Service Brakes Problems of Tesla Model S - part 1

I was entering my drive way waiting for the garage to open suddenly my car just accelerated and hit the wall.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Incident description: while driving through a parking lot at 20 mi/hr, my vehicle's aeb system activated in response to another vehicle approaching from a perpendicular direction. However, the system's response was dangerously delayed and inappropriate stopping the car right in front of the other car: the system failed to provide any advance warning or alert before applying the brakes the braking occurred too late to create adequate separation from the approaching vehicle the vehicle stopped directly in the path of the oncoming car, increasing rather than decreasing collision risk the abrupt stop left my vehicle in a position where I was at greater risk of being t-boned only the other driver's quick reaction prevented a collision. Had that driver not stopped in time, the aeb system would have contributed to, rather than prevented, a serious accident.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Car will just brake on the highway with out warning. Cruise control will just randomly change speeds. I was traveling on an overpass and speed dropped to 35 then jumped to 60mph.

On [xxx], my 2018 Tesla Model S (VIN [xxx] ) experienced a complete brake system failure while in motion. The brake pedal was pressed multiple times, but the vehicle did not stop, resulting in a collision. The emergency brake also failed to engage. 1. Component/system failure: the braking system, including both the standard hydraulic brakes and the electronic emergency brake, failed to operate. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety risk: this put my safety and the safety of others at immediate risk, as I was unable to stop the vehicle to avoid an accident. 3. Confirmation of problem: the problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a Tesla service center since the accident, but the vehicle previously had recalls in 2021 and January 2024 for brake and emergency brake issues that Tesla claimed to have remedied. 4. Inspection: the vehicle has been involved in an accident and has been documented by police and insurance representatives. Tesla has not yet inspected the car after the most recent failure. 5. Warning lamps/messages: there were no warning lamps or error messages on the dashboard prior to the failure. The brakes appeared normal until the moment they failed completely. This incident demonstrates that the recall-related brake defects remain unresolved and present a serious safety hazard. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

- vehicle accelerated while I was pressing the brake on my 2013 Model S Tesla car - my vehicle rammed into another vehicle waiting at the traffic light resulting in damage to both the cars as well trauma for the female driver in the other car - I see exact complaints have been filed by many others - Tesla has rejected these complaints and blamed it on the driver - there were no warning indications.

See all problems of the 2013 Tesla Model S 🔎.

While driving on the highway at maximum speed limit, I had a series of error messages that covered the complete screen. At the same time, my mph dropped to zero although I was traveling probably 70 miles per hour. I had no control over the vehicle, no steering, I had no brakes. There was no way to control the car. Fortunately, I was traveling in a low populated area of the 15 freeway between los angeles and las vegas in the far right lane, as I was preparing to exit less than a mile to a super charger station. I was able to get off that exit but since the odometer had a 0 reading, I had no idea what speed I was still traveling at. When I reached the end of the freeway exit, I was unable to stop the vehicle at the stop sign, running it while attempting with all of my strength to veer to the right on to a desolate road. The only thing that saved the car from running the stop sign at what I can only guess would have been 60 mph was a slight incline in the off ramp which slowed the car to about half that when I managed to make the turn. From there, I coasted to a rolling stop about 200 ft from exit, half on shoulder, half stili on road. I was not able to put the car in park nor see what gear the car was in due to the flashing warnings blocking the display screen. I could not use the hazard lights, the gear shift, power off, open glove box, turn off display, open trunk, as if it was in d. Once exited, no way to get back in the car. Tesla er service only able to tow next a. M. To nearest s c, 85 miles at my expense. Sat in car as getting dark, cold along desolate road with no services, until my ride could get me over 4 hrs or stay in car overnight with temps of 20°. After 2 days at Tesla, told steering rack failed, $4,900. Any other time, I would have plowed into the car in front of me at 70mph with no way to stop or steer away. Only prevented by the empty freeway I just happened to be traveling. Tesla claims to have no idea why this part failed at this low mileage.

See all problems of the 2016 Tesla Model S 🔎.

