to respond. It continued forward, running over the flower and plant pots at the edge of the driveway, crossing the backyard, and finally colliding with the trees and bushes at the rear of the property. All airbags deployed, and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair.

The complaint was filed on behalf of the contact's daughter. The contact's daughter owned a 2020 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while the contact's daughter was driving at 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the contact's daughter stated that the brake pedal felt spongy and unusual. The contact's daughter stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floor; however, the vehicle still did not stop. The contact's daughter enabled the emergency braking system; however, the vehicle still did not stop. The contact's daughter beeped the horn to alert the nearby driver, and the dash cam independently activated. The contact stated that because of the failure, the contact's daughter's vehicle rear-ended the vehicle in front of the contact's daughter's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that after the crash, the emergency braking system failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. The contact's daughter was treated at the local hospital on the following day. The contact's daughter sustained headaches, whiplash, and a concussion. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

Repeatedly and randomly, with cruise control (not fsd) engaged, the car would brake, sometimes aggressively. The last time, it braked so hard the tires or brakes squealed and the car swerved slightly before I was able to regain control. This was on the freeway (in colorado, if I remember correctly) while I was cruising at 70 or 75 mph. I decided that that was the last time I would use cruise control; it was just not safe. I had an appointment on October 22 to take the car in for service. But then a friend told me this was called "phantom braking" and that there was no fix. A friend suggested that I contact the NHTSA.

Travelling south on [xxx]just south of [xxx] on [xxx] at [xxx]. Climate was medium-rain. Car began to hydroplane due to regenerative breaking. Lost control and began to swerve between lanes. Completely swerved 180 degrees so that car was facing wrong direct. Swerved back to right way on highway. No cars around and did not hit anything. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the third floor of a parking garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to full speed unintendedly, and the steering wheel and the brake pedal were inoperable, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a wall and crashed into the vehicle in front, and the vehicle stopped. No further information was available. No warning lights were illuminated. The front driver's side air bag deployed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.

The brake lines badly rusted creating safety hazard as Tesla service reported when working on other maintenance. Not a warranty issue not covered as repair is over $3800. Vehicle was not abused and was kept clean regularly - this seems to be a vehicle defect if the brake lines can get moisture trapped behind the battery pack and create excessive corrosion requiring brake line replacement.

On September 18, 2025, my 2023 Tesla Model 3 (VIN: 5yj3e1eb9pf632327) suddenly accelerated on its own and the brakes failed to respond despite repeated pressing. To avoid hitting other vehicles, I turned into a property driveway and struck a tree. The airbags deployed. This was a case of sudden unintended acceleration combined with complete brake failure, creating a serious safety hazard. Forward collision warning also did not prevent the impact. A police report was filed by the dekalb county police department, GA, USA (report #25-074809, case #0440200), which specifically documented brake failure as the cause of the accident. The report also notes that the driver was injured by the airbag and that the vehicle had to be towed from the scene. A copy of the police report can be provided upon request.