My 2018 Tesla Model S has a recurring safety-critical defect involving the steering system and the chassis can communication network. On October 20, 2025, the vehicle had to be towed to a Tesla service center because it would not power on and displayed multiple safety alerts (traction control disabled, stability control disabled, abs disabled, and reduced steering assist). Tesla documented that the steering rack was “bringing down the chassis can” and stated the issue might require a new steering rack and coolant pump if it returned. The warnings have now returned, and the vehicle is again showing active alerts for disabled traction control, disabled stability control, and previously reduced steering assist. This is a repeat of the same unsafe condition that Tesla attempted to repair. The car is unsafe to drive and could cause loss of steering control. This is a recurring steering/chassis can failure with major safety system disablement. I am reporting this because the defect affects vehicle control and increases the risk of a crash.

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the brake and the vehicle kept rolling forward. The contact opened the door for the vehicle to come to a stop. On another occasion, the contact stated that the adas feature engaged and while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle failed to recognize stop signs, traffic lights, or pedestrians. The contact stated that the function was a paid feature; however, the system failed to operate as designed. On another occasion, the contact stated that the steering will shift to one side while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was made aware, and the contact had a pending appointment scheduled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

My car slams on the brakes consistently at green lights when fsd is activated. This is version 12. 5. 4. 2 of fsd. Tesla is not responding to my inquiries.

•I’m not sure what component was responsble for either the braking issue or the fire. It is available for inspection. •when driving the brake pedal had a frightening delay that almost caused 2 accidents and unfortunately my car was charging on the 24th of October which could have something to do with arching that led to my garage catching fire rendering the car unable to move or turn on after the incident. I’ve insisted Tesla insurance to look into possible causes because the fire dept. Mandated the a ladwp (power company) to install new transformers to our power supply a couple of days after the fire, which they did. Tesla insurance seems uninterested in finding the cause and wants to compensate me for the vehicle but I believe it’s in their best interest to find a cause and document it. The car had no issues prior, in fact the service center sent a mobile tech to replace the 12volt battery on the car not even 10 months ago. After the fire the car died and has a bunch of codes that make it inoperable. • service center rejected looking at it because of the risk. They said since it was possible salvage they could not look at it which is understandable but they worked on it before in decem •insurance has been unwilling to look at any of this they just want pictures of the car to settle the issue. In my opinion they are ignoring a bigger problem. Tesla is my insurer. •the car had no issues prior to the fire and none during the near misses were the brake delayed.

I pulled into a driveway on a one lane road (due to construction) to allow a car traveling downhill to pass so they would not have to back up. I had come to a complete stop in the driveway with the car in drive. As I started to put the car in reverse it surged forward at a high rate of speed crashing into my neighbor's garage, tearing the door completely down pushing the door into the garage and my car entering the garage at least 15 feet hitting the car that was parked inside and pushing it with such force that the front end of the vehicle struck the garage cabinets tearing them down. My air bag did not deploy nor did the automatic braking system engage, it just sped up as it was doing the damage. The car has been deemed a total loss by my insurance company but I don't want this report to go unnoticed. To my knowledge the insurance company has not inspected the computer on the vehicle. I'm not sure how they will investigate this occurrence. I feel strongly that this was a malfunction with my car. The message that showed immediately was "driver assist unavailable", I have never used driver assist.

To avoid collision on the highway with a deer crossing in front of me, I braked very hard. The left rear brake caliper mount broke as a result. I did not lose brake fluid pressure, thankfully but this could’ve been a catastrophic failure. I contacted Tesla who seemed indifferent and blaming the incident on my driving and the mileage of the car ( 48,000 ). I have never in my life heard of a caliper mount breaking on any car with any number of miles. I’m sure it happens, but it should not happen on a car with 1000 hp.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model S 🔎.

My car was left on the driveway for a weekend where I was out of town. Upon returning, as I got into the vehicle and started reversing to get out of my driveway; several alerts popped up on my car. The alerts included "steering assist reduced", "stability control disabled", "automatic emergency braking unavailable" and lastly, "parking brake fault. " immediately the power steering was gone and it took several pounds of force to turn the steering wheel even a little bit. Then, the parking brake engaged. No matter how many times I put the car into drive, it would engage the brake again. My vehicle was halfway out of the driveway and into the road and I was causing my neighbors angst. After several reboots, it still was not working. I was unable to even get the car into neutral to push the car back on to my property and out of the street. After nearly 20 minutes of trying and almost giving up; the parking brake disengaged for a few minutes and allowed me to get back to the driveway. However, when driving the brakes were extremely loud when the car was in motion. The car was completely fine with no signs of wear and tear or issues prior to the out of town weekend. The car was also fully charged so to not run into any batter issues upon my return. After some internet sleuthing, this issue is decently common and is caused by faulty housing in the steering rack. The nuts/bolts that were used by the manufacturer could not withstand more than a few years of wear and tear. I believe there was a recall on the previous years for this exact situation. I am afraid I will have to take it to Tesla service and pay several thousand dollars as the warranty expired last year.

Full self driving did not show signs of slowing down at everett traffic slow down from about 60 miles to a standstill. I realized the speed not slowing down (about 5 car distance from stopped distance) I tried to apply the brakes that were completely nonresponsive, instead the car sped up. I avoided backend collision with the first car be maneuvering to the shoulder, however the next car was parked halfway into the shoulder that didn't leave enough room to not hit it. The car hit two other cars before coming to a full stop. While checking for any injuries for myself and passenger, after a delay and hitting 3 cars the airbags uselessly deployed. Total failure of brakes, auto emergency braking and airbag deployment. I have requested Tesla to look into the logs but havent gotten any feedback.

See all problems of the 2017 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Driving on straight section of highway at dusk. No autopilot or other features on. Road slightly damp from earlier rain. Driving approximately 60mph. Without me moving my hands or feet then car suddenly slammed on the brakes and speed decreased to approximately 20mph. I pulled over and reset the car computer by pressing the two buttons on the wheel and no further problems but had someone been behind me there would have been a terrible crash and my daughter was in the backseat. Looking online it seems Tesla "phantom braking" is not uncommon. I am frightened to drive my car ever again but have a 7 hour drive home tomorrow.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Front suspension has a popping and creaking sound when driving and turning steering wheel. Safety issue as sounds something is loose but Tesla says no issue it’s the body flexing which is even scarier to hear the panels rattling if this is in fact true. Tesla will not do anything about it. Additionally the brakes and rotors squeal when pressed at slow speeds coming to full hard stop. Both front and back. Both brakes and rotors have 90% life and according to Tesla shouldn’t need replacing until 90k miles due to the regen braking. The braking system does not engage as it should or how it is designed and car has 40k miles. Tesla uses the excuse that that they don’t cover this as it’s a wear and tear component. Which another issue because they don’t know the reason of why it’s doing this. They want customers to pay and replace the brakes and rotors. Many owners with same car experience this issue and is a design defect that can pose safety issues.

Vehicle suddenly stopped on highway luckily there were no drivers behind me. The vehicle all of a sudden started beeping even though there was a clear path and no obstructions. Then stopped. I was panicked and in awe at what was happening. I couldn’t get the vehicle to drive I was just stuck for 10-15 seconds. I was finally able to get the car moving again but the problem hasn’t happened since. Any information as to what may have gone wrong may help other Tesla owners who may or may have not experienced this… yet.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Vehicle error: parking brake not applied/vehicle may free roll. This issue appeared to be covered by the attached recall, but the service center indicated that it did not apply to my vehicle. Therefore, they charged me for the repair. I do not understand this as the recalled vehicle criteria seems to match my vehicle information. Are you able to evaluate whether this recall should apply to my vehicle? thank you. Repair notes: installed vehicle set of wheels. Replaced rh park brake rear brake caliper. Replaced lh park brake rear brake caliper.

Tesla has refused to fix safety recall items. They asked me to replace the cluster own my own so I can receive updates.

Recall issue for my vehicle. Have been having issues with the auto steer/auto pilot that comes in the car. The auto steer automatically goes off and whenever you make a turn, there's a weird sound.

1. The component that failed was the parking brake. This failure occurred immediately after leaving the ballard way Tesla supercharger. Tesla in lynnwood, wa, replaced one of the parts on February 12, 2024. I am unsure if the replaced part is available for inspection, as I did not retain it. The other brake caliper, which has not been replaced, has not shown issues but is available for inspection. 2. The safety risk was significant as the parking brake malfunction rendered my vehicle immovable, causing a traffic obstruction immediately after use and again on the road, potentially endangering myself, other motorists, and pedestrians due to the unexpected immobilization of my vehicle in traffic. 3. Yes, the problem was acknowledged by the Tesla service center in lynnwood, wa, which replaced one of the malfunctioning parking brake components on February 12, 2024, thereby confirming the malfunction. There was also confirmation of recall 17v-260 and that my vehicle was experiencing the same symptoms. 4. The vehicle was inspected and serviced by the manufacturer's service center (Tesla in lynnwood, wa). There were no inspections conducted by police, insurance representatives, or other parties as far as I am aware. 5. Yes, there were intermittent issues with the parking brake being unresponsive when attempting to park the car a few days prior to the incident at ballard way. Although the physical brake had not locked up until the incident occurred, the parking brake fault warning did appear intermittently, indicating a potential issue before the complete failure experienced on the day of the incident.

Similar issue to NHTSA campaign number: 17v260000. Vehicle was in park. Shifted the vehicle into drive and the passenger side parking break seized and would not release.

Driving 75mph on cruise control. Car sensed a vehicle in front of me (which there were no vehicles in sight) my Tesla started flashing the red car light and making the alert noise. My vehicle automatically slammed on the brakes dropping me to about 40mph instantly. My greatest fear continuing to drive this vehicle is if I use cruise control, and it senses a vehicle in front of me without their actually being a vehicle and slams on the brakes again myself or someone is going to get hurt. This has the potential to cause death or cause severe injury.

On Dec. 26, 2023, at approximately 6:30 pm while I was driving my 2019 Tesla Model S in fort lee, NJ. While navigating through congested traffic and executing a right turn from bridge plaza north to lemoine avenue south on a green light, the auto-pilot system was not using, my vehicle unexpectedly experienced sudden acceleration. Despite my immediate attempts to pump the brakes, the car failed to decelerate, resulting in a collision with a small bus at its rear side. Subsequently, the car continued at full speed, colliding with three additional vehicles before finally coming to a stop. Under such impact, no air bags opened. I would greatly appreciate further investigation and assistance in understanding the cause behind this sudden acceleration, as it not only endangered my safety but also resulted in damage to multiple vehicles. I do have a police report but cannot upload to this report, please let me know how to submit the report (fort lee police dept. Incident # I-2023-073265).

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while he, his wife, and his son were in the vehicle he had begun veering right pulling into the driveway, at approximately 5 mph, he had begun slightly releasing the brakes when the vehicle suddenly accelerated at accelerated high speeds. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal however the vehicle speed continued to accelerate. As a response, the contact attempted to maneuver the vehicle to avoid crashing into the garage. The contact crashed into a nearby tree, jumped the curb, and became airborne crashing into the side of the home. The driver's side of the vehicle crashed into the side of the home where the laundry room was located ricocheting hitting the kitchen and bedroom windows and eventually coming to a stop. Due to the home being on a slope, the vehicle ended up falling into a nearby embankment after coming to a stop. All air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed. The contact was informed by insurance the vehicle would more than likely be totaled however this had not been confirmed. A police report was filed. The contact received emotional distress, cuts, and bruising to their hands. Arms and forehead. The contact also suffered from back pain. The contact's wife sat in the rear on the driver's side and received emotional distress, trouble breathing, bruising on their face, and bleeding in the mouth. Their wife also received neck, back, and head pain. The contact stated that their wife ended up falling to the floor of the vehicle as a result of the crash. The contact's son sat in the rear on the passenger's side and received emotional distress, and back and neck pain. All persons received medical attention on-site, such as cleaning the wounds and icing any bruising. They were advised to seek additional care, however, have not been able to do so as of yet. The crash caused damage to the wall and flooring structures, electricity, and water systems in the home. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The cause of the failure had n.

See all problems of the 2015 Tesla Model S 🔎.

While in autosteer, I pressed on the brakes which normally deactivates the autosteer while coming to a stop. In this particular case the car did not brake upon command and the car maintained acceleration thru a stop light and veered into a median causing a collision with a curb causing structural damage to the frame of the vehicle. I have put in a claim with both my insurance and Tesla and advise that the brakes did not activate in a timely fashion upon disengaging from autosteer thus causing the collision and was advise by Tesla that I would be responsible to cover the damages when the accident was caused by the vehicle not disengaging. I was only advised after the fact of the recall for the very reason I complained to Tesla in the first place and have been waiting 5 months for a resolution.

From Aug 23 to 28, 2023, we traveled in our 2020 Tesla Model S long range plus vehicle from santa fe, nm to san diego, CA and back, for a total distance of approximate 2100 miles. We drove primarily interstates (I-25, I-10, I-8, I-5) where speed limits ranged from 55 to 75. We experienced numerous instances of what is known to Tesla owners as sudden, severe "phantom braking" [hereinafter pb] while the cruise control was activated (not autopilot, nor fsd, just cruise control). In all instances, no cars or other objects were visible within 1 mile ahead of our vehicle, and in all instances, these "phantom braking" incidents happened on absolutely flat, straight, smooth road surfaces, at all times of day, morning, noon, and night. This car has had pb problems since the day was purchased; in fact on that day, there were at least two sudden pb incidents while I drove home in the new car! at numerous times since, I've reported these problems to Tesla service---to no avail. The problem is widely known among Tesla owners, and to my knowledge no owner has been able to get Tesla to do anything. On this most recent long-distance trip, our pb incidents happened typically at the posted speed limit of 75mph in all-clear situations---nobody else anywhere remotely nearby. The car would be operating smoothly when all of a sudden the brakes would engage and the vehicle would rapidly decelerate, throwing forward anything not fastened down inside the car. Because of the history of this problem, I never activate cruise control whenever any vehicle is near the rear of the car, as I can never tell if my car will "phantom brake" at that moment, causing a possible accident. I consider this problem very dangerous. I have owned this car since 2020, and Tesla has refused to do anything to fix it, always coming up with one or other stalling technique or excuse. I consider this an extreme safety flaw of this car and hope NHTSA can help to force Tesla to fix it once and for all.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model S 🔎.

This is the second time in the last two weeks that my backup camera has stopped working. I have talk to the service center about this I was told that it is not a safety issue but a convenience to the driver and that I should use my mirrors and turn my head around to see what is behind me. I have taken my car in the service center to see if they can fix the problem (8/23/2023). Backup camera worked for a while than stopped again . I have made another appointment with the service center to see if they can fix the problem (8/29/2023.

Car when parked over time fails to move when engaged citing parking brake fault. I don't even use parking brake. Car is completely jammed. I looked up online and found a recall notice for the same issue where calipers were at fault.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while approaching a stop light, while the contact was pressing on the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle accelerated on its own causing the contact to struck the vehicle in front. The contact stated that no warning light illuminated, and the brake assist did not activate. The contact stated when the vehicle struck the vehicle in front the vehicle continued driving forward and then the vehicle was able to come to a completely stop. The vehicle had front ended damages and the other vehicle had rear ended damages. No one was injured. The air bags deployed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted and did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 54,000.

I was using the enhanced cruise control and the car just slammed on brakes out of nowhere. There was not any cars ahead or beside me at the time. This has happened about 5-6 times since I purchased the vehicle on March 10, 2023.

At least 6 times on two different trips, while driving with adaptive cruise control engaged, the car randomly and aggressively applied the breaks. It was so aggressive that if there had been a car behind us, they would definitely have rear ended us going 60+ miles per hour. It was difficult to hold the car in the lane when the breaks were applied so aggressively. We did some research and found that there were over 700 comments on this problem and it was being labeled as "fantom breaking". The breaking is very aggressive and very unsafe. The representatives at the dealership simply acknowledged the problem and said that Tesla will continue to try to correct it with a software download.

Driving on autopilot on the highway, the car suddenly brakes with not apparent reason.

Third time this week I have been thrown forward into the steering wheel with no cars or objects surrounding me.

During a road trip (may 2023) with cruise control activated, I had at least 5 phantom braking events. The most serious was in las vegas on the freeway with a very severe braking event. I now no longer use cruise control in crowded traffic so that I won't get rear ended when a phantom braking event happens.